Art & Antiques Dubai draws Top International Art Galleries and Dealers

Art & Antiques Dubai draws top international art galleries and dealers England’s Best Silver on Display; Exquisite Painted Glass Works from France

The debut of ‘Art & Antiques Dubai’, an international art fair scheduled to take place from the 21st-24th February 2008, promises to dazzle art lovers in the region with a wide ranging selection of the world’s finest art and antiques, including some of England’s best silver and exquisite glass paintings.

Leading international art dealers have confirmed participation, exhibiting a keen interest to join the 2008 fair, organised by the Haughton International Fairs group.
Exhibitors in Dubai will include prestigious names such as Koopman Rare Art from London, internationally recognized as leading specialists in antique silver and works of art. “It’s an interesting market to tap into,” commented Timo Koopman about the upcoming Middle East fair. He plans to bring ‘the best’ of his stock, which includes work by England’s greatest silversmiths, Paul Storr (1771-1844) and Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751), who were responsible for some of the most important and valuable silver ever produced.

‘Art & Antiques Dubai’ will also feature important examples from the decorative arts, including items of Middle Eastern origin. For art enthusiasts interested particularly in works of art illustrating the culture and lifestyle of the Middle East; there will, for example, be a selection of Islamic works of art at London dealer Amir Mohtashemi.

Dealers in 20th century decorative arts in general include leading New York dealer, Maison Gerard who will be showcasing the lavish painted glass panels made by Jean Dupas in 1934 especially for the famous and newly built ocean-going liner SS Normandie. Benoist Drut of Maison Gerard considers pieces such as this should attract keen interest at the fair because art collectors in the Middle East “appreciate style and refinement”.

“We are delighted that the decision to host an art and antiques fair in the Middle East has received overwhelming support from the international art world,” said Giles Haughton, speaking on behalf of Haughton International Fairs. “The Middle East offers enormous possibilities for art dealers, and we are happy to be among the first to arrive during this burgeoning period of art awareness and interest.”

source: ‘Art & Antiques Dubai’ draws top international art galleries and dealers

What is Silver?

We probably all know what silver is. In case you forgot, here's a small reminder.

Word Origin: Anglo-Saxon Seolfor or siolfur; meaning 'silver', and Latin argentum meaning 'silver'.

Silver (IPA: /ˈsɪlvə(ɹ)/) is a chemical element with the symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft white lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity for a metal. It occurs as a free metal (native silver) as well as various minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is produced as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc mining.

Characteristics

• Silver is very ductile and malleable (slightly harder than gold).
• It has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals, even higher than copper.
• Among metals, pure silver has the highest thermal conductivity (only the non-metal diamond's is higher), whitest color, the highest optical reflectivity (although aluminium slightly outdoes it in parts of the visible spectrum), and is a poor reflector of ultraviolet light.
• Silver also has the lowest contact resistance of any metal.

Silver has been known since antiquity. It has long been valued as a precious metal and used in currency, ornaments and jewellery, as well as utensils (hence the term silverware). Silver bullion has the ISO currency code of XAG. Today, it is also used in photographic film, electrical contacts, and mirrors. Elemental silver is also used to catalyze chemical reactions.

Silver has certain antimicrobial activity. In the past, dilute solutions of silver nitrate were used as disinfectants, though this has been supplanted by other treatments.

Jewellery and silverware are traditionally made from Sterling silver (Standard silver) an alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper. Sterling silver is harder than pure silver, and has a lower melting point (893 °C) than either pure silver or pure copper. Britannia silver is an alternative hallmark-quality standard containing 95.8% silver, often used to make silver tableware and wrought plate. Silver is used in medals, denoting second place

Source: Wikipedia

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