NATURAL WONDERS From a 180-million-year-old pregnant dinosaur fossil to Some of the world’s rarest 100-carat gems

5,000 YEARS OF MANKIND’S CREATIVITY From an early Cycladic sculpture to preparatory works for portraits of HM King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II

A year after its creation, and following a successful inaugural edition, The Treasure House Fair returns to the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea this summer. Taking place from 27 June through 2 July, the fair will bring together 70 leading galleries– up 30% on last year – and feature over 20 collecting categories in the fields of fine art, furniture, antiquities and jewellery. A veritable Wunderkammer, this second edition will also showcase natural wonders, including the fossil of a 180-million-year-old pregnant Ichthyosaur, meteorites and some of the world’s largest and rarest gemstones, alongside classic cars and one of the most stylish boats ever made.

A “treasure house” of the rare and the beautiful, the historic and the cutting-edge, the fair offers a unique blend of quintessentially British character with an unerring international outlook. From the century-old jewellers who crafted Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding rings to the young Japanese art dealer breaking new ground in the international art sphere, the fair will showcase galleries working at the apex of their disciplines. All vetted by independent experts, the carefully curated works on display will take visitors on a journey through a million years of the Earth's history and millennia of mankind’s creativity.

A “Wunderkammer” of the rare and the exceptionalFor the first time in London, the public will have the opportunity to discover some of the world’s largest and rarest gemstones, all weighing over 100 carats and gathered in an unprecedented exhibition The Great 100-carat Gems (for more details, please see separate release). These natural wonders will feature alongside other whimsical artefacts, such as a 50,000-year-old complete Woolly Rhino skull and a two-meter-high mammoth hindleg.

The fair will also celebrate five millennia of human creativity, from a strikingly modern Cycladic figurine, 2700-2300 B.C. to preparatory works for portraits of HM King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II. Other highlights include storied furniture, prized old masters, exceptional impressionist and modern works and contemporary art by leading artists coming from all corners of the globe, from Asia through to the Middle East. (Please see highlights document for more details)

A highlight of the London summer seasonPursuing a tradition of summer art fairs in London going back to 1934 (see Notes to editors), the 2024 edition of the fair is also testament to the strength of the British art market – the world’s second largest - and the fact that London remains a unique destination and magnet for international art collectors. Much anticipated by both the trade and the public, The Treasure House Fair is also set to become a fixture of the city’s vibrant summer season, which each year sees local and international visitors converge on the city, determined to take advantage of all the culture, art and sport on offer, from blockbuster exhibitions to the Wimbledon Championships.

Expanding the fair’s global presenceThis year also sees the fair pursuing its internationalisation, with groundbreaking initiatives reinforcing its links with both the US and Europe. The recent appointment of Helen Allen - the Executive Director of The Winter Fair, New York - as Development Director, started an unprecedented collaboration between two premier interdisciplinary fairs, actuating Treasure House’s ambitions to cement the synergies between the UK and US art markets.

In order to ease the trade complexities and costs faced by international exhibitors, a pioneering deal has also been struck with logistics firm, Momart. Overseas galleries can use the customs procedure known as Temporary Admissions (TA) via Momart to import and export their items for the fair under a single arrangement with the shipping firm. Exhibitors will get a special rate for the use of the TA and the fair and Momart will jointly subsidise this cost and manage paperwork.

In the Gardens of the Royal Hospital ChelseaOn entering the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, visitors will be welcomed by the sight of three classic cars presented by Hilton & Moss in collaboration with the London Concours - the capital’s leading automotive summer event.

Sculpture WalkDeeper in the gardens, esteemed London art dealer and director of Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden in North Yorkshire, Willoughby Gerrish, will once again be curating the Sculpture Walk. The show, which will extend into the fair, will be highlighted by works by 20th and 21st century British women artists, including Barbara Hepworth, Emily Young, Mona Hatoum, Sophie Ryder and Nicola Anthony.

Harry Van der Hoorn, Co-founder of The Treasure House Fair and owner of the leading stand building company Stabilo said: “The success of last year’s event which came together in record time is a real show of strength for the UK art market. London remains a vibrant hub for international trade. There is a strong local market and it is also a gateway to both Europe and America.”

