For Ed Belbruno the universe around us is more than eye-catching. It’s a medium for infinite fine art, an inspiration for artistic renderings that can break boundaries and be used for spacecraft missions to the moon and beyond.

Belbruno is a visiting research collaborator in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. Showings of his art are being sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) and have been displayed at several ESA installations.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking the image or link above

LONDON, March 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Art Auctions is proud to announce the upcoming Fine Ancient Art & Antiquities – The Prince Collection sale, showcasing an exceptional selection of ancient sculptures, jewellery, seals, and antiquities. We are honoured to present pieces coming for the renowned Prince Collection and other notable collections such as: David Giles, Fritz Biemann, Oliver Forge, JJ. Klejman, Jacques Billen, Naji Asfar, George Ortiz, Jack-Philippe Ruellan, Sir Nevile Lubbock, Professor Donald P. Hansen, Natasha Rambova, Gaston Maspero, The Groppi and Joseph Klein Collection.

The auction will take place on March 30th at 1 p.m. GMT, both live at our Central London showroom (63–64 Margaret Street, W1W 8SW) and online via the Apollo Art Auctions platform.

This prestigious collection spans over multiple civilizations, offering collectors and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to acquire antiquities from the Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Viking, Medieval European, and Western Asiatic civilizations

Auction Highlights:
Lot 502 – Egyptian Obsidian Head of Horus the Child (ex-Charles Ede Collection)
A breathtaking Egyptian obsidian sculpture, depicting Horus the Child, a deity symbolizing rebirth and protection. Obsidian was highly prized in Ancient Egypt and sourced from the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea region for use in mirrors, tools, and decorative objects. This remarkable artifact represents the craftsmanship and devotion associated with Horus.

Lot 504 – Rare Egyptian Core-Formed Glass Jar (Best-Known Example)
A truly exceptional Egyptian core-formed glass jar, showcasing the earliest glassmaking techniques known to history. Ancient Egyptians pioneered the art of glass production, using rods to shape and mold molten glass into intricate vessels. This artifact demonstrates the rich colors and decorative patterns typical of Egyptian glasswork, making it a museum-worthy treasure.

Lot 508 – Superb Egyptian Serpentine Mummiform Ushabti
This stunning mummiform ushabti, carved from serpentine, would have served as a funerary figurine placed in tombs to assist the deceased in the afterlife. The use of serpentine stone in Egyptian artifacts was highly symbolic, representing renewal and protection. Ushabtis were often inscribed with texts to ensure they performed their duties in the underworld, making this piece an extraordinary relic of Egyptian burial customs.

Lot 524 – Magnificent Egyptian Schist Flattened Unguent Flask
A rare and exquisitely crafted Egyptian unguent flask, made from schist stone, used to hold precious oils and perfumes. Egyptian stone vessels such as this played a vital role in religious rituals and elite cosmetic practices. The small holes on either side suggest it may have been suspended or attached to a carrying device. The craftsmanship and refinement of this flask highlight its importance in temple offerings and burial rites.

Story Continues

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

LONDON, March 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Art Auctions is delighted to announce its upcoming Fine Ancient Art, Antiquities & Jewellery auction, set to take place on March 29th at 1pm GMT. This highly anticipated event will feature an extraordinary collection of ancient marbles, jewellery, seals, and antiquities. The sale is honoured to present pieces coming from the collections of Charles Ratton & Guy Ladrière, Dr. W. Benson Harer, P. Vérité, Kurt Deppert, Suzanne Tardivat, Georges Halphen, Taher Khorassani, Borowski, Donald Wonder, James Wolfensohn, Dr. Ulrich Müllerb and Philip Mitry.

The sale will be held live at our Central London showroom (63–64 Margaret Street, W1W 8SW) and online via the Apollo Art Auctions platform.

Items in the auction come from a vast range of cultures, including outstanding pieces from Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Viking, Medieval European, and Western Asiatic civilizations. Each lot has been carefully curated to highlight the remarkable artistry, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage of the ancient world.

Auction Highlights:
Lot 10 – Rare Egyptian Gold Bes Pendant
A stunning Ancient Egyptian gold pendant, depicting Bes, the god of protection, fertility, and household blessings. Bes was a beloved figure in Egyptian, Persian, and Achaemenid cultures and often appeared in amulets, jewelry, and decorative art.

