Catherine Milner in conversation with Joost van den Bergh by Catherine Milner, Treasure House Fair Magazine Editor  Sitting in one of his set of rooms in a building situated behind Christie's in St. James's, Joost van den Bergh lounges on his sofa; his sangfroid contrasting with a fearsome looking Japanese lacquerware mask of a demon sitting on a shelf beside him. He has been immersed in the world of Far Eastern art for nearly 30 years, and is now recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities in Japanese Art Deco and decorative arts, as well as Indian ritual and Tantric art. His journey into what is still a fairly recondite area of the art market followed a circuitous path and was not to be expected from someone who spoke not a word of Hindi or Japanese when young. "I came to London having failed at my school,” he says. But after stints at Sotheby’s and working for a Chinese art dealer he began studying paper conservation and was first alerted to what has become his abiding love ever since. “There’s something about the imagery that just clicked," says Joost. "I think it’s the intricate, finely painted small works of art that really drew me in." Joost van den Bergh and the Japanese Hannya Mask in the background. Brought up in the southern Netherlands, in Breda, Joost’s father, who collected French Barbizon landscapes, played a pivotal role in shaping his future. "He always took us to museums. He took me when I was three or four to one of the very first Maastricht fairs which was at that time called Pictura; I have a vague memory of that." Despite his early exposure to art, however, Joost never considered pursuing a career in the field. "I sort of rolled into it, and I think that’s a good thing. I just went with the flow,’ he says. His advice to anyone considering following a similar path is to: “Start buying and make mistakes.”  Hastakara yantra, Ink and gouache on paper, Rajasthan, India, 19th century. Courtesy of Joost van den Bergh. Although he has the viewing space in which we are sitting, Joost sells most of his works through art fairs. He acknowledges the increasing importance of digital sales but remains a staunch advocate for the intimate, tangible, inspection of works. “You need to handle them; you need to really feel them,” he says. “I’ve always focused on art fairs,” he says. “I also love publishing catalogues. They allow me to have direct contact with potential buyers, and I think that personal interaction is invaluable.”  Joost’s book collection. At  the last Treasure House Fair, Joost mixed ancient Japanese bronze amphorae with contemporary Indian paintings creating a stand that was united in the purity of its aesthetics despite the disparate cultures from which it sprung. It drew in a lot of younger buyers, who are increasingly well travelled and interested in building collections of Far Eastern art. 20% of India's ultra-high-net-worth individuals are under the age of 40 and at the Indian Art Fair in Delhi in February there was a notable increased investment in Indian art of all periods and types by the young cognoscenti, according to the fair’s organisers. India Art Fair in Delhi. Photo by Tomasz Koclega.  Equally, “Japanese art is relatively speaking quite affordable” says Joost. “So it's accessible to a lot of people, as opposed to, say, Chinese art, which is already at a much higher price level.” “Take the Treasure House Fair as an example. There were a lot of dealers in Japanese art there. And we all did very different things; some selling Meiji bronzes, others selling early art. So people have a lot to choose from. And also Japan does feel like a kind of living, breathing culture that's still ongoing. The Japanese have kept their traditions in terms of very high levels of craftsmanship.” He is particularly captivated by the paintings of Shiraga Kazuo, who used his feet to paint, while hanging from ropes and was one of the leading lights of the 1950’s avant-garde Gutai movement. ‘I want to paint as though rushing around a battlefield, exerting myself to collapse from exhaustion!’ the artist said and the gusto and vim of his works is captured in a dashing black vortex of a painting hanging on the wall of Joost’s office. Shiraga Kazuo, Gouache on paper, 1993. Courtesy of Joost van den Bergh. Our conversation rambled onto the new European trade rules and Brexit and how it is affecting him – “we just need to get on with it,” he says pragmatically. And also onto how the Tantric art market is doing. Joost says enthusiasm for it has increased to such a point that it has become increasingly hard to find good pieces. "I think both knowledgeable and non-knowledgeable buyers are drawn to these works,” he says. “When I first saw them, I was just bowled over by their complexity and beauty. Then, as I began studying them, I realised there’s a whole philosophical depth. My favourite pieces are the ones we don’t quite know the meaning of. There are several of those. They’re beautiful because they’re mysterious." Photos by Michalina Maria Franasik  

