About Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Independent British Fine Art & Antiques Dealers | Historic Paintings, Portraiture, Sporting Art & Decorative Arts
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is an independent, family-run British fine art and antiques dealership and online gallery, incorporated in England and Wales on 22 April 2024 under company registration number 15666518.
Led by directors Michael and Victoria, the company specialises in carefully selected British and European paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, serving private collectors, galleries, interior designers, art consultants and institutional buyers throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.
With our registered office in Covent Garden, London, and trading operations based in Cheshire, we combine historical research, considered attribution, detailed condition reporting and professional customer service.
Our approach emphasises artistic quality, historical significance, transparency and the preservation of original works of art.
Professional Memberships, Industry Affiliations & Recognition
Fine Art Trade Guild – Elected Member
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is an elected member of the Fine Art Trade Guild, a recognised professional organisation supporting standards, integrity and responsible practice within the fine art and framing industries.
Our membership reflects our commitment to professional conduct, ethical trading and the accurate presentation of original works of art.
The House Directory – Select Member
We are a Select Member of The House Directory, a specialist British directory connecting interior designers, architects, private clients and design professionals with established suppliers and specialist businesses.
Our published profile highlights our expertise in British and European fine art, historic portraiture, sporting paintings, sculpture and decorative antiques.
https://www.thehousedirectory.com/company/cheshire-antiques-consultant-ltd/
HMRC – Registered Art Market Participant
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is registered with HM Revenue & Customs as an Art Market Participant under registration number XRML00000211615.
We maintain appropriate anti-money laundering and financial sanctions compliance procedures in accordance with applicable United Kingdom legislation.
Registered United Kingdom Trade Mark
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is a registered United Kingdom trade mark under registration number UK00004303420.
Private Online Gallery
Private Virtual Viewings by Appointment
We operate exclusively online and do not maintain a public showroom.
Private one-to-one virtual viewings are available by appointment, allowing prospective purchasers to examine artworks remotely and discuss condition, dimensions, attribution, provenance and historical context.
High-resolution photographs, additional images and detailed condition information are available upon request.
We aim to provide collectors with the information necessary to make informed purchasing decisions.
Areas of Specialisation
Fine Art & Works of Art | 17th–21st Century
Our principal specialisms include:
- British and European oil paintings, watercolours and mixed-media works
- Historic portraiture and figurative paintings
- Marine, naval and maritime subjects
- Equestrian, hunting and sporting paintings
- Animal paintings and rural subjects
- Landscapes, coastal views and cityscapes
- Still life, interiors and genre compositions
- Military and historical subjects
- Sculpture and three-dimensional works
Our catalogue includes works by identified artists, attributed paintings, historical schools and carefully researched unsigned compositions.
Each artwork is selected with consideration for artistic quality, condition, historical interest, provenance where established, and decorative merit.
Antiques & Decorative Arts
Our wider collection may include:
- Bronze and other sculpture
- Hallmarked silver and decorative metalwork
- Antique carved objects
- Porcelain, glassware and ceramics
- Decorative wall art
- Garden and architectural antiques
- Collectible decorative objects dating principally from the 18th to 20th century
Our inventory is continually evolving, with pieces selected for their craftsmanship, individuality and suitability for traditional and contemporary interiors.
Sustainability & Enduring Craftsmanship
We actively support sustainability within the fine art and antiques trade through the preservation, continued appreciation and responsible reuse of historic works of art and decorative objects.
By extending the useful life of existing pieces, the antiques trade can help reduce demand for newly manufactured decorative goods while preserving traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
Historic paintings, sculpture and period furnishings bring individuality, character and enduring aesthetic value to both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Payments & Purchasing
Purchases are arranged in accordance with the applicable LoveAntiques purchasing arrangements and our company Terms & Conditions.
We accept secure online card payments, PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay and Google Pay, where available, for transactions up to £5,000.
Transactions exceeding £5,000 are payable by bank transfer.
Proforma invoices containing our company payment details are available upon request.
Cash on collection may be accepted by prior written arrangement, subject to a maximum of £8,000 and applicable legal and anti-money laundering requirements.
All transactions remain subject to availability, applicable payment requirements and relevant consumer protection legislation.
