Buried by volcanic ash in AD79, carbonated apple’s on the market
A 2,000 year-old apple is one of the more intriguing objects to be found at The Antiques & Fine Art Fair at Harewood this weekend.
The carbonated apple, now priced at £550, was found, with other fruit, during the late 19th century excavations on the site of the market place in the Roman city of Pompeii.
Its blackened and petrified state is a result of the intense heat due to being buried by hot volcanic ash, when Pompeii was engulfed following the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in August of AD 79.
This, and many other ancient and medieval objects, including a Roman oil lamp sculpted in the shape of a dog and an early Chinese temple brick with a full-colour relief carving of a reclining Buddha figure, are to be found at the fair.
An interesting local piece is a Spode porcelain vase with a hand-painted view of York Minster, dating back to around 1820 from Carolyn priced at £340.
The Antiques Dealers Fair Limited, organisers of the event, has an ongoing relationship with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association.
Two Yorkshire-based QEST sculptors, Andrian Melka and Teresa Dybisz, are demonstrating Stoddart-Scott, their craft at the fair. Ms Dybisz is restoring the Slabbering Baby bowl, the historical water feature in Adel Woods, Leeds, dated 1901, and she has recently been working on York Minster.
Returning for a sixth year, the fair features silver, antiquities, jewellery and watches, paintings, glass, traditional and country furniture, books, English and continental ceramics.
will come to Castle Howard on July 13.
Many of Britain’s leading antiques and fine arts specialists will be on hand to offer free advice and valuations to visitors, who are invited to raid their attics and bring along their family heirlooms, household treasures and car-boot sale bargains for inspection by the experts.
Fiona Bruce, who marks her tenth year presenting the programme, said: “The best part of working on
is that we never know who or what is going to turn up on the day.”
Doors open at 9.30am and entry is free.