
VE44 Feb/Mar 2019 Contents
Jeweller to the Stars
Gemma Redmond admires the flamboyant creations of jewellery designer Joseff of Hollywood
Winter Kitsch
Part one of a series of articles about 1950s kitsch ceramics. Ranging from travel through to animals, Chris Marks looks at how different manufacturers approached similar topics
Living with Design
Now an effective contemporary home with a few key Mid-century pieces – Interior Designer Clare Pascoe has transformed Locks Lane in West Sussex
Prisoner of Love
Straps, buckles, leather, wooden plugs, slings and harnesses... no not medieval torture or dominatrix inventory, it’s the seating designed by Arne Norell
Colour Wizard
Bernat Klein’s contribution to fashion, design, architecture and Scotland’s international reputation, will be his enduring legacy
Exhibitions
A Life in Drawing - Wherever you are in the country, as of this February you can engage with one of the greatest minds in history – Leonardo da Vinci
Design - Five Design Shows not to be missed...
From Bath and London, to Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris
REGULARS
Auction Explorer
Lights, camera... Auction! February brings two great sales – a collection of movie props from Ewbank’s in Surrey, and over 5000 toys will go under the hammer at Anderson and Garland in Newcastle
Trading Places
Dealer Kieran Mathewson of River and Jones digs into the lives of four women involved in the trade
MEET OUR ADVERTISERS
LATEST FEATURES…
I don’t know about you, but if feels like it’s been a hell of a slow start to 2019. Perhaps we weren’t feeling that optimistic about the coming year, in particular the next few months, and all the uncertainty that comes with living in the UK at the moment.
I know we’re concerned about how decisions will impact on our businesses as publishers and dealers, as the European marketplace has been very important to us over the years. We have established some great connections, and as you know, we do love to travel! There are a number of shows we’ll be attending over the next few months, from Brussels to Amsterdam, and hope it will all continue to be as effortless (and as much fun) as it’s been in previous years.
You’ll probably recognise these pieces – or at least one of them – but you may well know very little about the Swedish designer who created them all. Their classic look, and the fact that they are still so plentiful on the market, is proof of their high quality in design, comfort and function. The fabulous chairs and sofas of Arne Norell (1917-1971) are like the finest cashmere of the furniture world, made to live with for generations.
Norell began designing chairs in Sweden in the late 1940s – ‘The Thumb’ chair was designed for Gösta Westerberg – and started his own workshop in Stockholm in 1954 before moving to Småland in southern Sweden in 1958 to develop the company Möbel AB Arne Norell.
I first discovered Bernat Klein back in 2014, having been given some wonderful bolts of vintage textiles, mohair and tweeds still on their original card. Sadly, it was also the very same year that he had died.
I quickly realised that his eye for colour extended far beyond his textiles – and the way he could deconstruct colours from an image and conjure them up again in glorious art and design is captivating.
TRADING PLACES - FEB/MAR 2019

After an exciting run interviewing decorative dealers, our editor Karyn suggested I try a slightly different approach and asked if I could interview women in the trade who have gone beyond just dealing, and have set up other businesses related to the trade. Not only did Karyn suggest a couple of dealers that she’d like me to talk to, but she also dropped quite a few hints that she in fact, would also be a perfect candidate!
As time went on, and with our deadline looming, it soon became apparent that one of the dealers wasn’t going to get back to us in time, and with no time to find a replacement, I could almost hear the sound of Karyn shouting “Pick me, PICK ME!” in the distance..
Now I’m not one to point fingers... but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Karyn purposely tried to sabotage my article in order to secure her slot! Nevertheless, knowing where my bread is buttered, and with my hands firmly tied, I was delighted to interview Karyn for the last two pages! Read more…
FIVE DESIGN SHOWS COMING UP IN SPRING 2019
AFTER 30 YEARS, this remains the leading furniture and accessories with an industrial decorative regional event to beat. Where rustic garden furniture meets Mid-century design and country house antiques rub shoulders with Swedish painted furniture. Held at The Pavilion, the Fair holds a strong position in the antiques trade – enjoying an international audience, and a unique, almost club-like atmosphere, amongst its loyal exhibitors and clients.
Starting its days as a fleamarket devoted primarily to products from the 50s to the early 80s, today Brussels Design Market is anything but, and is considered to be one of the best events in Europe dedicated to 20th century design. Held twice a year, in March and September, the event welcomes somewhere in the region of 100 exhibitors and over 7,000 visitors to its exceptional location: Sheds 3 and 4 of Tour & Taxis – home to Belgian’s largest cultural events, shows and fairs.
