The 2011 Antique Fair in Stockholm

This years Antique Fair is the première for my collaboration with Mats Freidenfelt and his beautiful antiques. We are now sharing both the shop and our stall at the fair.
We were asked to participate in a newscast on TV4 sending live from the fair yesterday morning. The theme was "Provenance" so we decided to talk about my cabinets with provenance from Forsby Herrgård.
As I participated in a similar newscast 2 years ago we thought it was time for Mats to go through same ordeal...

Take a look

At the time of the shoot we were far from ready with loads of work to do. We finally finished about 15 minutes before the opening. I will hopefully have time to take some photos today and post them asap.
Until then, enjoy Mats' performance!

Breathtakingly beautiful embroidery

We recently did a photo shoot in the shop for Gods och Gårdar and here are some fantastic pieces, beautifully photographed by Anna Kern and styling by Cathrine Lindberg with me as assistant.
Most of the purses are from a museum, Kungliga Myntkabinettet, and some of the other pieces are from me or from Willborgs here in Stockholm.
As I am very pressed for time right now, we are perpairing for The Antique Fair here in Stockholm (we move in tomorrow) I will let you read all the information about the photos in the last issue of Gods och Gårdar.

I seriously advise you to see this!

Lars Sjöberg, who most of you probably know about, is on TV tonight!
It´s a documentary made by IngaLill Snitt; the photographer who has collaborated with Lars on so many projects, most recently the book " Nio hus och en kyrka", see below, and it is also the basis for the film. The book is available in English.
Thank God for passionate people!


Photo by IngaLill Snitt

The book is absolutely wonderful and it manages to capture the essence of this passion for old buildings and antiques that is not about value or stylish interiors but a deeply felt interest in history and origin.


Photo by IngaLill Snitt


Photo by IngaLill Snitt

Don´t miss it! Neither the book or the program!

Here is the link to SVT:
http://svt.se/2.123486/1.2240670/en_kompass_mot_skonhet?lid=puff_2249238&lpos=lasMer

Also if you haven´t read my post named "If this was a person, we would be friends", please do to get my take on this passion for antiques.

http://sofieodmann.blogspot.com/2010/03/if-this-was-person-we-would-be-friends.html

I have started collecting...

Over the years we have had some fantastic single rococo chairs, all slightly different and in different shades of that beautiful rococo yellow color.
And it dawned on me that if i had kept them for myself I would have had an amazing set by now!
So it´s time for me to start my own collection and these two are my first.
The pale one is by rare Stockholm chairmaker Carl Sandberg, and it´s actually a transition model with some baroque elements in the design. The other one is darker with a very rich yellow almost orange tone and it´s also from Stockholm but I haven´t figured out by whom yet.

A glimpse at the shop in October..

This is what´s on display in my window at the moment: A composition with some of my personal favorites!
On the left is a fantastic handpainted wallpaper with a fantasy landscape inspired by China and Turkey. The bench is very beautiful with great carvings and bluish grey original paint. On top of it are two Marieberg faiances; a basket shaped bowl (not allowed for export) and a magnificent large plate. Then comes a ladies mirror with original paint and underneath are my favorite pair of 18th century slippers and a handpainted tole tray with a motive from the Bay of Naples.
To the right is an armchair with carvings like nothing I have ever seen before, also in original paint, of course and on the seat are a pair of exquisite parisian coffee cups and to the far right a gorgeous Gustavian canopy (I think it´s called?)

This little mirror you have seen before but it is so photogenic that I use it all the time in different still lifes! It´s from the home of a collector and probably from the Swedish island Gotland. The condition is all original and just the way I like it. And reflected in the glass you can see one of a pair of rococo pewter candle sticks and the background are one of three wall panels saved from a rococo house torn down in the 70´s.

The shop is really small which makes it very difficult to photograph as the shots tend to look very messy, but this will have to do...
Under a late empire chandelier is one of a set of four Gustavian chairs in fantastic condition. On the also Gustavian drop leaf table are some Wedgewood plates, a Rörstrand urn, some very nice pewter candle sticks, 18th century glass and a spiral carafe.

My favorite late baroque table, also from the home of a collector. Just look at the painting in gold on that leg! The box is also great, dated 1820 and from Västergötland.

This dear little painting is probably Dutch and depicts ladies (!) and gentlemen at leisure fishing.
On the chair is a lime stone box meant for butter.

Thanks for stopping by!
Next time I will show you a great drop leaf table, large and with the best original paint...

Help us win the Book Of The Year Award!

The book about antique dealers in Sweden has been nominated for the Book Of The Year Award and we who have been involved in the project are very proud. ( see my previous posting here )
And rightly so as the book is great and really fills a void on the market.
It´s also an important book as we antique dealers, often small family businesses, struggle against the powerful PR campaigns of the auction houses and Tv shows.

And there is not much time! Apparently the voting was supposed to end on the 30th of August but has been extended somewhat.
So please vote for the book Swedish Antique Dealers!
Thanks!

Here´s the link Now the page is in Swedish and the voting process is very thorough: Just go to the book and tick the box "rösta här", then go to the bottom of the page to enter your email adress and then you will receive an email that you need to respond to in order to verify your vote.
A little complicated but probably for a good reason so don´t let that stop you!

I´m back and the shop is open again!

Hello!
I know it´s been a long time but finally I´m back in town and in the shop.
And on the blog!
Summer has been just the best and all my intentions of blogging just floated off on a wave.
It´s great to be back in business again though and I have a lot of new fantastic aquisitions that I will show successively.

And this weekend is going to be so exciting as we are having a celebrity visit to the shop!