Antique Affair Returns To Art Gallery

25 June 2004

Dust off that painting, clean out that attic - Christchurch’s popular Antique Affair is making a comeback at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu.

The event, being held on Saturday 26 June, is run in the style of the popular BBC television series, Antiques Roadshow.  There will be four expert consultants at the event, specialising in art works, jewellery, books and china/silverware. 

Christchurch Art Gallery Senior Curator and Manager of Collections Neil Roberts says the Antique Affair, which was last held in 2002, always attracts a large crowd.

“At previous events we have been very busy, with a continuous stream of people coming to have their items appraised.  We are expecting a very similar response at this year’s event,” says Neil Roberts.

Neil Roberts says many people attend the events out of curiosity, bringing with them items that they have had in the bottom drawer for years.  He says while many items are not especially valuable, you never know what you will find.

“We had one particularly memorable year when a woman came in with a portrait of a small standing child which she had bought at a garage sale for one dollar.  It was actually a painting by Girolamo Nerli – an Italian-born painter who lived and worked in New Zealand in the 1890s – and was reasonably valuable.

We have had a number of occasions when people have brought in prints that turned out to be originals.  But then we have also had examples of people showing us what they thought were originals which turned out to be prints!”

The Antique Affair is being held between 1pm and 4pm on Saturday 26 June in the Sir Neil and Lady Isaac Education Centre on the ground floor of the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu.

The public are invited to bring their items to the Gallery for authentication and appraisal. Consultation will be by gold coin donation per item, with a limit of two items per person.

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