LONDON.- Thomas Del Mar, founder of the saleroom at 25 Blythe Road in 2007 (Antique Arms, Armour and Militaria) and Matthew Barton (European and Asian Works of Art), together with all the specialists and staff announced that they can now present the existing businesses under a single banner. The new website is dedicated to delivering enhanced functionality and clarity, providing all clients with the highest possible level of service.

The businesses operating at the auction collective of 25 Blythe Road have always had a clear mission: expertise, integrity and approachability. From the outset this has been demonstrated by a remarkable number of outstanding individual sales and entire collections that have come to auction there. Asian Works of Art last year included a collection of Edmund de Waal’s Ephrussi netsuke, which was 100 % sold, while pictures in the previous season included a distinguished group from a private London club selling significantly in excess of the top estimate. Ancestral European Royal collections have regularly featured in the antique arms and armour auctions, as have groups of deaccessioned material from important museums in the United States. The maritime auctions have attracted considerable attention with outstanding lots, such as the Trafalgar Flag from HMS Spartiate.

Sales are built by individual specialists, accompanied by thoroughly researched and profusely illustrated catalogues, appealing to an international clientele. There are no minimum lot value thresholds and no lotting fees; the sales offer interesting lots at all price levels, to the benefit of both buyers and sellers.

Conveniently located in London’s Kensington Olympia, the auction house has sold more than twenty-nine thousand lots over the last decade. Over twenty specialists and consultants have a combined experience in excess of six hundred years of expertise, one hundred and thirty-two years of which have been spent at this location.

Specialist consultants at Olympia Auctions include:

John Culme, Silver and Works of Art. John joined the Silver and Jewellery department at Sotheby’s in 1964. He is the author of a number of books including the seminal work The Director of Gold and Silversmiths, Jewellers and Allied Traders. Also ‘19th Century Silver’ and ‘The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor.’ He has also published a number of articles on antique silver and related topics. He is a liveryman of the Goldsmith’s Company.

Ian Eaves, Antique Arms and Armour. Ian Eaves was former Keeper of Armour at the Royal Armouries. He has published several books including ‘Arms and Armour in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen.’ Ian is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, has served as President of the Arms and Armour Society for twenty years and was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by H.M. The Queen for services to the Royal Collection in 2016.

Arthur Millner, Indian, Islamic, South East Asian and Himalayan Works of Art. Arthur Millner has more than 30 years’ experience in the auction world He started his career in the art world at Sotheby's in 1985, eventually taking charge of their Indian, Himalayan and South East Asian auctions in London. He has also spent time as a dealer in the field. He is on the vetting committees of several major art and antique fairs. His book ‘Damascus Tiles’published in 2005 serves as a seminal work on the subject.

Harry Moore-Gwyn, British and Continental Pictures. Harry Moore-Gwyn specialises in twentieth century British pictures writing catalogues on artists of the period including Sir William Orpen and Graham Sutherland. He recently curated the Kenneth Rowntree exhibition at Pallant House Gallery and the Fry Art Gallery. His publication ‘Henry Lamb: Out of the Shadows’ was published alongside the Exhibition of the same name in 2018.

Seonaid Maclean-Bristol, Chinese & Japanese Works of Art. Seonaid Maclean-Bristol started her career in 1994 at Phillips where she was a specialist in ceramics and Oriental works of art. In 2001 she joined Sotheby’s as Senior Chinese Art Specialist where she oversaw a number of important sales and the inaugural 20th century Asian Art Sale.

Sachiko Hori, Japanese Works of Art. Sachiko Hori has worked in Christie’s and Sotheby’s as a lead specialist in Japanese art before forming Sachiko Hori Fine Art in 2009 and working as an independent consultant and specialist in Japanese art. Sachiko vets a number of international art fairs including Arts of Asia Pacific, The International Fine Art and Antiques Fair, and TEFAF New York.

Clive Sinclaire, Japanese Swords and Armour. Clive Sinclaire has been a collector of Japanese swords and armour for over 50 years. He has published two books on the subject including Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior. He is current Honorary President of the Token Society of Great Britain.

Peter Arney, European Ceramics and Glass. Peter Arney has over forty years’ experience in the field and was previously Head of Sotheby’s European Ceramics and Works of Art department. The catalogue he produced for the Rous Lench collection, the best collection of English ceramics sold at auction, is highly regarded as a reference work. Peter later became Managing Director of Sotheby’s France. Peter is a member of the English Ceramic Circle, Society of Automotive Historians, Keramik Freunde der Schweiz and the French Porcelain Society.

Philip Howell, European Ceramics and Glass. Philip Howell has been a specialist ceramics valuer and auctioneer for most of his career including thirty years at Sotheby’s, where he was head of European Ceramics and Glass department. Philip is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and has served on the Vetting Committee at the London Olympia Antiques Fair.

Anabel Yorke, Jewellery. Anabel Yorke has previously worked as a jewellery specialist at Phillips, Bond Street and Sotheby’s, where she ran the jewellery department in their West London saleroom in Olympia. Anabel has an FGA Diploma in Gemmology, is Grade A in Preliminary Theory, and has a DGA Diploma in Diamond Grading.