Shipping & Delivery
UK and worldwide shipping is available.
Delivery quotations are provided upon request, taking into account the artwork's dimensions, value, destination and specialist handling requirements.
Artworks are carefully and professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials.
We use established tracked courier services, including DHL, FedEx, DPD and Parcelforce, together with specialist fine art transport providers where appropriate.
Insured delivery services are arranged where available, subject to the applicable insurance terms, exclusions and coverage.
Larger paintings, antique furniture and particularly fragile objects may require specialist door-to-door transportation.
Customs & International Orders
International orders are generally supplied on a Delivered at Place (DAP) basis unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Under DAP arrangements, international purchasers are responsible for applicable import duties, import VAT, customs clearance charges and other destination-country taxes or fees.
Following the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union, EU customers may be subject to additional import procedures and charges.
Purchasers in the European Union, United States and other international destinations are encouraged to consult their local customs authorities before purchasing.
Where a shipment is refused or returned because of unpaid customs charges, any refund and associated shipping costs will be handled in accordance with the agreed sale terms and applicable consumer protection legislation.
Attribution, Provenance & Condition
All artworks, antiques and decorative objects offered by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® are individually selected and catalogued in good faith using the research, documentation and information available at the time of cataloguing.
Artist attributions, dating, provenance, historical interpretations and related catalogue commentary represent our professional dealer opinion unless expressly identified as established facts supported by documentary evidence.
As many works are antique or previously owned, they may exhibit age-related wear, historic restoration, surface irregularities or other characteristics consistent with their age and history.
Known material condition issues are disclosed in the relevant catalogue descriptions or condition reports.
Prospective purchasers are welcome to request additional photographs, condition information, provenance details or a private virtual viewing before completing a purchase.
Our catalogue research and descriptions do not constitute a formal valuation, independent authentication certificate, investment recommendation or professional appraisal service.
Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
Original artworks are supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
The certificate records the relevant catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated and details of the sale, providing an accompanying document for the artwork's ongoing ownership and provenance record.
The certificate represents our professional dealer attribution and does not constitute independent authentication or a guarantee of future market value.
Returns, Consumer Rights & Important Information
All items remain subject to prior sale and availability.
Purchases are governed by our applicable Terms & Conditions and Returns Policy, together with any applicable LoveAntiques marketplace terms.
Where statutory distance-selling cancellation rights apply, customers are entitled to exercise those rights in accordance with applicable consumer protection legislation.
Nothing in our catalogue descriptions, attribution statements or terms excludes or restricts statutory consumer rights.
Company Information
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Registered Office:
71–75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ
United Kingdom
Trading Operations:
Mickle Trafford
Chester
Cheshire
United Kingdom
Please note: We operate exclusively online. We do not maintain a public showroom or offer customer visits at either address.
Company Registration Number: 15666518
Date of Incorporation: 22 April 2024
Registered in England and Wales
VAT Registration Number: GB 466128775
HMRC Art Market Participant Registration: XRML00000211615
Registered UK Trade Mark: UK00004303420
Professional Membership: Fine Art Trade Guild – Elected Member
Industry Directory: The House Directory – Select Member
Website: https://cheshireantiquesconsultantltd.com/
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® – Independent British Fine Art & Antiques Dealers.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
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Chess Problem A Courtly Game of Strategy in Elegant Interior Genre Painting Signed by Carlo Ferranti
REF: LA587373
£9,500
€11,389
$12,716
LoveAntiques Dealersince Mar 2017Approved item557 sales by dealerFree Delivery
LoveAntiques Dealersince Mar 2017Approved item557 sales by dealerFree Delivery
Description
CARLO FERRANTI (1840–1908)
A Chess Problem
A Courtly Game of Strategy in an Elegant Interior
Highlights
• Signed work by Italian genre painter Carlo Ferranti (1840–1908)
• Oil on canvas, circa mid-19th century
• Highly detailed interior genre scene centred upon a game of chess
• Five figures in elaborate historic costume
• Documented Sotheby’s London provenance, 14 July 2004, Lot 207
• Subsequently sold at Kinghams, 27 July 2023, Lot 403
• Preserved historic auction and biographical labels verso
• Presented in an imposing gilt frame
Introduction
A richly detailed mid-19th-century Italian genre painting by Carlo Ferranti (1840–1908), depicting an absorbing game of chess unfolding within an opulent historic interior.
