Antiques

All the best dealers have their own style, and Max Rollitt’s is distinctive. He has an infallible eye for line and proportion, a bold sense of scale, and a leaning towards furnishings that are classical and architectural. ‘Authenticity and craftsmanship are important,’ he says, ‘but so are less quantifiable qualities such as originality, purity of line, and balance. Above all, a piece of furniture should be beautiful.’ Which is why, although he may cast a critical eye over thousands of items every week, he is likely only to buy two or three of them.