Lot 86 – Apulian Bell Krater Depicting a Rider on a Panther (Attributed to the Black Thyrsus Painter)
Attributed to the Black Thyrsus Painter, this Apulian red-figure bell krater captures the Dionysian spirit through its depiction of a rider on a panther. In Greek mythology, Dionysus, the god of wine, theatre, and revelry, is often portrayed riding a panther to symbolise the untamed and ecstatic nature of his cult. Bell kraters were used in Greek symposia for mixing wine and water, making them essential pieces for social and ceremonial gatherings.

Lot 93 – Rare Roman Marble Portrait Head of Marcus Crassus
An imposing Roman marble portrait head believed to represent Marcus Licinius Crassus, one of Rome’s wealthiest statesmen and a key figure in the First Triumvirate alongside Julius Caesar and Pompey. Known for his immense fortune and military prowess, Crassus played a crucial role in Roman history, including his infamous campaign against Spartacus’ slave revolt. This grand-scale portrait, likely once part of a public monument or private villa, reflects the artistic and political significance of Roman portraiture.

Story Continues

MAASTRICHT, the Netherlands — Luxury, legacy, and a touch of subversion — the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) returned to the MECC convention center in the Netherlands this week with an extraordinary selection of museum-quality artworks. Despite its somewhat remote location, the fair has maintained its reputation as one of the world’s premier art events since its inception in 1988, drawing collectors, curators, and connoisseurs from across the globe.

But beneath the veil of champagne and caviar, another narrative unfolded — one of increasing accountability, market adaptation, and the quiet reshaping of provenance to fit modern scrutiny. Some dealers have embraced the heightened scrutiny and public demand for transparency concerning provenance and good title, while others subvert these needs through various means. Throughout the fair, ambiguous provenance descriptions remained prevalent, including phrases such as “Property of a Hong Kong Gentleman,” “Old German colonial collection” and “private collection.” One dealer explained: “I don’t put all of it [provenance] in the catalogue because it’s not that interesting.”

TEFAF has a long-standing partnership with the Art Loss Register (ALR) — in place since 2000 — to ensure that galleries’ submitted lists are cross-referenced against extensive databases of stolen, missing, and disputed objects. But despite efforts to improve vetting procedures, a number of provenance discrepancies were still evident at this year’s fair. 

Galerie Chenel in Paris offered a marble Roman “Cuirass of an Emperor” whose provenance listed two “private collections” and two Sotheby’s London sales, one in 1961 and another in 1964. Aside from the notable absence of documented provenance prior to 1961 — more than five decades after Italy enacted its 1909 cultural patrimony laws — another aspect of this provenance version merits closer examination. When Galerie Chenel initially offered this same torso at Frieze Masters in London last October, the provenance provided contained an additional name: that of the notorious dealer Robert Hecht, who consigned the work to Sotheby’s in 1961 and 1964. This omission of Hecht’s name at TEFAF could be attributed to the fair’s longstanding emphasis on rigorous vetting procedures or a broader market reluctance to engage with material linked to the controversial dealer. Notably, in recent years, Galerie Chenel has had other objects seized at TEFAF. Hyperallergic has contacted the gallery for comment.

This practice of modifying or omitting problematic names or sites from provenances is not unheard of within the art market, as seen with the Bubon bronzes. These bronzes were looted and circulated through Hecht’s network during the 1960s — the same decade when this torso was first recorded — before entering various museums and private collections worldwide. Currently, many Bubon bronzes are returning to Turkey through voluntary repatriation or legal intervention. 

Charlotte Chambers-Farah, the Art Loss Register’s art fair manager, acknowledged these concerns in an email to Hyperallergic. 

“It is inevitable that with exhibitors from across the entire art market TEFAF sees some material arrive that might be called into question,” Chambers-Farah said. “Indeed, with 15,000 items at the fair, it is probably statistically unavoidable regardless of what is done.”

Security was another underlying theme, with noticeably heightened bag and coat checks — a likely response to the dramatic jewelry heist that rattled the fair in 2022. The increased precautions lent an uncanny air to the fair’s signature sense of opulence, complete with the famed floral displays meant to reaffirm its place as a pinnacle of the international art world. 

The elephant in the room, however, was the upcoming implementation of EU Regulation 2019/880, set to take effect in June 2025. Expected to significantly reshape the European art market, the new rules will apply to anyone purchasing or owning “non-European art” outside the European Union, requiring import licenses and stricter due diligence measures. Cultural goods will be classified into two categories: high-risk items, primarily antiquities from archaeological excavations, and low-risk items, which include objects over 200 years old with a minimum value of €18,000 (~$19,528).

