Celebrating the Silk Route at the Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair
Since the 1600s, European interiors have embraced the exoticism of Eastern design. The desire for uncommon goods to display in our homes drove merchants to undertake fortune-changing journeys to the East, near and far. Caravans carried silks, lacquer, porcelain, metalwork, precious stones and spices from far-flung China, Nepal, Tibet, central Asia and Persia, whilst ships wound their way around Indonesia, India and Arabia.
At the Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, 23-28 January 2018 in Battersea Park London, the foyer display will highlight how Eastern design has infiltrated our everyday. Furniture, fabrics and objects from, and influenced by, the orient will be for sale, styled to showcase this broad aspect of decoration that has permeated our design heritage. All items are drawn from among the 150 specialist antiques, art and 20th century design dealers taking part in the Fair.
Fabulous rugs, woven silk textiles and brocades, blue and white porcelain, decorative lacquer work and metalware, have long been the epitome of luxury. Tales of souks, bazaars and oases entered our imagination as the objects that travelled from them entered our homes and art. European manufacturers learned to emulate and imitate these ‘oriental’ skills: Delftware, japanned and faux bamboo furniture, printed Lancashire cottons and London silks. Chinoiserie became part of our design repertoire.
In the Georgian era great furniture makers added orientalism to their design books; the Prince Regent’s Pavilion of fantasy in Brighton cemented the architectural fashion; in Stoke the potteries developed transfer printing and we took willow pattern ‘china’ to our hearts.
With 1990s minimalism came a Zen-like approach to the Silk Route; sand and stone neutrals punctured by contemplative Buddhas and a nod to colour with Chinese cabinets, floating flowers in lacquered bowls and the ethereal hue of simple celadon ceramics.
Up on the Mezzanine at the Winter Decorative Fair is the complimentary London Antique Rug & Textile Art Fair, which relocated to the Battersea Park marquee in 2017. This annual fair devoted to woven art brings a further richness of choice to visitors.
Launched in 1985, the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair is the foremost antiques event for the design trade. It was the first major London fair to combine formal and decorative antiques with art and accessories for the interior decorating buyer, and one of the earliest antiques events to introduce post-war and mid-century modern design, re-purposed antiques and contemporary art, and has always offered industrial and salvaged architectural antiques.
Whilst interior fashions have come and gone, the Fair has cheerfully ploughed its own distinct furrow, offering a relaxed, exciting and beautifullystyled environment to inspire customers, new and experienced. Quite different to any other antiques Fair in the UK, its informal vibe and friendly atmosphere is renowned internationally, as is its unique welcome to well-behaved dogs. The thrice-yearly Decorative Fair dates are a firm fixture in the diaries of leading international designers and decorators and private buyers shopping for distinctive, unusual and individual items for their home.