Irish dealers head online for Christmas

Various members of the Irish Antique Dealers Association have joined together to offer items to buyers via the association’s website.

The dealers are presenting a wide range of items which will appeal to Christmas shoppers. “There is so much that this industry has to offer,” said Niall Mullen of Niall Mullen Antiques. “Antiques represent a niche in the Christmas gift-giving market – thoughtful pieces that represent a slice of history, often beautiful, useful and unique.”

He continued: “They are also the perfect gift for the eco-conscious among us, with pieces seeing a second life and taking the place of a new purchase under the Christmas tree.”

A prime example of a unique gift, a marine chronometer courtesy of Timepiece Antique Clocks, is a thoughtful token for loved ones overseas. The purpose of a chronometer is to measure accurately the time of a known fixed location, for example Greenwich for Greenwich Mean Time.

Originally a vital element in the storied history of longitude, this timepiece encompasses both a piece of Irish history and a direct connection to the time at home.

Pieces that are functional as well as beautiful make great gifts for the practical among us, and Dublin’s The Silver Shop carries an unusual silver-plated nightlight holder featuring a glass lens which magnifies the light it carries.

Dating from the 1890s, this piece also has a holder to carry and strike matches, as well as a nightlight extinguisher on the reverse.

Many antique dealers can supply gifts that incorporate clever storage solutions, such as O’Sullivan Antiques’ rosewood-fitted dressing case.

Originally crafted as a toiletry case, this piece boasts silver topped cut glass bottles, containers and vanity accoutrements, a document compartment and a velvet-lined sliding drawer with fitted compartments for the storage of jewellery.