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Clearpricingatfairsispayingoffforus,saysCharlesEdeasthegallerypreparesforTEFAFNewYorkFall
Transparencyisattractingnewclientsincludingcontemporaryartdealers,antiquitiesspecialistsreveal
Transparencyoverpricingatfairspaysoff,saysantiquitiesdealerCharlesEdeLtdasthegalleryunveilsitstreasuresforTEFAFNewYorkFallfromOctober26toNovember1.
“OurdeliberatepolicyoflabelingeverythingclearlyinthelocalcurrencyandmakingvisitorsfeelwelcomeonourstandsignificantlyaddedtothesuccessweenjoyedatTEFAFNewYorkSpring,”saysmanagingdirectorMartinClist.
“Theylovedthetransparencyandmanyofthemexpressedtheirpleasureatseeingthepricesondisplay.Itmadealotofdifferencetothelengthoftimevisitorsstayedonourstandandanumberwereastonishedthatpricesforantiquitieswerenotinthemillionsofdollars.”
Exhibitingatwhatwaslargelyacontemporaryartfairalsopaidoff,especiallycombinedwiththepricingtransparency,heexplained.
“Wesoldtosevenoreightnewbuyers,allofthemcontemporaryartdealers,includingthosewhowerenotexhibitingatthefair.Ithinkwhatattractedtheminpartwasthatevenourmostoutstandingandexpensivepiecescomparedfavourablyinpricewithoftenfairlyordinarycontemporaryworks.”
ThegalleryalsosoldtoanimportantUScollectorwhoitwouldotherwisenothaveseenandwasdelightedwhentwomajorUSmuseumsreservedpieces.
Addingtothatattractionwascrossoverinterestbetweencontemporaryartandantiquities.
“ArtistslikePicassoweresometimesinspiredbyancientworksofartanditiseasytoseehowwellantiquitiescanfitintoacontemporarysetting,”saysClist.
Apiecethatillustratesthisclearlyisthe18cmhigh,mid6thcenturyBCterracottaGreekmodelofahorse,shownabove,thatCharlesEdewilltaketoTEFAFNYFall,pricedatjust$6,500.
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Clist,whoseownbackgroundincludestimeatWaddingtonGalleriesandRossi&Rossi,bringsaModernandContemporaryartexpertisetothepresentationoftheworksCharlesEdesells,bothonitsstandsatfairsandinthecataloguesthatitproduces.It’sanapproachthatfitswellatfairs,whethertheheavilycontemporarybasedTEFAFNYSpringorthefineanddecorativeartthemedTEFAFNYFall.
“Thespringshowwastiringinagoodwaybecauseitattractednewclientsandbrowsersontothestandwhodidnotknowantiquitieswellandthisinvolvedalotofexplaining,”hesays.
“Atfirst,alotofpeopledidn’tseethepricetagsuntiltheywerepointedout,butagainwerepleasantlysurprised.It’sanimportantchangetowardsmakingpeoplefeelmoreconfidentandcomfortable,asdoesourpolicyofpricingthingsinthelocalcurrency,soAmericanscomingontothestandinNewYorkimmediatelyknowexactlywhatisbeingaskedindollars.”
CharlesEdeworksoutaviableexchangeratebeforethefairandthenstickstoitsothereisnovolatilityresultingfromchangingratesduringthefair.
“Doingthis,alongwithclearpricing,showsthatwedon’tputuppricesduringthefair,whichiswhatsomepeoplethinkdealersdo.Evenwiththis,wefacesomeprettycompetitivebargainingfromclientsinNewYork,butthat’sthenatureofthegame.”
Thegallery’shighlightsfortheTEFAFNYFallfairinclude:a2nd-1stcenturyBC,15.5cmhigh,Hellenisticmarbleheadofayouth(intheregionof$220,000);an18.5cmhigh,c.600BC,EgyptianLateDynasticperiod,26thDynastybronzestatuetteofOsiris,inlaidwithcopper,silverandniello$125,000);a24cmlong,664-332BCEgyptianLateDynasticperiod,30thDynastylimestonestatueofarecumbentlion$65,000);a29cmhigh,4thcenturyBCincisedbronzeandboneEtruscanmirror$46,500);andalife-size3rdcenturyBCEtruscanterracottavotivearm$21,500),shownabove.
“Thearmisafascinatingexampleofvotiveofferings,”explainsClist.“Objectslikethis,modeledasexternalbodyparts,wereplacedinshrinesasaprayerforacureorpreventionagainstdiseaseorinjurytothepartofthebodyrepresented.”
FurtheroutstandingpieceswillappearinCharlesEde’sChristmascatalogue,tobereleasedsoon.
www.charlesede.com
Forfurtherinformation,[email protected]@charlesede.com
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AboutCharlesEdeLtd
Establishedin1971,CharlesEdeLtdisoneoftheleadinginternationaldealersinancientartfromaroundtheMediterranean.Renownedforitsthoroughresearchandprovidingdepthofprovenance,itcontinuesthetraditionofitsfounder,CharlesEde,whosoldhisfirstitemofancientartin1959.Overthepast46yearsthegalleryhasproducedmorethan300catalogues,exhibitedatsomeoftheworld'sleadingartfairs,andsoldtomanyofthegreatestmuseumsandcollectors.Afternearly45yearsonBrookStreet,amovetolargerpremisesatThreeKing'sYardinOctober2014markedanewphaseinitshistory.ThegallerycontinuesshowandpublishexceptionalobjectsfromancientEgypt,Greece,Rome,aswellastheNearEast.In2016CharlesEdeLtdhelpedreuniteanancientEgyptiantreasureintheNationalMuseumsofScotlandwithkeymissingfragments160yearsaftertheitemwasdonatedtoaScottishmuseum.Reunitingthelostfragmentswiththerestofthehighlydecoratedc.1400BCperfumeboxattheNationalMuseumsofScotlandhasconfirmeditssuspectedroyalassociationsaftermorethanacenturyofconjectureaboutitsprovenance.ItisthoughttohavebeenmadeforthegranddaughterofPharaohAmenhotepII,whoruledfromabout1427-1401BC,duringEgypt’s18thdynasty.CharlesEdeLtdisamemberofIADAA(InternationalAssociationofDealersinAncientArt);ADA(AntiquityDealersAssociation),BADA(BritishAntiqueDealersAssociation).
