Showcase of finest art and antiques

THE COUNTRY’S biggest antiques fair continues throughout the weekend at the RDS in Dublin.

The 47th annual Irish Antique Dealers Association (IADA) event features some 50 exhibitors showcasing a selection of their best stock under one roof. The fair is a popular alternative for people who dislike the price uncertainty – and stress – of buying at auction. Dealers, shops and galleries from around the country are participating – among them specialists in art deco (Niall Mullen), silver (Joy Danker), Victorian oil paintings (Bill Canning) and jewellery (Paul Brereton).

Entry costs €10 but, in the style of Ryanair, free tickets can be downloaded and printed from the website iada.ie.

A programme of free lectures by experts includes: “Collecting antique Chinese porcelain, a beginner’s guide,” by Prof Alan Fletcher this afternoon at 3pm; and “The popularity of Chinoiserie through the ages,” by Roxanne Moorhead, course director of the Diploma in Fine and Decorative Arts at the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV), tomorrow, Sunday, also at 3pm.

The IADA Fair, RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Saturday, October 6th 11am-7pm; and, Sunday, October 7th, 11am-6pm.