You guys! I worked at the most wonderful antiques fair over the weekend, Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair, and I wish I had had time to tell you about it last week, so that you could have visited! The good thing is that the fair was such a success that it will most likely run again next year, and I will of course keep you updated on that! Now, let me show you what the days were like – and why you will love to visit next year:
Petworth House
Petworth House
The entrance to the grounds of Petworth House
Petworth House
The fair took place on the beautiful grounds of Petworth House – and if you haven’t yet been, I can tell you that it is the most extraordinary 17th century mansion – think Downton Abbey! They have a magnificent art collection with works by Turner, Van Dyck, Reynolds and Blake, ancient and Neo-classical sculpture, fine furniture and carvings by Grinling Gibbons. The rooms are just breathtaking, and you wander through the Beauty Room – with paintings of all the fair ladies of the house hanging far above you and above the gilded mirrors that also adorn the room; the staircase room with the most beautiful curved staircase, a grand piano and sofas seated under the stairs, where you expect to see the Victorians kicking back and enjoying the music; not to mention the Carved Room with its extraordinary details on the walls – you just have to see it for yourself!
Entrance to the Servants’ Quarters at Petworth House
You can also visit the servants’ quarters, where you get the feeling of having stepped 200 years back in time! The kitchen looks like it is about to be filled with cooks and maids, who any second will continue to stir the soup and cut the onions.
Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair
At the fair there were around 40 exhibitors, predominantly members of the British Antique Dealers’ Association and LAPADA The Association of Art & Antiques Dealers, showcasing furniture, jewellery, sculpture, glass, objets d’art and silver to oriental carpets, paintings, drawings and many other decorative and unique works. This was our stand:
Richard Ogden at Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair
… and boy had we brought along some extraordinary pieces!
Here is just a small selection of what we brought along from Richard Ogden and Moira Fine Jewels…
I am hopelessly in love with this Padparadscha Sapphire bracelet from Moira! How stunning it would look with a white summer’s dress, or a black dress for that matter! You can view it at Richard Ogden in the Burlington Arcade
Padparadscha sapphires are the orange/pink ones that you can see above. They are just so rare and absolutely beautiful, that I couldn’t take my eyes off it during the fair!
We also brought along this beautiful aquamarine and diamond necklace, the aquamarine and diamond ring and a stunning amethyst and diamond ring – with a Siberian amethyst, which is distinguished by a tint of red in the purple. And little Piggy Cufflinks on the fair right
I was wearing this beautiful Bird of Paradise in yellow gold, set with rubies and sapphires from Richard Ogden
So next year I recommend that you come by the fair, then continue on to Petworth House for a wander through this extraordinary mansion. You can then finish off your trip with lunch in Petworth village, just a few minute walk Petworth House entrance, as it is the most quaint little historic market town, with picturesque streets and of course a wide range of shops and antique centres.
Spriggs Florist in Petworth – just one of the lovely little shops in the village
Decades of Elegance 