New Dealer: Henrietta Harper Antiques & Vintage

We are pleased to announce we have another new dealer who has recently joined Alfies: Henrietta Harper.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your company?

I have always been fascinated and surrounded by beautiful objects. I had also recently been spending a lot of time in auctions and simply couldn't help myself but buy everything and anything that caught my eye, and I quite quickly got to the point where I had more than enough objects to easily fill a little shop. I spent a lot of time researching it all and I knew everything there was to know about the items that I was clogging up my apartment with, and so I decided to move out of working in art galleries and focus all my time and energy on buying and selling the objects that I was truly passionate about, and here I am. 

How did your interest in antiques develop?

I think it's in the blood! My Father has been an antique dealer all my life and my childhood was spent crammed into the back of estate cars with all his antiques, paintings, and anything he could physically fit in the car. As I got older I actually started to appreciate the things he filled the house with and gradually spent more and more time learning about his pieces with him. When I eventually left school, I went straight into the business instead of University and just never left. 

Contemporary jug vase, offered by Henrietta Harper Antiques & Vintage

Contemporary ribbed vase, offered by Henrietta Harper Antiques & Vintage

What is the most interesting part of your job? 

Buying! Auctions are just so exciting to me and I get to play with my competitive nature a little. I also get to learn about a fresh, new object every time I buy something, which is what this business is really all about.   

Do you have any personal favourites in your collection?

I think my favourite item I have at the moment is quite a rare 1920s Art Nouveau pewter and green glass vase by Liberty & Co. It was an item that I hadn't spotted on first look at an auction catalogue and it caught my eye at the last minute whilst I was bidding on other things and it turned out to be pretty extraordinary.  

1920s Art Nouveau vase by Liberty & Co, available at Henrietta Harper Antiques & Vintage

If you could own any piece of art from history what would it be?

I would absolutely love to own Joan Miros 'Femme devant la lune' from 1944. It used to hang in the last gallery I worked for and I just became obsessed with it. It is actually my phone screensaver and I just think it's a magical piece of art. 

Joan Miro 'Femme devant la lune'

Do you have a favourite gallery to visit in London?

I really enjoy the quiet little galleries in strange locations where you can spend hours without anyone bothering you. I went to Maureen Paleys peaceful gallery in Bethnal Green recently which is one of my favourite spaces that I've been to but I still think the Royal Academy still has to take the title, especially with its wonderful history and the current summer exhibition.

What antiques, besides those you already deal in, would you be interested in collecting?

I really love Oriental pieces. Although I have bought and sold a few, I would really like to bring some more into my stock. They have amazing histories, the culture is fascinating and you can mix them beautifully with all sorts of other pieces, of any age.

Henrietta Harper Antiques & Vintage
Stand G100
Tel: 07593178005
Henriettaharper@yahoo.co.uk