United by Design

Fine Antiques and Five Generations of Family at John Bly

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The Bly family’s London gallery — now run by John Bly and his son James (top) — displays such vintage finds as the taxidermied Reeves pheasant, 1920, and the fine pair of Austrian brass chandeliers, 1850, seen above. The Blys have paired these pieces with limited-edition contemporary works; here, a large Piero Lissoni rug hangs behind a leather-top console table on which sits a Raku ceramic bowl.

Established just outside London, in Tring, Hertfordshire, in 1891, John Bly Antiques is now in its fourth and fifth generation of family ownership. The current John Bly, together with his son James, offers a top-drawer selection of English furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, plus an array of European, early-20th-century and contemporary pieces. That original Tring showroom has been joined by another, in Woburn, Bedfordshire, along with premises on London’s famed King’s Road in Chelsea, which gives the Blys access to a very different range of clients. (They previously occupied a shop in the St. James’s area of London in the early 1990s.)

John joined the business as a young man in the 1950s, following a spell at Sotheby’s in the furniture and decorative arts departments, and went on to learn about the antiques trade from his father, Frank John. His expertise has been showcased in a number of definitive books on antiques and collecting and on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, where he is a regular contributor.

James came on board in the early 1990s. In 2012, he found their current London space, a former brewery that they share with a number of other dealers. Here, they showcase an inventory that is characterized by both quality and provenance, and ranges from the exquisite (a 17th-century Indo-Portuguese cabinet inlaid with bone and mother of pearl) to the elegant (a George III demi-lune commode inlaid with a variety of exotic woods) to the eclectic (a stuffed and mounted Chinese Reeves pheasant). The gallery has become something of a destination. “That’s the joy of this building,” James explains. “Tourists, locals, everybody comes here. People on holiday who are interested in art and antiques make this part of their itinerary. A lot of interior designers come here too, particularly when there are fairs in in town.”

John and James recently sat down at a polished Georgian dining table in their London showroom to share their expertise and experience with Introspective.

Among the treasures currently on offer at the gallery are an 18th-century estate cabinet from Castle Howard (far right), a small circa 1790 demi-lune commode by John Linnell (far left foreground), a circa 1825 library folio stand by Gillows (left center rear), a pair of caned and cushioned library chairs from 1880 (center right) and an unusual life-size tobacconist’s advertising figure in the form of a Scottish Highlander, 1860 (center rear).

 

The exquisite details of this 18th-century English mahogany longcase clock include fluted and reeded columns, ogee bracket feet and a pagoda top hood with three gilt-metal finials.

How has the focus of the business changed since you started working together?

JOHN: James has had an influence on buying pieces that have an overall historic interest, whereas my focus was the years 1730 to 1770, that mid-Georgian era. I’ve learned to appreciate later things, and there’s as much interest for me now in a piece from the Art Deco period. We have sought things with a wide appeal, but without compromising on quality, authenticity and everything else we hold dear.

How important is provenance to collectors?

JAMES: What intrigues me and clearly resonates with clients is imagining what was happening in society at the time things were made. There’s an element of tangibility. You’re touching history, so knowing the story — who has used a piece, where it has been — is fantastic.

What has been the impact of having a high-profile television personality, thanks to Antiques Roadshow, as the owner of the gallery?

JAMES: Particularly in the London premises, we are often meeting people who don’t necessarily know us as dealers. They see my father on television but don’t necessarily know he is a dealer with premises. When people recognize the name, it can give a certain amount of reassurance.

 

 

“Quality and authenticity are absolutely key,” James says of the gallery’s focus. “When I’m buying, I am looking for a pure example of a piece. . . . Whatever your budget, there’s always something out there that’s authentic.”

The inner surfaces of this 19th-century table cabinet feature original oil paintings. Handsome bronze vases on red marble plinths, also dating to the 1800s, stand on either side of the cabinet.

Left: An early-19th-century Regency rosewood breakfast table and George II side chair from 1750 sit in front of a 1785 George III secretaire bookcase built by cabinetmaker Lovell of Chichester to a design specification by Thomas Sheraton. Right: In the type of the old-new pairing James identifies as a current design trend, a circa 1790 English demi-lune side table and 1825 Rococo Revival mantel mirror are juxtaposed with a contemporary Sardinian wool carpet (just visible at the far right) by Patricia Urquiola.

The entryway to the Blys’ gallery provides visitors with an immediate feast for the eyes, from the 1910 Edwardian silver-plated wall lights at left to the late-19th-century horns hung over a pair of 1870 bird’s-eye maple bedside chests in the center to the 1690 Italian Baroque mirror and mid-19th-century walnut and marquetry serpentine bookcase at right.

