An interactive session will guide participants on how to collect antiques
Artefacts on display at Phillips Antiques
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Art and history intersect as subjects to mark the cultural milieu of a certain era, with antiques serving as a window into the life and times of the people who lived back then. So, the role that collectors play goes beyond the snob value that's sometimes associated with them, since they are also de facto guardians of a cultural lineage that is preserved in the objects they own.
A demon scarer that's on display at the Phillips Antiques
That's one of the themes that Farooq Issa, the owner of Phillips Antiques, will touch upon during a discussion at his iconic Colaba gallery this Saturday. The expert collector will delve into engravings and lithographs made by European artists living in India in the 19th century, folk and tribal art, and the intricacies of Raja Ravi Varma's oleographs. That apart, he will also give the participants an insight into the legacy of his 157-year-old gallery, and teach them how to pick the wheat from the chaff when it comes to collecting antiques.
The interiors of the iconic gallery in Colaba
"A lot of people are interested in art. They want to learn about it, they want to buy it, but they are unsure of how to go about it," Issa says, adding, "One mistake people [new to the field] make is that they think it's amazing to come for a party [at art shows and galleries]. So they are looking for something for nothing, which doesn't help."
But what about those who are neither looking for a fancy party nor have deep pockets, but are keen on genuinely learning the ropes? "My advice to them would be to take some time off to visit galleries, to engage in the art world, and though the best way to learn about something is to buy it, don't try to buy your first work on a budget."
Nuggets such as these are what Carpe Arte, the arts collective organising the event, is hoping the participants will glean from the intimate interactive session. It is limited to 15 entries. So if you do RSVP, spare time during a guided tour of the gallery to reflect on a textile that Issa says belonged to a saint from UP's Bahraich district. It's around 60 years old, and while the saint used it as a purdah for his room, today it will let you open the curtains a bit into the world that he inhabited back then.
On: September 2, 2 pm
At: Phillips Antiques, opposite Regal Cinema, Colaba
Log on to:The Facebook page for Carpe Arte
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