Dear Friends
Welcome to our June newsletter.
Flaming June as it is sometimes referred too, and here in the UK we can only hope that is going to be the case after the most miserable of months in terms of weather, perhaps it was inevitable that with the country gradually opening up from lockdown on May 17th, nature decides to just prolong that process for a tad longer and dish up thunder, lightning, hail, snow and severe gales. Taking the positives, the virus rates are thankfully staying low and life is returning to some sort of normality, long may that continue.
The one thing that has continued despite the weather is our UK and overseas client’s appetite for the latest market fresh Japanese Works of Art that we list on our online marketplaces. You will recall last month we featured this large Japanese Cloisonne vase in tomobako firmly attributed to the Hayashi Kodenji studios, and specifically for our members to have first opportunity. I am pleased to say that one of our regular UK based collectors snapped it up in the first few hours along with the delightful okimono of a boy riding an Oxen, thank you to those particular clients for their ongoing patronage.
I found myself apologising on e-mail when their opening line was something like “Steve, why do you keep doing this to us?”, it was a actually a massive compliment to me that my hand picked carefully curated collection continues to appeal to our loyal database of online visitors, if that ceased to be the case I would simply have to stop.
Another recent enquiry resulted in our fantastic silver Dragon okimono by Gyokuryuken Sanmi/ Kazumi being acquired by a USA collector. This was a very difficult item to part with, we had featured it in our inaugural exhibition book “2020 vision of an enlightened ruler” plate – 20 and obviously with a view to selling it. But it was yet another of those special pieces that come along from time to time where I think, Hmm, I could actually find a space for that? it was very special!!!, but I must resist the urge to become a permanent collector, difficult as that is I assure you.
So again a moment of sadness balanced with the enjoyment of adding this piece to an overseas client’s collection, and the reward of some finances to invest in the next market fresh items coming my way.
It seems hard to believe that since I launched my exhibition book at the tail end of last summer I have not been able to exhibit a single item at a physical event, this was clearly not the road I set out upon at its inception in March 2020, with gallery plans in St James’s firmly in the diary at that time and to coincide with Asian art London.
However, I am delighted to report that even with no physical events since the launch of that production, and relying almost entirely on our online audience, I have managed to find homes for the majority of the higher ticket items, for this I thank those of you that have supported the production and placed your trust in my appraisals.
If you do have a space in your collection for any of the remaining items prior to them going into a physical exhibition in the coming months, and your budget is within sight of the requested price points, then please do not hesitate to contact me steve@steveslyjapaneseart.com.
This leads me onto my proposed 2nd exhibition book which is coming along nicely, it is no coincidence that it seems to have gathered some pace this last month whilst the garden has taken a battering. I am now at the final stages of photography, research, descriptions, and layout with a view to sign off and handover to the publishers for July-August, and intended launch in September.
Also in September will be the opening of the 70th birthday edition of the Chelsea Antiques Fair, 21st-26th, (with a Vip invitation only collectors preview on the 20th) An event acquired by our 2Covet platform as a perfect synergy for some of our 2Covet dealers to actually meet the very people shopping on their online marketplaces, we have attracted some of the country’s finest dealers and cannot wait to open, please visit our website to view the latest information and to book general tickets. www.chelseaantiquesfair.co.uk .
Finally, for this month I will leave you to have an exclusive look at this delightful solid silver circular tray, a collaboration of two artists produced this charming item that has just arrived from a private source in the USA.
Have an enjoyable month whatever you are doing and do stay safe.
Best wishes
Steve