Suit of armour to aid time travel at antique fair today and tomorrow
A suit of armour will be one of he more unusual items that Treasures Irish Art will bring to the Limerick fair today and tomorrow, left; a Clarice Cliff Bizarre Nasturtium pattern bowl from 1933 at Edwin Mercer's stand, top right; Robert Hutchinson will bring a selection of coins, banknotes and medals, below right.
Collectors can expect the unexpected, and a lot of variety, at the National Antiques, Art & Vintage Fair at Limerick Racecourse today and tomorrow (November 15 and 16) from 11am each day.
If you still haven't found what you are looking for, this is as good a place to start the search as any. More than 70 dealers from right around Ireland will be in attendance with everything from art, antique furniture and Persian rugs to jewellery, silver, ceramics, vintage fashion, banknotes, militaria and even a suit of armour.
Little wonder that this is one of the most popular events on Ireland's annual antique calendar. Running now for 35 years, the three to five-times-yearly Limerick fair continues to go from strength to strength.
Be inspired by some stylish ceramics at Brian Hurley's stand or a pair of opal and emerald earrings at Edwin Mercer's stand. This is where you will also find a full set of Beswick 757 flying swallows of a type that went out of production in 1973, and a Bizarre Nasturtium pattern Clarice Cliff bowl dating to 1933 in superb condition.
There are paintings, furniture and decorative objects at Country Mile Antiques, while Joe Burns Foundry Antiques will offer metal wall sconces, candlesticks and lanterns. The Purple Onion Gallery will bring art along with some Havana cigars and a selection of French wines.
A walk through the fair will bring you to no less than six coin, banknote and militaria dealers. There are gold Albert chains, silver chains, diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones, books, and art deco bronze figures. Eddie Moylan is among those who will offer a selection of jewellery items. Demand for lovely old furniture may not be as strong as it was once, but it has not gone away, and there are some stylish choices for modern homes, like a marquetry inlaid kidney-shaped tray at Greenes.
The variety on offer always extends to vintage fashion and Eily Henry will bring a choice selection of hats, handbags and accessories. No one enjoys the thrill of the chase quite as much as an established collector of anything from Victorian hat pins to Limerick silver to branded porcelain to rare coins to whatever you are having yourself when they happen across a long-sought-after after coveted piece.
Markets and fairs are enduringly popular throughout Europe and beyond. This, the biggest one in Ireland this year, is an opportunity to find something unusual and different, maybe even to get a new collecting habit underway.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
