Context

Our client is a privately owned, well-established London auction house which is fast becoming a major player in the international art market. With 20 specialist departments, around 60 staff, regular dedicated and themed sales are held across a breadth of specialisms. In addition, monthly Interiors, Homes, and Antiques sales contribute to a busy calendar of 100 auctions per year.

Opportunity

Our client’s Islamic and Indian Art department is one of the busiest and most successful departments in the house. The team curate three sales per year, two big sales and one smaller sale. The department has also held several successful single owner sales. The department features a varied selection of artworks dating from the 7th century to the first half of the 20th century and covering a broad geographic area from the Mediterranean shores through to Southeast Asia and China. The sales offer works on paper such as manuscripts, paintings, and drawings, as well as works of conventional craftsmanship such as ceramics, textiles, arms and armor, glass, jewelry, metalwork, and lacquer items.

The team consists of three: the Head of Department, a Specialist (this role) and a department Coordinator. The Specialist plays a pivotal role in the cataloguing and valuing of Islamic and Indian Art and will also contribute towards business getting.

Purpose of job 

To contribute towards the consigning, valuating, and cataloguing of Islamic and Indian Art in line with the department and business year-on-year growth objectives

Main contacts

Internal: Executive and Managing Directors, other specialist departments (especially Interiors, Homes, and Antiques), client liaison and other business functions especially marketing and photography

External: private clients, collectors, dealers, other auction houses

Areas of Responsibility

  • Coordinate with the team on the consignment of Islamic and Indian Art
  • Respond to incoming walk-ins, written, phone and email enquiries to determine sale potential, along with other members of the department.
  • Work with colleagues to determine provenance, authenticity, value, condition, and marketability.
  • Work with the Department Coordinator with respect to the photography of the art works
  • Catalogue consignments and work on the production and layout of the online catalogue, and any associated e-catalogue with the Department Coordinator
  • Work with the team on pre-sale exhibition set-up
  • Alongside colleagues in the team, work with potential buyers to provide condition reports, and attend weekend exhibitions, to market and sell the sale.
  • Participate in telephone bidding with clients during the auction, as required.
  • Participate in the full after-sales analysis and implement any agreed changes.

General

  • Ensure compliance with all internal policies and procedures and any relevant external bodies or processes.
  • Participate in organization-wide meetings, activities, and processes, and develop internal contacts, networks, and interactions as appropriate.
  • Actively participate in events, valuation days, and other functions to represent auctions.
  • Carry out other duties as required by the Executive Directors and Managing Director

Person Specification

  • Essential qualifications skills and experience
  • A qualification relevant to the field
  • A sound academic background is essential – a SOAS degree would be ideal.
  • Proven knowledge in the field of Islamic and Indian Art gained both through study and work experience.
  • Experience in the field, preferably at an auction house
  • Proven ability to develop relationships with major collectors, dealers, auction houses and galleries.
  • Excellent writing skills in English, and ability to combine an understanding of the material with a commercial sense of marketing and promoting value.
  • Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including first class spoken English.
  • Ability to work to tight auction deadlines, balancing photography, cataloguing, sale organization, marketing, and promotional details.
  • Experience working on projects of all sizes, long- and short-term; demonstrated ability to prioritize a variety of concurrent projects.
  • Excellent knowledge of the Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook etc.)
  • Ability to learn systems, with excellent IT proficiency.
  • Superior customer service skills
  • Strong follow-up skills with attention to detail
  • Ability to thrive within a fast-paced team environment.
  • Desirable knowledge, skills, and experience
  • Some fluency in a relevant foreign language, for example Persian or Arabic

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time

Salary: up to £40k DOE

 

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