Crisis of confidence

What do you find at the world’s great antiques fairs these days? The answer, increasingly, is modern and contemporary art. Few will lament the disappearance of doleful, second-rate period furniture in favour of Art Deco and post-war design, or the introduction of major international art galleries offering the work of 20th-century masters. But as growing numbers of dealers adjust their stock in a bid to attract a new generation of buyers — not always with conviction or success — it seems that the antiques trade is in danger of shooting itself in the foot.

It is evident that the trade is suffering a crisis of confidence. Heaven knows, the business is beleaguered — under siege by both changing tastes and by the ever-growing retail might of the auction-houses. Long gone are the days when clients would regularly drop by their favourite galleries on the off chance of finding something to buy.