“A Good Shot in the Dark”

DUBAI—It is a belief universally acknowledged in the art world that a city rich in super-rich inhabitants must be in need of a high-quality antiques fair. Right now the “next big thing” is Dubai, the financial capital of the Middle East. While neighboring Abu Dhabi has the oil and the cultural institutions—plans for the United Arab Emirates capital include a Louvre branch, a Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim outpost, and a New York University satellite campus—Dubai is known as the Hong Kong of the Gulf, the chief city for business and trade, with a reputation for unbridled capitalism.

If Dubai stands to become the region's art market hub, Art and Antiques Dubai, organized by fair veterans Anna and Brian Haughton, is poised to become the major art and antiques fair of the region. The inaugural fair, held February 21–24 at the Madinat Arena in Madinat Jumeirah, attracted a crowd almost as culturally diverse as its exhibitors. Arab, European, and Asian attendees mingled with the 42 participating dealers, who represented 11 countries. But along with the geographical diversity came a real mix in the quality of works of offer. While the fair included some of the world’s best dealers, there were others who one suspects will not be included in the fair in a few year’s time.

Despite a few subpar exhibitors, there were plenty of impressive offerings. London antique silver dealer Koopman Rare Art had one of the fair’s most interesting pieces: a French early-20th-century rosewood games table with silver and enamel racehorses, with an asking price of $60,000. It reportedly sold to a Saudi princess, who bought several other items at the fair as well, including an Orientalist painting by Frans Wilhelm Odelmark, titled Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, from London’s Mathaf Gallery.

New York’s Maison Gerard was very excited about Dubai as a new market for French Art Deco. They brought two pairs of panels from the Grand Salon of the French luxury ocean liner the Normandie, each priced at $125,000, which were under consideration by an Australian architect. Another highlight was a stunning cabinet by Jules Leleu, one of three that were made in tortoiseshell, and the only one with jade decoration, priced at $575,000. Gallery director Benoist Drut said a fairgoer from India, who lives in Dubai and happens to be one of the world’s top 100 collectors, came to the fair hoping to see another version of the cabinet that was featured in the latest gallery catalogue, this one with crystal instead of jade. He made an appointment to see the cabinet in March in Paris. A pleased Drut said he “loves the energy in Dubai” and that “people keep thanking you for coming.”

Unlike some other fairs, to which dealers bring works they have been unable to sell elsewhere, most of the dealers made a real effort to bring material that would appeal to local buyers. London dealer Sam Fogg, for example, who specializes in Medieval, Islamic, and Indian art and was helping out at the stand of London rare book dealer Bernard J. Shapero, brought one piece to the fair—a 30-page Koran made for the Mamluk sultan of Egypt in 1300. The manuscript, which bears commentaries by Mohammed bin Mubahir, the most famous Mamluk scribe, and carried a price tag of $2 million, did not sell at the fair, although Fogg said that there was considerable interest. For his part, Shapero sold maps of Arabia dating from the 15th to 19th centuries. New York dealer Jason Jacques, who specializes in Art Nouveau and Japoniste ceramics, appealed to Dubai audiences with Art Nouveau ceramics by French artist Clément Massier, who used North African iridescent glazes. There were superb examples of Indian jewelry from London-based dealers Samina Khanyari and Susan Ollemans. Another Londoner, Amir Mohtashemi, said that local buyers went for moderately priced Indian arms and armor, textiles, and furniture.

All in all, the dealers we spoke with seemed happy with their decision to participate in the fair. Francis Raeymaekers, owner of London’s The Metal Gallery, said, “Doing a fair in Dubai is a shot in the dark, but if its organized by the Haughtons, it’s a good shot in the dark.” Among his successes at the fair was a connection with a Russian collector interested in commissioning an installation by contemporary metalworker Benjamin Storch. Like most of the other dealers queried, Raeymaekers said he would definitely do the fair again next year. And Simon Phillips of Ronald Phillips, a London gallery carrying top-quality English furniture, called Dubai an “untapped market.” One of the great benefits of Art and Antiques Dubai, he said, was that unlike other fairs, “no one was complaining about prices or exchange rates.”