Entitled *A Chess Problem*, the composition transforms a quiet board game into a theatrical narrative of calculation, anticipation and observation. At the centre, a young woman reaches towards the chessboard while her seated opponent studies the position before him. Three accompanying figures watch the encounter, their individual expressions and poses adding to the sense of suspended drama.
Ferranti lavishes equal attention upon the surrounding interior. Gilt furniture, flowers, decorative objects, a large mirror, paintings and the striking geometric marble floor create an elaborate setting evocative of an aristocratic European salon.
Catalogue Details
Artist: Carlo Ferranti (1840–1908)
Title: *A Chess Problem*
Date: Circa mid-19th century
School: Italian
Medium: Oil on canvas
Signature: Signed C. Ferranti
Canvas: Approximately 60cm × 45cm
Framed: Approximately 87cm × 71.5cm × 8cm
Frame: Gilt frame
Subject: Figurative interior / chess / genre painting
Catalogue Note:
The chessboard provides the psychological centre of the composition. Rather than presenting the figures as a static gathering, Ferranti constructs the scene around a particular unresolved moment in the game.
The female player appears poised to make her move while her opponent leans towards the board in concentration. The surrounding spectators create a second level of narrative: they are watching the players just as the viewer watches them.
This interplay between gesture, expression, costume and setting is characteristic of the nineteenth-century taste for highly finished historical genre scenes.
The Chess Game
Chess had strong associations with intelligence, strategy and cultivated leisure. Here the game becomes an ideal vehicle for narrative painting. Ferranti leaves the outcome unresolved, inviting the viewer to speculate about both the chess position and the relationships between the assembled figures.
The Interior
The setting contributes significantly to the painting's visual impact. The figures occupy a richly appointed room containing gilt furnishings, floral arrangements, wall paintings, a mirror, clock and decorative lighting.
Particularly striking is the geometric marble floor, which establishes perspective and draws the eye towards the central table and chessboard.
Carlo Ferranti:
Carlo Ferranti (1840-1908) was an Italian painter associated particularly with highly finished figurative and genre subjects. His paintings demonstrate a strong interest in costume, interiors, social interaction and narrative detail.
*A Chess Problem* is an especially engaging example of this aspect of his work, combining portrait-like observation with the theatrical qualities of nineteenth-century genre painting.
Signature and Physical Evidence:
The painting is signed C. Ferranti. Historic labels retained on the reverse provide important evidence relating to its earlier auction history and attribution.
Provenance:
Private Collection
Sotheby’s, London, *British & Continental Pictures*, 14 July 2004, Lot 207
Kinghams Auctioneers, 27 July 2023, Lot 403
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Historic auction and biographical labels preserved verso.
Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution:
The artwork will be accompanied by a Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® Certificate of Sale recording the artist attribution, title, medium, approximate date, dimensions and known provenance, providing a permanent record for the purchaser.
Attribution and Research:
This artwork has been independently researched and catalogued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. Attribution is based upon the visible signature, physical examination, historic labels, documented auction history and available comparative material. All information is provided in good faith on the basis of current scholarship and the evidence available to us.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art. Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service. Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
measurements
Framed: approximately 71.5cm high × 87cm wide × 8cm deep
Canvas: approximately 60cm high × 45cm wide
declaration
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD has clarified that the Chess Problem A Courtly Game of Strategy in Elegant Interior Genre Painting Signed by Carlo Ferranti (LA587373) is genuinely of the period declared with the date/period of manufacture being 19th Century
condition
Offered in good antique condition consistent with age. The painted surface displays age-related craquelure and areas of surface marking/foxing. The gilt frame has age-related wear including rubbing, scratches, chips, losses, cracking and historic repairs. The frame forms part of the history and presentation of the work and is offered as such.
Further high-resolution photographs and condition information are available upon request.
additional info
Period:
Category:
Material:
Artisan:
Date of Manufacture:
19th Century
location
This Chess Problem A Courtly Game of Strategy in Elegant Interior Genre Painting Signed by Carlo Ferranti is located in Greater London, United Kingdom
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