All’s fair

From the prehistoric to the post-modern, this art and antiques show has the lot

Elizabethan carved oak beds, Samurai armour, pre historic fossils, David Hockney lithographs, midcentury arm-chairs…. the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair has all this and plenty more besides.

Later this month, more than 100 exhibitors will present works including fine furniture, carpets, antiquities and ceramics in Berkeley Square, Mayfair. With prices ranging from just £200 to £500,000 and beyond, pieces for sale will appeal to both seasoned collectors and first-time buyers.

‘ The fact that the show isn’t segmented to just antiques or just contemporary art is it’s greatest streng h,’ says fair director Mieka Sywak. ‘We often get a whole family coming in together on a Saturday afternoon – grandparents, parents and children – and they all find something that interests them.’

Sywak counsels visitors to make the most of the dealers’ expertise and not to feel that initiating conversation will lead to being pressured into buying.

‘Dealers are aware that a potential new client might take a few weeks to buy something, or they could come back months or even years later,’ she adds. ‘They’re more concerned with building trust and establishing a long-term relationship than making a quick sale.’

Buyers can also be assured of authenticity; each exhibitor is rigorously vetted and elected to membership of the LAPADA Association of Art & Antiques Dealers, and a group of 70 experts look at every single piece for sale at the fair each day. Additionally, LAPADA has a conciliation service, mediating with dealers on behalf of customers on the very rare occasions that something isn’t as it should be.

Beyond the show, LAPADA offers a referral service for those seeking a trusted dealer in a specific area. Sywak’s personal passion is antique jewellery. ‘The fair has it all, from ancient Roman earrings to 1970s necklaces,’ she says. ‘The quality is fantastic, and pieces are still relatively affordable and appreciate in value, so it’s a habit I can justify.’

The LA A A Art & Antiques Fair, London, 15-20 September; lapadalondon.com

Sculptor’s Muse, Alfred Turner, c.1899, £45,000, Ted Few. The model was Turner’s wife, Charlotte

Two Pembroke Studio Chairs, David Hockney, original lithograph in colour made in 1985. Signed and dated. Edition: numbered 38/98. £10,250, Fairhead Fine Art

Chinese Melon Tea Chest, c.1840, £2,450, Hampton Antiques