Regular readers will by now know that VE, alongside our trading arm Molecula, are stalwarts at this once-a-year event, and as usual we’ve been looking forward to it all year – a bit like greeting an old friend. Not only do we love Amsterdam, but we’ve also sold well here over the years, and have made some great contacts.
Next up is the event that gets all the interior designer’s pulses racing; the wonderful Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair held at Battersea Park in London.
A family-owned fair that launched in 1985, the first to specifically unite the antiques and interior design trades. Held three times a year – spring, autumn and winter - anyone who knows about design will have heard of it, and to those who haven’t, it’s the UK’s biggest design fair, which runs for an impressive six days!
Les Puces du Designs was the first European market exclusively dedicated to furniture from the post-war era. Created in 1999 by founder Fabien Bonillo, who was then one of only 15 merchants in France specialising in furniture from the 50s to the 70s. He wanted to share his passion for design at a time when the vintage word was known only to wine lovers and some fashion enthusiasts!
OTHER VE PROJECTS
Molecula is the trading arm of VE Magazine fronted by restorer, history buff and design lover Jez Speed. Having been an independent publisher since 2000, and dealing in Antiques and Design for almost 20 years, we feel well placed to write about all aspects of this fascinating trade!
Hosted by the same enthusiastic team that produce VE magazine – the in print, and online publication for those with a passion for well-made vintage items with heritage, charm and individuality. Interestingly, at least half of the VE subscribers are men – with an age range from 25 to 65 - which is why there’s a Mantiques section in each and every issue.
In the past couple of years we have supported Design Icons, Amsterdam, Brussels Design Market, Design Börse Berlin, Design Classics Dusseldorf, DesignMarkt Ghent, Parma Vintage, Prague Vintage Fair, Flash Festival Brussels and the Dutch National Art Deco Fair.
AUCTION NEWS
One of the largest and most diverse toy collections to come on the market for years is up for auction on 21st and 22nd February with Anderson and Garland in Newcastle. More than 5000 toys and movie props have been collected by antique shop owner Derek Payne over 25 years. Until recently, many were on display to the public in a Toy Museum at his shop premises in Moffat, Scotland.
Chilcotts Auctioneers is to sell a variety of antiques and other items of interest from the clearance of waterside hotel, Millers at The Anchor in Porlock Weir.
The Honiton based auctioneers were invited to collect the items by Somerset hoteliers Nigel and Anne Way, who recently purchased the leasehold of the three-storey building with the intention of creating a health and wellbeing hotel.
Coming up for Auction on the 21st of March is something a little bit different for Vectis Auctions.
Although the Auction House has handled many Specialist and Tinplate sales, this collection is not your standard Tinplate toy sale.
The sale comprises a private, single owner collection from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, the seller, who is in his 80s inherited his collecting bug, and some of his collection from his father, and the results are something spectacular.
William Arthur Smith Benson (1854-1924) was not just a designer and manufacturer of brass and copper lighting and other household objects. As demonstrated by the rare, museum-quality side cabinet on offer at Sworders’ 20th Century Design sale in Stanstead Mountfitchet on January 29, he was also a designer of furniture.
READ THE VE BLOGS
With the festive season fast approaching, many of us are readying ourselves to tackle the challenge of giving the perfect gift. In an age where sustainability and counting your blessings is important, we’ll most likely be on the hunt for something built to last and that will inevitably be cherished. A symbolic piece of antique or vintage jewellery could be the perfect solution to this present buying dilemma.
When do you think tinplate toys began? In the 1920s, perhaps the 1930s? Try the 1880s. I was surprised too. Toys up till then had been mostly made the way Geppetto made Pinocchio, by hand carving wood; so cheap toys were often simplistic and crude. Even when metal was used, as in lead toy soldiers, the decorating process made manufacturing extremely labour-intensive. And even after tin toys first appeared, they too were painstakingly hand-painted, pushing up prices.
There are many options to consider when it comes to designing your garden. From rustic inspired gardens that blend in with the surrounding environment, to ultra modern designs that adhere to the latest trends. One style that is increasingly popular is the vintage garden aesthetic. This harkens back to the traditional British garden that many recognise from old photos. Creating your own timeless garden is simple, as these 4 tips show:
As practical and beguiling as when it was first made, Danish designer Poul Cadvius’ ‘Væg Møbler’ fits effortlessly into any modern or vintage decor. By Colin Pill.