The Accumulations of a Cotswold Antiques Dealer: The David Pickup Edit
This is not the David Pickup Collection…
Firstly, I have been asked to make it clear that David, or Dad as I tend to refer to him more regularly, has not died, nor has he joined the world of the bewildered. He is very much alive and well, and still dealing from his base in the Cotswolds, however, the time has come to have a sort out.
During his near fifty years trading, David Pickup has gained a reputation as a dealer with an exceptional eye and a sound knowledge. I know this because I’m often told it by many of his old clients and dealer friends that I now come into contact with during my work at Sworders.
As with every piece that has passed through his hands, those seen here were sourced with purpose, with consideration and with passion, for a variety of reasons; some because they are the best of their type, some because of their exceptional colour and patination, and others because they are just fun. Put simply, he bought them because they were irresistible. While perhaps not all showstoppers in the classic sense, although there have been plenty of them over the years, they all hold an intrinsic quality that sees them rise above the noise and all are demonstrative of David’s innate and much revered ability to spot and to know ‘a good thing.’
Some dealers are driven by a commercial engine, taking the shortest route from A to B to maximise profit, whilst others, like David, take it more personally, with each purchase reflective of their personality, buying and selling things that they truly love, no matter what others may think, doing business with heart and often taking as much enjoyment from the purchase and sale of a £200 lot as a £20,000 one. When you trade this way, some items become just too difficult to part with. All good things must come to an end, however, and after a while, a long while in some cases, the amassed must be dispersed and the clock reset. The selection of lots offered here represents just that, the accumulations of a Cotswold antiques dealer, once cherished, now to be set free.
- James Pickup
