PETER FINER
Peter Finer Gallery was established in 1967 and are today specialists in antique Arms and Armour from cultures worldwide, Bronze Age to the 19th century, with a London gallery in the historic Duke Street, St James’s. We have a hard-earned reputation for handling the rarest and highest-quality antique Arms and Armour and have helped to build superb private and institutional collections.
We maintain excellent relationships with museums across the globe, and are honoured to count The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and The Royal Armouries of the United Kingdom among our clients. We have a discerning eye for quality and condition, and work with leading independent scholars and curators in the field to comprehensively research the works of art we handle. Armed with this expertise, we guarantee the authenticity of the objects we sell, whilst conducting business with discretion. We strive to establish long-term relationships, built on trust, with our clients.
“We are honoured to work with the Bagri Foundation to bring international attention to, and encourage the understanding of, the incredibly rich history of Asian cultures, and contextualise the stunning artistry found in Asian antique arms and armour.”
MARCHANT
Marchant, founded in 1925 by Samuel Sydney Marchant (1897-1975), are one of the world’s most respected dealers in Chinese and Oriental art. Since 1952, Marchant have been at the same location in Kensington, London, W8. The gallery is a specially-designed building containing two-floors of exhibition space. The specialties of the company are Imperial Chinese Ming and Qing porcelains, jades, cloisonné, pottery and works of art. Emphasis is placed on rarity, quality and provenance. Marchant pride themselves on fine pieces that have passed through their hands, many now in major museums and collections worldwide. Services that can be undertaken are the buying and selling of pieces and collections, commission bidding in auctions around the world and specialist advice.
“We were approached by the Bagri Foundation and were happy to participate, as we are always interested in attracting new audiences to Chinese art, and to have a contemporary artist produce a piece inspired by our exhibition seemed like a novel way to engage and interpret both 17th century art and 21st century art.”
SHAHNAZ GALLERY
Shahnaz Gallery is a second generation gallery and successor to Bashir Mohamed Ltd.
Bashir Mohamed founded the Islamic department at Spink & Sons, becoming head and buyer for the department. In 1979 inspired by his previous role for the Colnaghi Gallery where he was advising on Islamic Art for Jacob Rothschild, he left to start his first gallery on Old Bond Street following on with two more spaces on Davies Street and Broadbent Street.
Over time he acquired major works of Islamic and Asian Art, and has played a significant role in establishing important collections, aiding private collectors and major museums globally. During this period, he also devoted himself as the curator and buyer to the Furusiyya Art Foundation (Vaduz). This resulted in Bashir Mohamed making one of the finest collections of Islamic Art in general, and in particular one of the finest collections of early Islamic Arms and Armour in the world, part of which was displayed in a major exhibition, at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris and published in the book, ‘The Art of the Muslim Knight.’
Today the gallery is run by Shahnaz, his daughter, who is dedicated to the promotion of the art of the Islamic and Asian world, continuing to show exceptional and important works of art. The gallery prides itself on its reputation for knowledge and expertise in the field, continuing to loan pieces to global museums for exhibitions, as well as advising, and buying for private collectors.
