A Conversation with Tom Smith, Dovecote Antiques

This is Dovecote Antiques’ tenth anniversary year; how has your taste evolved or changed since you first started dealing?

When I think of some of the pieces I sold right at the very beginning I smile to myself, as some of them I wouldn’t dream of selling now. That being said, there are pieces that I would buy back ten times over and will probably never see the like of again. I think the most noticeable difference is my appreciation of older pieces. 18th century porcelain is dreamy but it takes a bit more understanding than later pieces, where the design sources and factory marks are much plainer to see. I recently purchased a First period Worcester chestnut basket that dates from circa 1760 and just the mere fact it made it out of the kiln in the first place fascinates me. It isn’t the flashiest or most refined piece of porcelain you will ever see but it helps you to understand the material and the process on a whole other level.

As a residential interior design studio, Designed By Woulfe constantly works with clients who are enthusiastic about marrying the old with the new. What advice would you give in aide that creative process using the pieces that Dovecote Antiques sells?

Unlike 20-30 years ago when there were definite styles and trends, I think now people are much more individual. Gone are the days of Country House style or French 18th century style, it is now all about the pieces itself, as a one-off artwork. This is both a blessing and curse as it means that the traditional way of collecting by just buying variants of pieces in order to acquire as many as possible, has changed. Antique porcelain presents particular challenges, as a traditional collector will hunt out the unusual rather than the fashionable. On the plus side, I  think it means that you can get away with a lot more in your home: if you like a vase, plate or other object then that’s all that matters and you can style it with your Skandi sideboard or Heals rug. For dealers it might mean that you only get to sell one or two pieces to a client, but for the buyer it opens a wealth of options to choose from as you are not limited to the more meticulous way of traditional collecting. There is a universe of objects out there and it’s up to you to decide what you like and how you want to display it…what could be more fun?!

How can a new client learn to develop the knowledge that they need in order to feel confident to buy a piece of porcelain or silver?

Read! There are so many wonderful books out there, be it the Compendium of British teacups or the Jackson’s Hallmarks: English, Scottish, Irish Silver & Gold Marks from 1300 to the Present Day, each one will help you broaden your knowledge as well as honing your eye.

Silver is a good thing to start with as hallmarks are clear identification to a piece’s history. From four legally stamped marks you can tell where it was made, by whom and when, allowing you to research the piece or start a collection based on a number of different themes. The same goes for later 19th or early 20th century ceramics where back stamps and markings make it much easier to understand what you are buying. This goes back to what I was saying about developing an appreciation for earlier pieces, once you understand the later objects you can branch out and learn about the more nuanced earlier pieces that are less well marked. The other thing I would suggest would be to visit the ceramic galleries at the Victoria & Albert Museum because you will see pretty much every shape, style, movement and make of porcelain the world has every produced and it allows you to directly compare them with each other all in one room.

What does your own dream collection look like?

Minton porcelain, lots of it! Minton were the most important English factory of the 19th century and I have collected them now for over a decade, I must have getting on for 300 pieces but there are so many gaps in my collection it looks like a block of Swiss cheese. The thrill of the hunt is in the chase!