Peter Hone

While the modern era teaches us minimalism, at the same time serving us consumerism on a plate, we often question ourselves when we're shopping, do we really need it? How to separate "I need it" from "I don't know if I need it, but it's nice"? Although a seemingly prosaic topic that deals with the questions of whether shopping for shopping's sake is justified, whether to buy little things that we can live without, whether we are cluttering up the spaces we live in or enlivening them, it is still a question that each of us has faced. Of course, the concept of minimalism or maximalism looks different for everyone, but these lifestyles are part of us, even when we don't notice it. That attitude towards things makes a difference. Both collector and a hoarder do the same thing, they collect. However, the collector carefully selects and displays his collections, while the hoarder loses track of what he owns, where it is, how much he has, and ultimately takes primacy over his life and living space. Collectors connect with things on a deeper level, some would say that these interests can border with obsession. While someone sees only how much money was spent or how much space these things take up, the collector sees emotional value. The satisfaction when they find something can be described as fireworks of endorphins. Collecting gives people the opportunity to relive moments from their childhood, to connect with some past times, while for some, hunting and searching for things is what makes them happy..

Psychologists often took a Freudian perspective when describing why people collect. They highlight the controlling and impulsive dark side of collecting, the need for people to have a "desired object". This desire, hence the innate tendency to collect, begins at birth. A baby first wants the emotional and physical comfort of a nourishing breast, and then a familiar blanket that it clings to for comfort and security. Stuffed animals, favorite toys, are taken to bed and provide the emotional security needed to fall asleep. The child's sense of ownership and control is facilitated by the possession of these objects. I will leave out Freud's more detailed explanation this time (but I guessed that he believes that losing control over emptying the bowels has something to do with the desire to collect, so if I intrigued you, you should investigate this topic 😊). But Jung also had his own theories about why people become collectors. He talked about the influence of archetypes on behavior. These universal symbols are embedded in what he called our collective unconscious. Using this logic, collecting and completing collection sets has as its archetypal predecessor the gathering of "nuts and berries" that were once necessary for survival by our early ancestors.

Collectors were often recognized as altruists, some significant collections and pieces of history were donated to museums. Of course, it is a smaller percentage, but it contributes to the story of how important collectors can be for preserving history in a time when one lives for the moment and the life span of things is pre-determined with the famous "it doesn't matter, we'll buy a new one".

This entire introduction, although detailed, seems to me to be necessary in order for you to understand what it means to be a collector. Today I'm talking about Peter Hone, collector and plaster master!

I'm not sure when did my obsession with sculptures and ancient architecture came about, but, one thing is for sure, it's at its peak right now 😊. My favorite activity is reading blogs with interesting individuals who share their living spaces. So a few years ago, I found out about Peter and his apartment, which was completely filled with sculptures, plaster decorations and architectural details, I was enchanted!

Peter is someone who had an interesting working life. He left school at the age of 14 and spent his career working as a cook, museum keeper, antiques dealer (his specialty were four-poster beds that he sold even to the Beatles, the Stones, the British aristocracy), plasterwork expert, art consultant... However, I really don't know much about him, but it will seem to me that I know every corner of his apartment 😊 . #Goals in every sense of the word.

All the things you can see in these pictures were sold a few years ago at one of the more successful auctions of the famous house Christie's, so I'm not sure what his living space looks like today. Peter, the eccentric that he is, had a definite idea that when he turns 75, he will sell everything he owns in order to have a new tabula rasa start. Such an atypical move for a collector! All works of art dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. century, which he collected for over 50 years, were sold for 1,800,000e. Enough for about a million new beginnings, I would say 😊 .

His home represented a chest full of art, so it was often called the Hone Museum. His living room is dominated by a table with a striped tablecloth that brings in the touch of the French Riviera and is surrounded by Hellenic busts, columns, and other plaster details. Maybe Peter feasted at that table, but its interior is a feast for the eyes and the soul. When asked how many reproductions he made, he answers that it is like asking how many peas there are in a pea factory.

The production of reproductions of important plaster sculptures began in the 16th century and became popular in the early 19th when few people could afford to travel to see the original works. Museums across Europe and America commissioned plaster copies of monuments and sculptures so that they could be displayed for the general public to enjoy. But this practice was not popular at the beginning of the 20th century when, in the language of the 21st century, they were no longer modern, so many were put in storage, forgotten or even destroyed.

However, Peter explains that for him plaster casts, i.e. copies, have a special appeal. He believes that, unlike the originals, they are not "in your face", they are less serious, and one manages to enjoy their beauty without pretensions.

The Rug Company 2013 campaign for Alexander McQueen rugs was photographed in Peter's apartment

He called his collection an orphanage of things. He described how he found many pieces in poor condition, forgotten and discarded. He says that "he is not a great collector - he just collects trash and it works great". He says that his philosophy for arranging space is "putting big things in small spaces, and small things in big ones, he thinks that's great, otherwise you have to cram them in like he did" 😊 .

Unfortunately, Peter has no online presence, but pictures of his apartment have been seen everywhere. His plaster interpretations of the sculptures can be purchased from the Three Pigeons showroom, LASSCO's Oxfordshire branch. A house that at first glance reveals that it sells various plaster delights. It is like a living catalog of things that can be bought and reproduced in about 3 weeks if they are not already in stock.

And if you can't run there, there are 2 online locations (Lassco and Pentreath Hall) where you can buy his pieces, there is a international shipping option, so, click, maybe your palms will itch you to buy something, just like me. Finally, I leave you a video by Adam Sutton, in which you can hear Peter and visit his apartment once again.