As Chambers-Farah pointed out, this year’s increased scrutiny had a tangible effect. “It will be interesting to see in the long term what impact the changes that were implemented this year in the vetting will have, but there is no doubt that the additional attention being paid to provenance had an impact on the pieces that were offered in certain sections,” she told Hyperallergic. 

The fair’s programming and exhibitor choices subtly reflect collecting as a form of cultural subversion. The presence of politically resonant works, coupled with an increased emphasis on diversity, suggests a market that is not only responding to demand but also engaging with broader cultural conversations. Amid headlining works by (largely male) artistic giants such as Vincent van Gogh, Titian, Pablo Picasso, Gustav Klimt, Ai Weiwei, and Rembrandt van Rijn, standout presentations spotlighted emerging and historically underrepresented artists. For example, a juxtaposition installation of several ancient African sculptures in front of a striking painting by Cameroon-born artist Franck Kemkeng Noah titled “The Rituals of Museums” (2022) highlighted — perhaps unintentionally — the treatment of African art in Western contexts.    

TEFAF has placed a strong emphasis on attracting new buyers, spotlighting new artists, and exploring new markets. Among the 273 galleries present, striking examples of African modernism and works by pioneering Palestinian-born artist Juliana Seraphim stood out as particular highlights. Meanwhile, this year’s TEFAF Summit addressed a critical issue facing the arts sector: the decline in public financial support. Panels explored new models for private arts funding, underscoring the urgency of sustainable patronage in an increasingly precarious economic and political climate. 

The removal of problematic provenance, the persistence of vague ownership, and the ongoing reluctance by some dealers to disclose full histories all point to an industry still grappling with its past. Change is happening — albeit at a pace dictated more by broader market forces rather than moral reckoning.

The 2025 edition of TEFAF Maastricht, presented by The European Fine Art Foundation, returned to the MECC in signature style, featuring historical rediscoveries, exceptional artworks, and museum-quality collectibles from a diverse breadth of exhibitors. TEFAF Maastricht runs from March 15th – 20th, 2025. 

Globally recognized as the premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, TEFAF Maastricht offers unparalleled collecting opportunities, showcasing 7,000 years of art history, from ancient to contemporary. Alongside the world’s leading dealers, the fair will feature the return of the TEFAF Focus section for a second year, where galleries with curatorial platforms explore the work of a single artist or concept in greater depth. The TEFAF Summit will also return for its second year on March 17, in association with the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO, AXA XL, and partner organizations including Deloitte and ICOM Belgium Flanders. This year’s TEFAF Summit will focus on the challenges of declining public funding in recent years, examining how philanthropy and innovative private funding models can support Europe’s non-profit fine arts sector.

In addition, TEFAF will showcase two landmark loan exhibitions from Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte and KMSKA, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, underscoring its commitment to fostering dialogue between institutions, collectors, and art enthusiasts worldwide.

FAD Contributor Lee Sharrock picks her Top 9. 

Landau Fine Art 

Landau Fine Art are exhibiting Picasso’s “Les Dormeurs”, an important painting that holds a distinguished place, not only in Picasso’s legacy, but also in the history of modern art. Chosen by Picasso’s esteemed and long-time dealer, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, to hang behind his desk, this extraordinary painting went on to become a symbol of Picasso’s genius. It featured prominently in interviews and exhibitions, including Picasso’s seminal 1971 Retrospective at the Louvre, one of the rare occasions when the Mona Lisa was relocated to make way for another piece. 

TAFETA 

TAFETA–a London-based gallery founded by Ayo Adeyinka and speciliaizing in 20^th century and contemporary African art–is exhibiting several 20th century African artists who were featured in the 2024 Venice Biennale. Artists featured at TEFAF include Ben Enwonwu MBE, Uche Okeke, Malangatana, Twins Seven Seven, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Yinka Shonibare CBE.

Richard Saltoun 

Richard Saltoun’s presentation in the Focus section is dedicated to Lebanese artist Juliana Seraphim and showcase her Surrealist paintings from the 1960s-1980s. Seraphim engaged with the liberation of female sexuality and agency, nature and spirituality and was a pioneer of the Middle Eastern art scene of the period.

Daniel Crouch Rare Books 

Cartographic innovation of the Dutch Golden Age is the focus of Daniel Crouch Rare Books’ booth, which recreates the library of celebrated cartographer Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer. 