Thomas Woodham-Smith, Director and Co-founder said: “It was extremely encouraging to witness the enthusiasm and passion with which the debut fair was embraced by the trade, collectors and visitors alike. It was great to see how much business was done, with guests staying for extended visits and enjoying the broader experience of the fair. We are proud to carry the baton of our forebears and be part of the long tradition of summer fairs and integral to the London Summer social season. We very much look forward to the second edition.”

A GLANCE AT THIS YEAR’S EXHIBITORSTHE WORLD'S LEADING ANTIQUE & ART DEALERSThe second edition of the fair will see the return of some of the world’s leading antique and art dealers, including Ronald Phillips, Richard Green, Osborne Samuel, Wartski, Adrian Sassoon, Butchoff Antiques, MacConnal-Mason, Godson & Coles, Koopman Rare Art, Frank Partridge and Adrian Alan. Together, these galleries, most of which are multi-generational British family businesses located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, will present a spectacular selection of furniture, silver, decorative arts and jewellery, boasting extraordinary provenance and the aura of the greatest makers of their time.

The second edition of the fair will see the return of some of the world’s leading antique and art dealers, including Ronald Phillips, Richard Green, Osborne Samuel, Wartski, Adrian Sassoon, Butchoff Antiques, MacConnal-Mason, Godson & Coles, Koopman Rare Art, Frank Partridge and Adrian Alan. Together, these galleries, most of which are multi-generational British family businesses located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, will present a spectacular selection of furniture, silver, decorative arts and jewellery, boasting extraordinary provenance and the aura of the greatest makers of their time.

FINE ART, FROM OLD MASTERS TO CONTEMPORARY ARTAs per last year, Fine Art will feature strongly in the fair, showcased by a roster of internationally renowned specialists in the fields of painting and sculpture. Fourth-generation Mayfair specialists in Old Masters, Impressionist and Modern art, Richard Green Gallery and MacConnal-Mason will be joined by eminent art dealer and BBC “art detective”, Philip Mould who will present some of his latest discoveries in an immersive booth infused with a Bloomsbury Group aesthetic.

They will be accompanied by an impressive contingent of 20th-century British art experts, notably Osborne Samuel, Crane Kalman and Christopher Kingzett. Specialists in 20th-century and Contemporary British art, Piano Nobile will unveil a seminal work by the School of London painter R.B. Kitaj, which is appearing on the market for a first time in a generation. Fascinating preparatory works for official portraits of the British Royal family will also go on view on the booth of Fine Art Commissions.

Sculpture will also take center stage both inside the fair and in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with the participation of leading specialists, including Paris gallery Univers Du Bronze, Willoughby Gerrish and Sladmore - the Jermyn Street gallery focusing on animalier sculptors.

With 2024 marking both the 150th anniversary of the birth of Impressionism and the centenary of Surrealism, the fair will also see the addition of Willow Gallery, London-based specialists in 19th and 20th- century European paintings and Leighton Fine Art, experts in Impressionist and Post- Impressionist painting.

The selection will be enriched by the participation of international galleries, including Maison d’art, one of Monaco’s most reputed dealers; Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, the New York dealer specialising in 20th-century American art; SmithDavidson Gallery, the Amsterdam, Mexico City and Miami-based gallery renowned for its expertise in modern and contemporary Aboriginal art and Rhonda Long-Sharp who created her eponymous gallery in Indianapolis (Long-Sharp Gallery) in 2005, after a 20-year career as a US attorney defending prisoners on death row.

Contemporary art from Asia, the Middle East and South America will also go on view. Participating for the first time will be Bahraini artist Rashid Al Khalifa and Sundaram Tagore - a descendant of Indian poet and Nobel Prize-winner Rabindranath Tagore - whose New York, Singapore and London galleries are known for championing contemporary artists and photographers from underrepresented cultures. Also joining this year will be Huxley-Parlour, the dynamic London gallery whose programme is committed to creating a dialogue between those artists who have made an impact on recent art history, and those who are at its vanguard today.