by Çiğdem Baker Japan has long captivated the Western imagination with its approach to an exquisite kind of beauty, characterised by its delicacy and restraint. It is embodied in the principle of kanso, a cornerstone of Japanese aesthetics that finds beauty in simplicity and the art of subtraction. This permeates every facet of Japanese culture - from watercolour painting and ceramics to the choreography of their tea ceremonies and culinary presentation and nowhere is it more vividly expressed than in Japanese textiles and garments - particularly the kimono. Its clean, unadorned lines and elegance celebrate the natural qualities of its materials - whether the subtle sheen of silk or the muted tones of hand-dyed fabric, making the garments transcend mere functionality to become wearable art. The history of the kimono reflects the blending of kanso with global influences. In the 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced silk fabrics that enriched Japanese craftsmanship, followed by the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch introduced a range of new materials that expanded the possibilities of kimono design, including wool, dyes and metallic threads that added subtle brilliance to ceremonial garments. By the late 19th century, during the Meiji era, Japan began sharing its artistry with the world, most notably at the 1873 international exhibition in Vienna where  kimonos as well as prints, lacquerware and ceramics, were introduced to international audiences. The kimono’s international debut captivated countless artists, from Monet and Van Gogh to Whistler and Klimt, who used it as an excuse for geometric abstract structure in their paintings. In modern times, pop culture icons such as David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Madonna, and Björk have transformed the kimono into a dazzling emblem of style and artistic expression. Freddie Mercury, an avid collector, amassed over 50 exquisite vintage kimonos, including a richly embroidered stage-worn piece that commanded a breathtaking £57,150 at auction. The kimono’s allure transcends the stage and canvas, shaping the costume design of the Star Wars saga and inspiring the avant-garde creations of Alexander McQueen.  For those entranced by the allure of Japanese textiles, the journey into collecting kimonos can be a scholarly journey. A good starting point is the acclaimed book Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, created alongside the V&A’s 2020 exhibition of the same name. This exhibition brilliantly traced the kimono's evolution from traditional attire to a contemporary fashion icon. For those seeking a deeper dive, the Khalili Collection of Kimono offers an unparalleled exploration. Assembled by British-Iranian scholar, collector, and philanthropist Nasser D. Khalili, this extraordinary collection comprises over 450 garments and is widely regarded as one of the most significant in the world. To explore this treasure trove, visit khalilicollections.org. Kimono for a Young Girl 1912-1926, The Khalili Collection Image courtesy of The Khalili Collection How then do you start a collection worth cherishing? Collecting kimonos comes with its challenges; without specialist knowledge, verifying the authenticity and the age of a kimono can be tricky. However, the cost is generally related to the age, material and craftsmanship of the kimono. As a rule of thumb, ceremonial kimonos are more expensive. For instance, museum-quality ceremonial kimonos are upwards of £2,000. For those interested in contemporary versions, the website Gallery Japan is well worth a visit. There you will find many breathtaking kimono designs by contemporary textile artists; many of whom are international exhibited and have won prestigious awards. Laura Bordignon is a specialist antique dealer in Japanese works of art from the Meiji period 1868-1912. An expert in textiles and embroideries of the era, Laura says: “during the Meiji era the textile firms in Kyoto who previously mainly produced kimono and temples garments, underwent significant changes due to the modernisation policies of the new Meiji government. They started to cater for a Western export market manufacturing extremely fine ornamental textiles art for interiors such as silk embroidery pictures, screens, drapery and wall hangings which were imported through dealers and shops like Libertys in London. Silk pictures were often based on actual paintings but delicately embroidered with fine stitches techniques to create a great visual effect and also using layers and texture to create a sense of depth, which from a distance and to the untrained eye appear like paintings”. A fine example of this is a Japanese silk panel she is selling made in the Oshi-e technique depicting the Samurai Nitta Yoshisada. Japanese silk panel made in the Oshi-e technique depicting the Samurai Nitta Yoshisada with his attendant kneeling at his side, late Meiji Period 1868-1912. W: 58cm (22.8") H: 81cm (31.9”) Image courtesy of Laura Bordignon Malcolm Fairley has been specialising in Japanese works of art for over 40 years and he played a critical role in creating the landmark catalogue for the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, titled Meiji no Takara: Treasures of Imperial Japan. One of his key pieces is a silk embroidery made by the company Takashimaya and first purchased (by repute) at the 1906 World’s Fair in Milan. Made at the turn of the last century, it is decorated in a rich array of flowers including chrysanthemums, peonies, irises, hydrangea, wisteria, lilies and roses.  