LONDON.- The 43rd Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair got off to an exciting start last week with a number of significant sales across the whole spectrum of art and antiques.

Over 5,000 visitors flocked to the opening day, with notable visitors including Pharrell Williams, Sir Bob Geldof and Julian Sands taking the opportunity to browse and buy from the huge range of stock available. The day ended with a preview charity event, hosted by Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Mary Claire Boyd, Fair Director comments, ‘we are delighted that our long standing, new and returning dealers are all reporting good sales. The change of dates to the end of June has opened up the fair to new audiences and underlines London as the focus of the art and antiques market during this time. We look forward to further significant sales over the next six days.’

Trading over the first four days of the fair was strong with notable sales including the Preview Day sale by Haynes Fine Art of a significant painting by Welsh master, Sir John Kyffn Williams for a figure in excess of £85,000.

Willow Gallery, one of the leading specialists in European 19th and 20th century paintings, sold a charming work entitled Evening on the Promenade (1974) by Helen Layfield Bradley for upwards of £50,000. In addition, the gallery has sold two Post-Impressionist paintings by French artist Louis Valtat, also in the range of £50,000.

The London-based contemporary art gallery Long & Ryle sold two large oil paintings by Ramiro Fernandez Saus and John Monks for £23,000 and £25,000 respectively.

Tribal specialist, Clive Loveless has sold an array of pieces, with Australian Aboriginal artefacts and artworks proving particularly popular. Loveless’ fascinating collection has attracted a number of visitors, including Sir David Attenborough, who is a longstanding Australian and Indonesian art enthusiast.

Art Deco specialist Jeroen Markies has sold a stunning 1930s walnut library table and a pair of stylish leather armchairs by Epstein, dating from 1935 (£7,500). Olympia is a truly global fair, underscored both by its international exhibitors and its visitors from across the world including Argentina, China, Australia, Russia and the Middle East. Indeed, Dutch sisters Aimée and Fleur from antique jewellery specialists van Kranendonk Duffels, among others, have noted a positive influx of American visitors this year.

New and returning furniture dealers have reported strong sales, with 20th century furniture dealer Omnipod selling a wonderful pair of Willy Daro lamps for £26,000. Hatchwell Antiques’ eclectic range of antiques and aeronautica is also proving popular, with sales that include an unusual wind tunnel model of Rolls Royce engine and wing mounting, whilst returning exhibitor, Joanna Booth was happy to report an early sale of an extraordinary late eighteenth-century wood carving from the School of Grinling Gibbons (£18,000).

After a successful first week of sales and an opening day described by returning exhibitor Brian Watson as ‘the best in ten years’. The fair continues until Sunday 28th June.