Antique dealer’s son to auction extensive collection of oak furniture and delftware at Bonhams

A fine collection of antique oak furniture, treen and delftware owned by Pelham Olive, the son of dealer and co-founder of the Regional Furniture Society Gabriel Olive, is to be sold at Bonhams.

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Laura Chesters

A Henry VIII joined oak and walnut livery cupboard, c.1530, with restorations, estimated at £60,000-80,000.

His collection was built up over his lifetime and includes pieces bought at previous auctions now regarded as ‘legendary’ such as the sales of the collections of Simon Sainsbury, Syd Levethan (Longridge) and John & Judith Adler.

Pelham grew up behind his father’s antiques shop in Wincanton, Somerset and later amassed his collection with the advice of his father and friend Victor Chinnery, co-founder of the Regional Furniture Society. The society was founded in 1984 to study the diversity of British regional furniture-making traditions, and the social and cultural context of furniture from the earliest times to the present day.

Pelham said his father “brought to life the social context in which the antiques in his shop would have been made and used” and he “kindled in me a childhood interest in antiques which has endured throughout my life… With such an upbringing it is not surprising that my own collection consists mainly of oak furniture, delftware and country items.”

The Olive Collection will be offered at Bonhams’ New Bond Street saleroom on January 31. Highlights of the 267-lot sale include a rare joined oak folding table c.1530-50 with an estimate of £30,000-50,000, a 1650 early London delftware drinking cup in the shape of a postillion’s boot, estimated at £16,000-25,000, and a Henry VIII joined oak and walnut livery cupboard, c.1530, with restorations, estimated at £60,000-80,000.