Bowman Sculpture 

100 years of Art Deco, female artists and rare 19th century pieces are foregrounded through Bowman Sculpture’s presentation. Highlights include Sarah Bernhardt’s Autoportrait, Attilio Piccirilli’s Flower of the Alps, Boleslas Biegas’s The Wave (1907), Helaine Blumenfeld OBE’s Messenger of the Spirit (2006) and Dame Barbara Hepworth’s Three Forms (Winter Rocks) (1965). New works by contemporary artist Massimiliano Pelletti are also featured as well as several exquisite Auguste Rodin sculptures including L’Éternel Printemps(Eternal Spring), 1st Reduction (conceived in 1884, cast in 1907), and Le Baiser (The Kiss), 1st Reduction (conceived in 1886, cast in 1912).

Wienerroither & Kohlbacher Gallery

Wienerroither & Kohlbacher Gallery is exhibiting a rediscovered Gustav Klimt Portrait of an African Prince. Klimt’s beautiful 1897 portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona was lost after World War II and verified after its rediscovery by Klimt expert Alfred Weidinger. It’s avalaible for €15 million ($16.4 million).

White Cube 

White Cube is exhibiting works by Georg Baselitz, Lynne Drexler, Tracey Emin, Imi Knoebel, Kenneth Noland, and Danh Vo. Highlights include Georg Baselitz’s radical early oil on canvas from 1962 titled Drei Kopfe (Three Heads) and Tracey Emin’s Barbed Wire Stitches 2024, which alludes to the artist’s recent battle with life-threatening illness.

Pauline Pavec

Previously overlooked Impressionist Marie Braquemond (1840-1916) is the focus of Pauline Pavec’s booth at TEFAF Maastricht.  Braquemond studied under Ingres and his influence can be seen in her light-dappled canvases. Six of the paintings on display at TEFAF have sold to private collections and institutions in the US, Netherlands, France and UK. 

Feng J 

First TEFAF exhibitor from mainland China and one of youngest. Feng J great granddaughter of an esteemed 19^th Century Court painter. She creates unique jewellery worthy of any Hollywood starlet. Inspired by abstract and impressionist art, Feng J paints with gems to blend Chinese heritage techniques with the Western art of high jewellery. 

TEFAF Maastricht is at the MECC Maastricht until 20th March, 2025.

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Lee Sharrock

Lee Sharrock is a global creative PR consultant, freelance curator, artist and contributor to FAD, Artlyst, Artplugged and Creative Review. Lee is also the founder of Culturalee.art. Culturalee is a celebration of the rich global tapestry of culture, including art exhibitions, museum shows, art fairs, cultural destinations, design, film, fashion, photography and literature. Culturalee highlights some of the most exciting talent and hotbeds of culture around the world with interviews, reviews and features. Lee studied at Norwich University of the Arts, University College London (UCL) and la Universita di Bologna, before embarking on a career in the art world and advertising industry. She started her career at Sotheby’s Auctioneers and worked at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), M&C Saatchi, Timothy Taylor Gallery and Saatchi & Saatchi before launching Lee Sharrock PR as a bespoke cultural PR consultancy.www.leesharrock.co.uk

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From Egyptian jewellery to 15th century armour to medieval illuminated manuscripts, old masters and exceptional contemporary design – Tefaf, Europe’s principal fine arts fair, really has something for everyone.

It’s a beacon in the knowledge economy that Maastricht is fostering with four universities, gastronomic delights and excellent cultural offerings. 

On the opening preview days high rolling collectors, art advisors, over 60 experts from museums and institutions gather padding through the aisles in suitably stealth wealth style elegantly clad in Loro Piana, Bruno Cucinelli and Hermes. Their eyes are firmly on the prize and the socialising is convivial as they weigh up potential acquisitions in whatever niche they collect, whether 18th snuffboxes or Japanese ceramic art.

Luxury slow down

But there’s always time for serendipity over oysters and Ruinart in the aisles and to discuss the prevailing trade winds including fierce new import/export tariffs.  

Perhaps at Buccellati, a Blossoms bangle by the Italian jeweller who returns to the fair after the year hiatus, or a dreamy metalwork bed with peacocks and cabbage leaf motifs by Claude Lalanne at Romain Lefebvre which is on the market for €250,000.

With its sheepskin and wool coverings, in a room set featuring an Alberto Giacometti wall sculpture of a white bird, it’s love at first sight. “We want to show the best of the best here,” says Yana Mihailuka of Galerie Lefebvre (Paris). “There is a good amount of work by Les Lalanne around but not too much and the bed is one of a kind. The appeal is so universal: it is humorous, joyful, surreal,” she adds. Architect Peter Marino, the Rothschilds and Yves Saint Laurent are amongst the roll call of collectors past and present. 

