Shipping

Moving antiques and fine art from point A to point B is an inherently delicate process. One wrong move could see that priceless piece reduced to a pile of worthless fragments. This being the case, what exactly are some specialist techniques to ensure that fine furniture, precious oil paintings and fragile ceramics remain perfectly preserved?

Cadogan Tate Fine Art Logistic’s Managing Director, Graham Enser, believes that the scratches, tears, holes, snags, cracks and scars that restorers enjoy and antiques and fine art endure every year usually occur when such pieces are being moved or shipped.

“Transporting fine art requires specialist craftsmen who are trained and equipped to handle delicate pieces” Graham explains. “I am constantly surprised that art collectors will spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a piece but will skimp on moving costs, trusting its fate to a non-specialist parcel or shipping company.”

“When it comes to moving and storing fine art and antiques, I have some simple, common-sense tips which can help to keep precious items in pristine condition.”

1. Wear white cotton gloves when handling antiques as the oily residue on your skin can stick onto the piece and can cause deterioration.
2. If you’re moving antiques from a warmer to a cooler temperature, do it slowly. The sudden change in temperature can cause damage such as joint separation in furniture and cracking on the surfaces of oil paintings and ceramics.
3. Likewise, when you are storing antiques, keep items out of damp areas such as basements or warmer areas such as attics. Ideally, antique items are best stored at a constant temperature. Don’t for instance, hang a piece over a fire place or hang a water colour where it is exposed to direct sunlight.
4. It is important when storing antiques to ensure there is also a good balance of humidity. Items such as wood and paper can shrink if the air is too dry or similarly, too much humidity can lead to rust on metal, foxing of paper, growth of mould or the breeding of insects. It may be worth purchasing a light meter and a hygrometer to check the humidity levels sit at about 50 per cent.
5. When transporting antique furniture remove all the drawers and lock cupboard doors to ensure they don’t open in transit. Also, do not be tempted to apply polish or have the piece restored before moving it as this almost always results in the packing materials sticking to the surface. If you are transporting a table, lift the table by the legs rather than the top and where possible, dismantle the legs from the table and carry the pieces separately.
6. Finally, and most importantly, make sure you insure all your antiques and fine art pieces because breakage, damage and theft can and do occur.

Cadogan Tate provides a full packing, storage moving and international shipping service for the transportation of fine art and antiques and has an innovative online quotation service for the fine art industry.

“picturepack.net is Cadogan Tate’s instant online quotation service for shipping fine art,” Graham Enser explains. “The internet-based service for the shipping of flat fine art of all shapes, paintings of all mediums, drawings, prints and photographs.”

“The service allows you to find a price for shipping in seconds. As long as you know the longest length of the piece of art, the countries it is being shipped to and from, the value and whether insurance is required, the picturepack.net website provides an instant quotation for the packing, handling, shipping, insurance, customs and legal formalities,” he said.

For more information about Cadogan Tate, please visit www.cadogantate.com or call +44 (0) 207 819 6600