A stunningly beautiful antique silver table snuff box decorated with a fox hunting scene will be one of the many treasures going on sale at The Pavilions of Harrogate Decorative, Antiques & Art Fair at the Great Yorkshire Showground, 13th – 15th November 2026.
To be shown by Highland Antiques, silver specialists from Aberdeen, this rare collector’s piece was made in London in 1828 by John Fry II, a gifted silversmith. As owner Mike Wilson from Highland Antiques explains, ‘The box has a full set of hallmarks and is fully gilded inside on the inside and the cast top decorated with crisply defined figures. It will be priced at £2,495.00.’
Coffee enthusiasts should seek Opus Antiques who specialise in treen and will be showing an early wooden coffee grinder dating from around 1760. Initially, coffee beans were crushed by a pestle and mortar, a time-consuming chore, which led to a demand for a more efficient mechanical coffee grinder.
Sometime between 1657 and 1659 a gentleman called Nicholas Brook living in St Tulies’s Street London was the only known man to be making mills for the grinding the coffee to powder. They were expensive, being between 40 to 45 shillings per mill. But they were very well made, using lignum vitae wood, a hard and very expensive wood at the time, and the grinding cogs made from hand forged steel. This example measures 15cm high by 10cm width. It will be priced at £850.00.
Returning to the Harrogate fair for the autumn edition will be furniture specialist William Cook from Marlborough. Among their many highlights will be a superb Chinese Regency period tea caddy made for export with its original twin internal lids and engraved metal canisters. As William Cook explains, the chinoisiere decoration is original and makes it a fine piece for collectors. It will be priced at £1,950.
Among several galleries exhibiting will be Carnes Fine Art, specialising in Modern British and contemporary art and sculpture. Selected exhibits from Carnes include two works inspired by L.S.Lowry. Firstly, a fine example of the work of Harold Riley (1934-2023) the Northern artist, titled House on Crowther Street, signed and dated 1976. It measures 17cm width by 26cm height and will be on sale at £8,950.
Secondly, Carnes Fine Art will be showing a fine work by Helen Bradley, (1900-1978), the Lancashire artist known for her charming
paintings of Edwardian childhood and everyday life. Saturday Afternoon, an oil on board, measures 60 wide x 45cm high and is priced at £42,500. The painting depicts people at Crime Lake, once a familiar beauty spot in the industrial landscape of Lancashire, which inspired both Bradley and Lowry.
Showing for the first time at the fair will be Art & Horse Racing Gallery from Newmarket, run by Ilsa Gansera, a racehorse trainer who launched a gallery in a stable in 2023. She explains: ‘My gallery is more than equine art, it’s all about celebrating the beauty of nature. I represent around forty international contemporary artists, and I expect to be showing a selection of their works in addition to a range of exciting pieces from the early to mid-20th century. The display will include paintings and bronze sculpture.’
Contemporary hand-carved cedar wood, Hippo Table with rectangular glass, designed by Derek Pearce. 150 x 70cm Art & Horse Racing Gallery. £21,000.
This popular Harrogate fair also includes art and antiques specialists in Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Mid- Century Modern and decorative and designer pieces together with a selection of traditional antique furniture, paintings and collector’s pieces. Forty-five specialist dealers exhibit and prices range from less than £50 for a simple Georgian drinking glass to more than £20,000 for the finest antique furniture, silver and modern and traditional paintings.
‘We are delighted to have such a broad range of pieces on sale, from the superb silver from Highland Antiques to the superb paintings belonging to Carnes Fine Art and the French sculpture with Garrett & Hurst.’ explains organiser Sue Ede.
Among the local Yorkshire dealers will be Dales Antiques, specialising in oak and country furniture, Mark Buckley Antiques with formal English antique furniture, and Ellis Fine Art specialising in oil paintings and town furniture.
The fair takes place in the comfortable surroundings of the Pavilions Suite within the Yorkshire Showground complex located close to Harrogate town centre. Free parking make this an easy venue to visit while a restaurant provides light lunches, morning refreshments and afternoon teas. The fair has been running for more than 30 years at the venue.