The Antiquarian Collection
Works on paper and early printed matter, assembled over eleven years for a single family and catalogued in full last spring.
The Curated Life
The Art of
Intentional
Living
A definitive guide to aesthetics, philosophy, and the pursuit of meaning in a modern world. We present a selection of artifacts and insights for the discerning mind.
Recent Curations
Our latest acquisitions and featured essays on material culture.
Ceramics
The Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic
Finding beauty in imperfection and the natural cycle of decay.
Literature
First Editions
The allure of the original artifact and textual permanence.
Current Exhibition
Shadows
& Light
An exploration of chiaroscuro in contemporary photography, featuring works that masterfully balance the tension between absolute dark and stark illumination.
Advisory Services
I. Acquisition
Strategic guidance for acquiring significant works of art and design artifacts.
II. Curation
Developing cohesive spatial narratives for private residences and corporate environments.
III. Legacy
Archival planning and estate management for long-term collection preservation.
Made with, and made for
38collections under advisory
1,100works placed since 2009
0works sold from our own inventory
2009founded
How it works
Three steps, and none of them is a sales call.
- 01
I. Acquisition
We find, authenticate and negotiate. We hold no inventory, so there is nothing we are quietly trying to move on to you.
- 02
II. Curation
Works are placed in relation to one another and to the rooms they will live in. A collection is an argument, not an accumulation.
- 03
III. Legacy
Cataloguing, condition, insurance and succession, documented to a standard that survives the next generation's lawyers.
What's included
Everything below is in every tier.
Independent counsel
We take no commission from a seller, ever. Our fee comes from you and only from you.
Authentication
Provenance research and condition reporting through named independent specialists.
Placement
Hanging, lighting and environment, planned with the conservator rather than after them.
Cataloguing
A full catalogue raisonné of your holdings, updated annually, in print and digitally.
Insurance liaison
Valuations kept current, and the paperwork handled when something travels.
Succession
Structures and documentation so the collection passes intact.
Features
Artisan, in four parts.
Modernist Forms
Furniture and sculpture from the post-war European workshops, placed across two houses and one foundation.
Silence and Form
A standing exhibition programme drawn from collections under our advisory, shown by appointment, never sold from.
Advisory Services
Acquisition, curation and legacy, offered separately or as a single continuous relationship.
The work
Recent work, unretouched.
Pricing
Three ways in. No hidden tier.
Consultation
£2,400per day
A day of counsel, and an honest answer.
- Full day with a principal
- Written summary within a week
- No obligation to continue
Advisory
Most chosen£38,000per year
A continuous relationship, and an independent one.
- Standing acquisition counsel
- Authentication through named specialists
- Annual catalogue
- Insurance and condition liaison
Legacy
By arrangementper collection
For collections intended to outlive their collector.
- Everything in Advisory
- Succession structuring
- Foundation and loan counsel
- Catalogue raisonné in print
In their words
Three people who pay for this.
They talked me out of the most expensive thing I have ever wanted to buy, and were right. That is what the fee is for.
Taking no seller's commission sounds like a small distinction until you have worked with people who do.
The catalogue arrived and my children finally understood what the house contained. That was worth more than the works.
Questions
The four we are asked most.
How are you paid?
An annual fee or a day rate, agreed in advance and paid by you. We take nothing from a seller and hold no inventory, which is the entire basis of the advice being worth having.
Do you sell works?
No. Not from inventory, not on consignment, not through an affiliated entity. When you sell, we represent you and are paid the same fee either way.
What size of collection do you work with?
The smallest under advisory is nine works. The largest is a little over four hundred. Coherence matters considerably more than scale.
Can you work with our existing dealers?
Frequently. We are not a replacement for a relationship that already works — we are the person in the room whose fee does not depend on the transaction happening.
An advisory for people assembling a collection rather than decorating a room.
Start today, or read everything first. Both are fine.