Homes & Antiques October 2021

editor’s letter

Autumn is here: the leaves are turning, the scent of woodsmoke is in the air and, although the clocks go back, the nights are drawing in. If, like me, this seasonal shift makes you feel like hibernating, turn to Jenny Oldaker’s feature ‘The Big Sleep’ (p40), and read about the history of the bedroom and the role it has played in our lives over the centuries. In a similar vein, this month’s houses also have a distinctly cosy feel, and colour and texture are very much to the fore. In a former rectory in Sweden (p50), and a family home in south London (p76), vibrant walls and fabrics provide warmth and an all-round sense of joie de vivre. While two family homes, one in Suffolk (p68) and the other in Chelsea…

this month’s contributors

Paul Cattermole wrote ‘Swede Salvation’ Paul is a freelance author, writer and researcher, specialising in architecture and design, with additional interests in military history, industrial archaeology and antique toys. ‘I don’t have to go far, as I live near Richmond Park, which provides a riot of autumnal reds and yellows. For a weekend treat, I’d recommend Painshill Park in Cobham: a restored landscaped garden, dotted with follies and bridges.’ Katherine Higgins answers your queries in ‘Ask an Expert’ Katherine is a specialist presenter, broadcaster and author with a passion for all things vintage, which grew out of her years working for Christie’s. ‘London. I soak up every façade, entranceway and building it offers, recording it all in a sketchbook. Bloomsbury is my sanctuary and I always begin by admiring the ox-blood tiling of Russell Square…

letters

Goody two-shoes I was reading your August issue and saw something on page 51 that made me giggle – you have what appear to be a pair of slippers on a table. My late, dearly loved mother-in-law would be rolling in her grave, as she insisted that any kind of footwear on a table meant news of a death! I wonder if any of your readers have memories of such completely weird and wonderful granny’s tales? Sarah Adler, London Well-travelled I am a new subscriber to your wonderful magazine, and I love learning about what goes on in Britain: both old and new. In addition to seeing and admiring the beautiful homes, antiques and objects that you highlight, I enjoyed the piece on garden cemeteries in the July issue. It reminded me of my…

the month october

1 the ANTIQUE WATCHES We’ve got the hour on our phones, on our screens, on our Fitbits, but we still love to wear watches to see the time the traditional way. ‘Pre-owned watches are becoming increasingly popular with men and women, and people are cottoning on to auctions as fantastic places to buy,’ says Bonhams specialist Bryony Bedingham, who runs the market-leading Watches and Wristwatches sales at the company’s Knightsbridge premises. ‘We sell lots of interesting pieces that have been put in drawers, pieces that haven’t been worn for years and are in great condition, with anything from an estimate of £500 up to £8,000, and sometimes much more for rare items,’ she adds. (The department holds the record for a 19th-century Josiah Emery pocketwatch, which made £117,500 in 2018). Whatever period…

behind the scenes at the museum

“Chawton House has always had a librarian, but I’m the first person to hold the post of curator. This means I am responsible for all the collections that we have, which includes 13,000 books by and about women, along with significant artworks, furniture, textiles and household objects. We often think of books as ‘ideas’, but they are also physical objects. Seeing them in the first form that they came into readers’ hands, and the manuscript drafts where the ideas were first coming into fruition, can tell us so much. The main challenge of my role is making sure that I am safeguarding the thousands of objects that we hold for public benefit. One of the most precious and popular objects is a silhouette showing a young Edward Austen being handed over…

stolen tortoises returned to kingston lacy

Four bronze tortoises stolen from a National Trust property in Dorset 30 years ago have been returned. Commissioned by 19th-century collector and pet tortoise owner William John Bankes (1786–1855), the tortoises (part of a set of 16) were created by Paris-based sculptor Baron Carlo Marochetti. Wishing the sculptures to be as accurate as possible, Bankes loaned one of his pet tortoises for Marochetti to use as a model. (Readers may be more familiar with Marochetti’s famous lions, which guard Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square.) After a cast was made of the creature, Bankes collected it from the artist’s studio and wrote to his sister Anne, ‘Think of my carrying a live tortoise in a bag all the way from the Palais Royal!’ For 140 years the sculpted tortoises supported four Verona…