"Visitors to Frieze Masters looking to shield themselves from the world - and people asking for directions to Gail's-would do well to visit Peter Finer's stand, which is filled with exquisite examples of arms and armour stretching back to the 15th century. Towering over the space is a model of a man and horse, decked out in resplendent gilded armour that is on sale as a suite for £1.8m."
"The space is a treasure trove: other highlights include an Italian Renaissance sword, its gilt hilt featuring a face of Medusa, serpents twisting through her hair; and an intricately carved, late 16th-century crossbow made of materials including staghorn, wood and bone. Prices begin at £6,500 and go up into seven figures."
"The gallery ecosystem for these kinds of items, however, is small: so small, in fact, that at Frieze Masters it belongs almost entirely belongs to Finer, whose dealership was founded in 1967. "I wish there were more dealers," Finer says. "It's a double-edged sword, to coin a pun, but sometimes people prefer to have more than one person to deal with." The secret behind Finer's longevity and success? "We've got a wonderful stock, so we try not to duplicate what we bring at fairs; we also buy back material quite often.""
Peter Finer's Frieze Masters stand displays arms and armour dating back to the 15th century, including a gilded man-and-horse suit priced at £1.8m. The inventory features an Italian Renaissance sword with a Medusa-faced gilt hilt and a late 16th-century carved crossbow made of staghorn, wood and bone. Prices range from £6,500 into seven figures. The market for such objects is small and largely dominated by Finer's dealership, founded in 1967. Clients include major museums, specialist collectors and aesthetic buyers, many from the US. Younger collectors are scarce, though Redmond Finer has broadened offerings with ancient and Islamic material.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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