ASIAN ART THROUGH THE AGESShedding new light on Japanese art, A Lighthouse called Kanata - the brainchild of Tokyo pioneer dealer Wahei Aoyama – will present the work of Japanese painters and sculptors reinterpreting ancient techniques into a contemporary minimalist style. They will be joined by renowned and emerging Chinese artists represented by 3812 Gallery, the Hong Kong-founded gallery which recently opened an outpost in St James’s, London’s historic art quarter.

Many more exhibitors at the fair will celebrate the century-long exchanges between Asian and Western art practices. Among them Sydney L. Moss, the oldest family-owned Asian art dealership in Europe; Michael Goedhuis, another world authority in the field whose London gallery offers both antique works of art and paintings by contemporary masters; Indian and South East Asian expert Joost van den Bergh and newcomers Laura Bordignon, Malcolm Fairley and Grace Tsumugi who specialises in Japanese art and antiques of the late Edo, Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods.

CERAMICS, GLASS AND METALWORKSPrime examples of the East-West dialogue will also be found in the selection of ceramics, glass and metalworks on display. Applying his unique eye for exceptional craftsmanship, Adrian Sassoon will showcase sculptural objects by pioneering contemporary makers such as Korean glass artist Joon Yong Kim, Japanese metal artist Hiroshi Suzuki and British ceramicist Felicity Aylieff, alongside antique French porcelain. Further prized examples of rare pottery, porcelain and antique glass from the Middle Ages to today will be found at the booths of New York porcelain specialist Michele Beiny, Kensington dealer E&H Manners and British antique lighting expert Fileman Antiques.

JEWELLERY & WATCHESWith a breathtaking selection of jewels, diamonds and gemstones, the fair is also set to catch the imagination of jewellery lovers and collectors alike. For the first time in London, the public will have the opportunity to discover some of the world’s largest and rarest gemstones. All weighing over 100 carats and sourced from every corner of the globe, these superlative stones will be showcased in an unprecedented exhibition The

London’s status as the epicentre of antique and vintage jewellery will be reflected by the presence of two of Britain’s oldest and most revered family-owned businesses in the field: S.J Phillips, the 155-year-old Mayfair dealership whose clientele includes several generations of aristocratic families and renowned tastemakers, such as Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, and Wartski - the Fabergé specialists whose deep connections with the British Royal Family date back to its founding in 1865, and whose recent high-profile commissions include the wedding bands of Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, and that of Miss Catherine Middleton, the now Princess of Wales.

Further storied gems, impressive heirlooms and antique jewels signed by the most prestigious houses will dazzle at the booths of acclaimed New York dealers A la Vieille Russie and S.J. Shrubsole, as well as the British galleries Koopman Rare Art, Sandra Cronan and Greens of Cheltenham. In addition, 20th-century artists and contemporary designers will play a prominent role, with the participation of Didier, the Mayfair house specialising in jewels by modern masters and post-war designers, and Adrian Sassoon who will unveil astonishing works by some today’s most innovative makers, including Japanese goldsmith Kayo Saito.

A key draw for watch aficionados, Somlo, the world’s only authorised vintage Omega dealer, will return with a selection of pocket and wristwatches covering 400 years of horology. The famed Burlington Arcade family business will be accompanied by two luminaries in the trade of rare antique clocks, Howard Walwyn and Carter Marsh & Co who together will showcase timepieces by the greatest makers of the golden age of English horology, including Thomas Tompion and George Graham.

A JOURNEY THROUGH MILLENNIA OF HISTORYSpanning six continents and millennia of art history, the fair will also welcome two authorities in the field of Antiquities: the eminent Basel archaeologist Jean-David Cahn who remains at the helm of the world’s oldest gallery in the discipline, and Hicham Aboutaam whose Geneva and New York dealership Phoenix Ancient Art will debut at the Fair.

The selection will also be highlighted by natural wonders such as fossils, minerals and meteorites (Stone Gallery), rare books (Shapero Rare Books, Potterton Books), tribal art (Galerie Mestdagh), prints and works on paper (William Weston, Shapero Modern), maritime paraphernalia (Wick Antiques) and many more whimsical objects shedding a unique glimpse into artistry of the past and the present.