The Art of the Dealer: Selling Antique Ceramics

The French Porcelain Society is proud to announce its second study morning at the prestigious Masterpiece Fair to be held on Friday, 26th June 2020. It will focus on the pivotal role played by dealers trading in antique and second-hand ceramics in Europe and America from the 1880s to the present day in the formation of both private and public collections, in influencing taste, and furthering knowledge and scholarship. Confirmed speakers include Dr Charlotte Vignon, shortly to take up her position as director of the Cité de la céramique Sèvres, who will speak on Duveen Brothers, and John Whitehead, who will speak on the Antique Porcelain Company.

The morning will conclude with a round-table discussion between leading dealers, curators and collectors. Tickets will include entrance to the fair and participants will have the opportunity to join a tour of the ceramics stands after the study morning. Details of the programme and booking information will be announced on the society;s website: www.thefrenchporcelainsociety.com.

We invite submissions for 20-minute illustrated papers on any aspect of selling antique ceramics, from the 1880s to the present. Possible topics include:
- case studies of notable dealers and the collectors they served
- the market for specific types of ceramics including Sèvres, maiolica, blue and white, Wedgwood, and oriental porcelain
- trans-national trading networks
- the role of the auction house, provenance and price trends
- scholar dealers and the retailing of ceramics
- the role of the dealer in helping to establish museum collections
- the evolution of art and antique fairs and dealer exhibitions
- buying back Sèvres for the French Nation

Please send your submission, of no more than 300 words, together with a brief cv to: patricia.fergusonearthlink.net; C.McCaffrey-Howarthleeds.ac.uk; and diana_davishotmail.co.uk by March 10 2020.