 

What the Blys describe as “a delightful Danish oil painting” by Otto Bache, 1887, sits beneath the Purefoy cabinet: a writing table purchased and used by Mrs. Purefoy, whose letters and correspondence have provided historians with insight into domestic life in the 18th century.

Has the way people collect furniture changed?

JAMES: People are no longer furnishing with a purist’s view for a particular period. Now a lovely Georgian dining table is paired with a set of 20th-century or modern chairs, and it looks fantastic. A lot of clients, particularly decorators, want antique accent pieces to fit into an otherwise contemporary interior. A really good example of a certain type of piece will look wonderful in any context.

What advice would you give a first-time collector?

JAMES: Quality and authenticity are absolutely key. When I’m buying, what I am looking for is a pure example of a piece, and first-time buyers should do the same. Whatever your budget, there’s always something out there that’s authentic.

Where would you recommend visiting to see excellent examples of English furniture and decorative arts?

JOHN: The British section of London’s Victoria and Albert museum is a walk through time from 1550 to 1850. You see porcelain, silver and glass, earthenware, furniture, everything, all in context with fashions of the period. It helps you understand that the way people dressed affected how furniture was made — for example, wider seats for wider frock coats.

 

 


TALKING POINTS

John and James Bly shares their thoughts on a few choice pieces.

Jackson & Graham King's Roulette table, 1908
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Jackson & Graham King's Roulette table, 1908

“Lord Rosslyn, an avid gambler, was convinced he had a system for roulette. King Edward VII decided to test his friend’s theories and in 1908 commissioned Sir Hiram Maxim to make this unique table. Famous as the inventor of his eponymous machine gun, the American engineer was also an expert in probability. Rosslyn thought that over 5,000 spins he would finish ahead, so, with Maxim acting as banker, he began betting with a sum of £10,000. Fortunately, this was not real money, as after 3,500 spins, he was bankrupt. The press followed the contest, with one paper running the memorable headline, ‘Lord Rosslyn Still Losing.’ ”

John Linnell cabinet, ca. 1775
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John Linnell cabinet, ca. 1775

“Originally, this cabinet was in the estate office at Castle Howard, one of Britain’s great country houses, which memorably doubled as Brideshead in the 1980s adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s novel. The top section is compartmentalized to hold tenants’ details, while the lower section has trays, still labeled for each of the rooms in the house. Made by John Linnell, it is a fabulous piece of cabinetmaking. Beautifully constructed with two secret drawers and intricate inlay, it is ornate for what was essentially office furniture.”

Iron tripod table, 1830
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Iron tripod table, 1830

“Cast iron had great novelty value in the early 19th century, having become fashionable due to the patronage of the prince regent. This is a perfect example of early decorative ironware from the Coalbrookdale Works in Shropshire. The casting is fantastic, with foliate scrolls and hand-forged screws and bolts, and the top retains some of the original gold decoration, which would have been fired onto the piece.”

The Purefoy cabinet, 1690
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The Purefoy cabinet, 1690

“Mrs. Purefoy, from a family of Oxfordshire gentry, is famous for her correspondence detailing domestic life in the late 17th century. In one letter, she writes to her husband about purchasing a writing table, and this is it. The top section is Italian, with decoration depicting scrolling serpents. It was given a new top and cabriole legs in the 1740s, both fashioned from the same piece of pear wood, probably by a local cabinetmaker. This is a fascinating piece — you can almost see Mrs. Purefoy writing at this desk.”

Indo-Portuguese cabinet on a stand, 1632
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Indo-Portuguese cabinet on a stand, 1632

“This cabinet on a stand is decorated using bone and mother-of-pearl, which, when cut thin, has a great depth to it. This piece proves the material was in use in Spain in 1632, the date engraved on it together with the initials HTM. The font used is similar to that which was used on gravestones at the time, meaning it is likely to be contemporary. The piece shows Islamic influences and, exceptionally, retains its original stand.”

Gillows of Lancaster & London library folio cabinet, ca. 1825
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Gillows of Lancaster & London library folio cabinet, ca. 1825

“Thanks to its appearance in one of the definitive books on Gillows, this cabinet’s attribution to that maker can now be confirmed. This example is not signed, which was often the case, as it would be rather rude to put your stamp on something someone had commissioned. The top of the piece can be adjusted into multiple positions to serve as a lectern of sorts. The cabinet is a superb example of late-Regency furniture.”

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