Rare and exceptional artworks and artefacts are Tefaf’s speciality making it a cornucopia for connoisseurs. Cue a fascination at Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books, an illuminated manuscript expert from Switzerland, for a book of hours depicting young King Henry VIII of England supplicant to an angel and Catherine of Aragon, the first of his six wives and also with a precious book of wedding prayers. 

“We are specialists in cross cultural art and antiques,” says Dickie Zebregs co-owner of Zebregs & Roell (Amsterdam/Maastricht) which has mind boggling stand of furniture and obscure artefacts from Oceania, China, Japan, Indonesia and Europe. He shrugs his shoulders at the impact of luxury’s slowdown. “We sold eight pieces in the first few hours including an East India Company silver bar, an intricate ebony cabinet by a Dutch maker and an engraved Japanese metalware hot water pot. The only other one of this quality and provenance is in the Rijksmuseum,” he says. 

The next generation

While prices can reach well into the multi-millions, in order to attract more customers Dominique Savelkoul, the new managing director, is launching initiatives to entice a new generation of collectors, including an interactive map that spotlights work under €20,000.

Ancient Roman and Greek antiquities can offer up comparative value with a black glazed Greek amphora at Charles Ede for €7,000 and an Egyptian carnelian falcon pendant jewellery at €2,000 from Kallos Gallery.

Mosaics and textile works also offer up alternatives to the hierarchy of painting. Giacometti, Gerhard Richter, Tracey Emin, Titian, Ai Weiwei, Hokusai, De Heem are amongst the fine art highlights from across the centuries. The most expensive artwork reported this year is a 1965 Picasso painting,  Les Dormeurs, with an asking price of $50 million (€45 million) at Landau Fine Art. There was great attention at Richard Saltoun’s solo display of Surrealist paintings and drawings by the Palestinian-born Lebanese artist Juliana Seraphim (1934-2005), chiming with the desire for underplayed female artists. 

Mix ‘n’ match

Indeed, many galleries are on a mission to blend and mix genres to shift perspectives and stimulate new aesthetic dialogues. The arresting juxtapositions inspire collectors to recalibrate their own domestic environments.

“In Paris, we held a show last year called Serendipity with mixed genres and it worked so well so here at Tefaf we are continuing that idea,” says Lucas Ratton of the Paris gallery founded by his great uncle, which is showcasing jewel coloured art nouveau glass alongside its speciality, tribal art. The booth with its dark green walls, bookshelves and seating evokes a stylish abode. “People feel the resonance and it peaks curiosity,” adds Ratton. 

Cross generational expertise, gallerists and collectors are prominent at Tefaf.  Redmond Finer of Peter Finer (London) is a dealer in arms and armour from the Bronze Age to the 19th century. From a young age, he learned from his father about the trade: “This is the greatest art fair in the world and that’s down to the level of vetting. Our stand was looked at by 4 international experts and on the first morning we sold five pieces; we scour the world for finds. This is where you meet collectors and are taken seriously as art dealers,” says Finer.

Armour might seem like boys toys but Finer says more than 50 per cent of clients are women. And the pieces have a rare abstract appeal. A 15th century metal chamfron appears like a beautiful sculpture resonating on and beyond its original battle use.  

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Innovation and experimentation are part of the collectors story. Dutch tech entrepreneur Joel Kremer created a VR museum that platforms his parent’s art collection of old masters online. His father George Kremer passed on good advice during a panel talk.

He and his wife, IIone, started in 1995 with their first acquisition attributed to a pupil of Rembrandt. “The first is the most difficult hurdle but I persevered studying, following auctions and talking to dealers. I decided to focus on Dutch and Flemish old masters – you have to specialise to do something well. Decide what you love and like what you buy. Forget about the name!” says Kremer. Whether a newbie or an experienced hand, all collections have to start somewhere.  

Tefaf Maastrichtruns until 20th March.   

On the opening days of TEFAF Maastricht 2025 (15-20 March), high-rolling collectors and art advisors, together with experts from museums and institutions, gathered in suitably stealth-wealth style, elegantly clad in Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli and Hermès. When we visited, Raf Simons and Viktor & Rolf’s Rolf Snoeren were padding the aisles of this, the 38th edition of the fair – TEFAF standing for The European Fine Art Foundation – which blends antiquity and the contemporary with pep and showmanship flair.