Takashimaya was a company that commissioned famous Japanese artists to make designs which their company would produce as textiles, ready to market for the export market and a table cover like this, would have been luxurious items even in their day.  It would originally have had tassels or a fringe around the edges and  hung over a table so that the floral embroidery would have been visible hanging down the sides. It is highly likely the table would have been used to display a vase and not used every day for eating on and its colours are still unusually vibrant. Fairley says “we have been collecting textiles for over 30 years, but finding them in really fine condition is increasingly difficult. We do still occasionally find smaller framed embroideries, which are often great examples of their very finest work but comprehensive collections are rare”. Takashimaya - A fine silk embroidered table cover. 176 x 173 cm, mounted on a wood stretcher late Meiji Period (1868-1912). Image courtesy of Malcolm Fairley Detail below:

By Simon de Burton, journalist and contributor to GQ and the Financial Times. People from all walks of life have expressed dismay at the budget announcement by chancellor Rachel Reeves (or ‘Rachel from accounts’ as she has come to be known following recent revelations about the (in)accuracy of her CV). But art dealers and collectors have largely adopted a ‘laissez faire’ attitude to the changes in inheritance tax, capital gains tax, VAT and employer’s National Insurance contributions - despite the fact that they could have a significant impact on the market. Starting with the latter first, the 1.2 per cent hike in employer’s NI contributions that takes the figure to 15 per cent of earnings will hit dealers, auction houses, shipping firms, restorers and anyone else in and around the art world who runs a medium to large operation. And the rise is only compounded by the lowering of the so-called ‘secondary threshold’ – ie the point at which NICs become due – from £9,100 to £5,000.  That means even small galleries employing part-time staff could find their overheads increasing quite dramatically or, possibly, having to employ more people, each working fewer hours, in order to circumvent the liability. Some of the biggest budget noise, however, has been around making agricultural properties liable to inheritance tax. Farming is clearly more important to the everyday economy than art buying, which explains why there has been little mention of the fact that many of the exemptions once applied to collections were done away with in the budget. Stock Photograph  Now, family members inheriting collections valued at more than £325,000 (ie, the price of a relatively modest painting or piece of furniture) will be required to pay 40 per cent of the value beyond that figure in IHT. Liability can still be avoided in some cases if collections or individual objects are loaned or donated to national institutions – but that still depends on whether or not the institutions are interested in having them. Dealers and galleries, meanwhile, can wave goodbye to the five per cent reduced VAT rate payable on some works imported into the UK (especially those from outside the EU). Now, the standard 20 per cent will apply in a move, according to Rachel from Accounts, to ‘simplify the tax code’. Stock Photograph  While the VAT will be reclaimable, the fact remains that 15 per cent more money needs to be found to buy affected objects in the first place, potentially jeopardising cash flow and facing private clients (who will not be VAT registered) with higher price tags. However, there is some good news: Emerging artists and small, art-based enterprises might be set to benefit from the budget tinkering. It brought in new tax breaks designed to encourage people to invest in ‘cultural assets’ deemed beneficial to the wider public. That means tax relief of up to 30 per cent on money invested in emerging artists, free exhibitions, community art projects or other public, art-based activities. Benefactors could also qualify for capital gains tax deferrals on artworks acquired for such projects that are subsequently re-sold for profit. So perhaps now is the time to turn the toolshed into a gallery or the garden into a sculpture park.  Because in a world where taxes rise and exemptions vanish, the smartest investment might just be a well-placed gnome with delusions of grandeur.