Having started his career lugging furniture as a porter at Phillip’s, Guy has an understanding, not only of how objects are made but how they feel. He speaks the language of wood grains and leg profiles with a fluency that allows him to recognise the mark of a particular craftsperson or even a conservator; to ascertain when and why a piece was created.

He is drawn to something not simply because of his acquisitive impulse or for its value or its beauty but because it shows the hand of who made it and in some small way tells not only their story but that of the time in which it was produced. Under Guy’s watch an object or a piece of furniture is simply the starting point from which spools the threads of countless different stories.

He, like many of his peers, is led by instinct and insatiable curiosity. He is drawn to the hunt: to the unveiling of clues, the inevitable false turns and the small victories that come along the way. The objects in this sale will have come under many hours of scrutiny by their current owner in a bid to better understand them. Once strangers, they are now profoundly familiar to Guy and hopefully will be as treasured by the next person who buys them.

In the years that have passed since our childhood ended, the gap between Guy and I has narrowed, helped in large part by our acquisitive personalities and shared compulsion towards extracting meaning from things. So it is no surprise that this sale is called ‘For the Love of Objects!’ because that is what my brother has spent a lifetime doing - falling in love with objects again and again, and then through enthusiasm and deep knowledge, encouraging others to do the same.

View page turning catalogue

Auction Details

Tuesday 7 January, 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

Browse the auction
Sign up to email alerts

VIEWING:

• Viewing in Newbury:
  • Sunday 5 January: 10am-3pm
  • Monday 6 January: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 7 January: 9am-4pm
• Remote Viewing Service | Available from Sunday 5 January