Best of TEFAF Maastricht 2025: what we saw

Eyes are always firmly on the prized at TEFAF, as visitors weigh up potential acquisitions in whatever niche they collect, whether 18th-century snuffboxes or Flemish tapestries. But there’s also always time for a glass of something and some sushi in the aisles, and to discuss the prevailing trade winds, including fierce new import/export tariffs. AXA, JP Morgan, Ruinart and Alaïa were key sponsors in this edition, bringing a dose of fashion, luxury, investment and tech into the nexus.

In an effort to woo the new-generation client, galleries were working hard to blend and merge genres, whether that be art nouveau glass and tribal art, or new makers with ancient artisans, in booths that delivered a distinctly domestic appeal, complete with parquet floors and library walls. Such arresting juxtapositions inspire collectors to recalibrate their own domestic environments.

‘In Paris, we held a show last year called “Serendipity” with mixed genres and it worked so well that here at TEFAF, we are continuing that idea,’ said Lucas Ratton, of the eponymous Paris gallery, founded by his great uncle, that was showcasing jewel-coloured art nouveau glass alongside its speciality, tribal art. The booth with its dark green walls, bookshelves and seating evoked a stylish abode. ‘People feel the resonance and it piques curiosity,’ said Ratton.

For Francis Sultana, director and CEO of David Gill Gallery, it was a chance to show off contemporary works and the furniture of German maker Valentin Loellmann, known for his sinuous pieces fusing metal, stained wood and olive velvet in curvilinear forms. ‘All art was once contemporary and the work attracts new customers. Between the museum-quality antiquities, clients can find the relevance and we want to open their eyes,’ said Gill, applauding the fair’s rigorous vetting and educational approach.

At Stuart Lochhead Sculpture, things looked lively with a baroque sculpture by Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654), Executioner (Bozzetto for the Beheading of St Paul in the Church of San Paolo Maggiore, Bologna) (c. 1634), sold to a private collection in America for in the region of €2 million. The display was juxtaposed with exquisite floral works by Shota Suzuki (b. 1987), including a delicate Camellia in copper, silver and gold powder with an asking price of €9,500. The flower studies next to religious relics were a neat marriage of past and contemporary orthodox and pantheistic faiths. Five of Suzuki’s wall sculptures were sold on the first day.

Ceramics are a relatively low entry point compared to old masters and here Pierre Marie Giraud gallery excelled with a mix of contemporary ceramicists including Takayuki Sakiyama, crackled glaze glass mushroom lamps by Jos Devriendt and furniture by Herzog & de Meuron. ‘People have been collecting ceramics for civilisations – it is one of the most ancient expressions of art and it is exciting to see the growing taste. We are in a small, lucky place in a crazy world,’ said director Cedric Beukels.

While prices can reach well into the multi-millions, to attract new customers, Dominique Savelkoul, the new managing director of TEFAF, is launching initiatives to attract a new generation of collectors, including an interactive map that spotlights work under €20,000. Ancient Roman and Greek antiquities can offer comparative value, with a black glazed Greek amphora at Charles Ede for €7000 and an Egyptian carnelian falcon pendant jewellery at €2,000 from Kallos Gallery.

In the hierarchy of painting, Alberto Giacometti, Gerhard Richter, Tracey Emin, Titian, Ai Weiwei, Hokusai, and Jan Davidsz. de Heem are among the fine art highlights from across the centuries. The most expensive artwork this year is a 1965 Picasso painting, Les Dormeurs, with an asking price of $50 million at Landau Fine Art. There was a beeline for Richard Saltoun’s solo display of surrealist paintings and drawings by the Palestinian-born Lebanese artist Juliana Seraphim (1934-2005), chiming with the desire for underplayed female artists.

In another life, I’d have gone home with the dreamy metalwork bed with phoenix and cabbage-leaf motifs by Claude Lalanne at Galerie Lefebvre, on the market for €250,000. With its sheepskin and wool coverings, in a room set featuring an Alberto Giacometti wall sculpture of a white bird, it was love at first sight. ‘There is a good amount of work by Les Lalannes around but not too much, and the bed is one of a kind. The appeal is so universal: it is humorous, joyful, surreal,’ says Yana Mihailuka of Galerie Lefebvre, Paris. Architect Peter Marino, the Rothschilds and Yves Saint Laurent are among the roll call of patrons past and present. Sweet collector dreams.