Talisman Bids Farewell To Dorset

Saturday, 17 September 2005 10:37

LONDON.-For 25 years the most stylish store in Dorset has been Talisman. Crammed into the Old Brewery in Gillingham are antiques, statues, furniture and ceramics that give the impression of an elaborate opera set. They will sell the contents of the Old Brewery as Talisman's owner Ken Bolan is relocating to specially designed premises on London's King's Road next spring. The thousand lots in Sotheby's sale are expected to fetch in excess of £2 million with estimates ranging from a few hundred pounds up to £150,000. Ken Bolan has travelled extensively both buying for specific clients and to fill the vast space in the Old Brewery, sourcing pieces from all over Europe, Latin America and not least the West Country. The result is a mix of complementary styles and unique pieces. Fans of Ken's eagle eye will spot their own favourites among highly valuable garden statuary and the vast array of furniture. This will be the last chance to buy from Talisman in Dorset, which has attracted both a local and international clientele over the years with some frequently flying in for voracious buying sorties. Many celebrities are avowed fans of Ken's style and a generation of Dorset country houses bear witness to his taste. Talisman first opened its doors in the Spring of 1981, in the days when people predominantly purchased traditional English furniture. The owner, Ken Bolan had moved back to the UK from Switzerland where, for more than a decade he had been running four successful shops importing the 'English look'. Within a year of opening in Dorset Ken decided to change the style of Talisman completely, choosing more modern and decorative pieces, which were a reflection of his own personal taste. The change was an immediate success and since then Talisman has continued to expand on its own inimitable style. "What followed was a huge learning curve, as my only experience up to that point had been attending auctions, in order to bid. Suddenly I was surrounded by experts in garden statuary, 20th-century art, continental furniture, sculpture and glass - not to mention stylists, marketing and event managers. The sale will offer a huge selection of decorative arts ranging from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, right through to 1970s Danish Design and contemporary bronzes. Among the highlights is a wrought iron table by Piquet of Lyon, topped with an exceptionally large piece of rosso antico marble (est. £18,000-22,000). There are also Art Deco dining tables (estimates ranging from £1,200-1,800), The garden statuary in the sale reflects the excellence and international nature of the decorative interior pieces on offer at Talisman. Ken Bolan has cleverly added to the range of antique ornaments on offer by commissioning works especially for Talisman.

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