For private collectors
Discreet access, trusted advice, condition clarity and door-to-door execution, without the travel or the guesswork.
Division 04 · Heritage Acquisitions
Acquire the best of Britain's antiques
Acquire the best of Britain's antiques
— without a UK buying office.
Ardaas Heritage Acquisitions sources exceptional furniture, jewellery, art, books and heritage objects from Britain's dealers, fairs and auctions, then manages the entire journey to India, from shortlist to installation.
The acquisition desk
India's trusted UK antiques
India's trusted UK antiques
acquisition desk.
We source, verify, negotiate, bid, pack, export, ship and install exceptional pieces, with landed-cost clarity and museum-grade diligence.
For auction houses & dealers
A variable-cost UK sourcing desk that widens your inventory, without the fixed cost of a British outpost.
For designers & hospitality
Character-rich objects that transform residences, clubhouses, hotels, restaurants and branded spaces.
Why nowA rare alignment of
A rare alignment of
supply and demand.
Britain holds one of the world's deepest, most fragmented antiques markets; India's collectors, designers and hospitality groups are growing faster than ever. Ardaas is the bridge between them.
%
UK share of the global art & antiques market, 2025
$10.5bn
UK art & antiques sales in 2025 (Art Basel & UBS)
%
rise in India's ₹8.5 cr+ households, 2021–2025 (Hurun)
+
UK auction houses & dealers within Ardaas's reach
Market figures from the Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report and the Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Wealth Report 2025, as reported by the Financial Times and The Economic Times.
What we source
Six collecting categories.
Category-led sourcing through the right British channels, from marquee fairs to regional salerooms.
Furniture & decorative arts
Period furniture, mirrors, lighting, bronzes and objets, sourced from Alfies, Grays, Bermondsey, Portobello and regional houses.
Jewellery & silver
Antique and historical jewellery, watches and silver, with hallmark verification and specialist testing where warranted.
Fine art & works on paper
Paintings, drawings and sculpture via Treasure House, London Art Fair, Frieze Masters and targeted auction departments.
Rare books, maps & manuscripts
First editions, atlases, prints and manuscripts through Cecil Court and specialist antiquarian dealers, collation and condition checked.
Devotional & heritage objects
Bronzes, sculpture and ritual objects, handled under stricter provenance rules, with documented title before any commitment.
Architectural & statement pieces
Chimneypieces, panelling, garden statuary and large-scale objects for entrance halls, lobbies and hospitality interiors.
How we workA full acquisition service,
A full acquisition service,
from discovery to installation.
Curated catalogue
A tightly edited monthly release with photography, dimensions, condition notes, provenance and indicative landed pricing.
Bespoke search
Tell us what you seek — an Anglo-Indian cabinet, Georgian silver, a devotional bronze — and we build a tailored brief.
Auction representation
We identify lots, advise on bidding levels, inspect where possible, commission reports and bid for you discreetly.
Authentication & provenance
We verify title, seller credibility, marks, hallmarks, references and prior sales history before commitment.
Condition reporting
Detailed condition reports, close-up documentation and repair-risk commentary before you buy.
Conservation & restoration
Where needed, we coordinate specialist cleaning, stabilisation, reframing or upholstery before shipment.
Packing, insurance & export
Museum-appropriate packing, transit insurance, export paperwork and shipment planning from the UK.
Customs, delivery & installation
India-side customs clearance, white-glove last-mile delivery, placement and installation.
The journeyFrom a single brief
From a single brief
to a placed object.
One accountable partner across twelve stages. You approve before we ever commit your capital.
01
Brief or catalogue enquiry
You brief us, or select from the monthly catalogue.
02
Shortlist & landed estimate
We return options with a clear estimated landed cost.
03
Inspection & diligence
Physical inspection, condition and provenance review.
04
Your approval
A clear go / caution / decline before any commitment.
05
Negotiation or auction bidding
We negotiate with dealers or bid discreetly on your behalf.
06
Post-sale condition review
Re-checked and documented after purchase.
07
Conservation, if required
Specialist stabilisation or restoration, coordinated for you.
08
Packing & insurance
Museum-grade packing and full transit insurance.
09
UK export
Export documentation and licence checks handled.
10
India customs
Clearance coordinated with our India-side partner.
11
White-glove delivery
Careful last-mile transport to your address.
12
Installation & aftercare
Placement, installation and ongoing aftercare.
Museum-grade diligenceA trust engine,
A trust engine,
not a handshake.
Every object passes a structured, multi-stage review — more rigorous than an ordinary dealer relationship — before you commit.
Source screening
Seller reputation, trade standing, invoice trail, reserves and prior-ownership story.
Avoids weak or undocumented material.Object file
Photographs, dimensions, condition, provenance summary, marks, labels and exhibition history.
Reduces information asymmetry.Category checks
Hallmark & assay logic for silver; signature & medium for art; collation for books; structure for furniture.
Prevents basic category mistakes.Legal screening
Cultural-property review, declaration of title, sanctions and wildlife-material checks, export triggers.
Protects you from legal & reputational risk.Independent input
Conservator, specialist or laboratory review, used where risk or value justifies it.
Diligence kept proportionate.Go / caution / decline
A clear, written recommendation before commitment, and a packed, insured, tracked handover after.
Builds trust and repeatability.
Ethics & compliance
We don't deal casually
We don't deal casually
in cultural property.
Provenance and legality come before profit. Our policy is strict by design. It protects you, and it protects the objects.
- Indian-origin antiquities: handled only with strong title and documentation; undocumented material is declined (Antiquities & Art Treasures Act, 1972).
- No protected-species material: no ivory or restricted wildlife material unless lawfully exempt, documented and approved (UK Ivory Act 2018).
- Within cultural-property law: we work to the UK Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003 and the UNESCO 1970 Convention.
- Export-review awareness: we flag pieces that may face a UK export-licence review before you commit.
From a recent catalogue
A glimpse of what we source.
Indicative pieces from recent Ardaas catalogues, each with provenance, condition and landed-cost guidance.
— New selections monthly.
11th c.Indian relics
Bronze Parvati
A finely cast figure of Parvati in tribhanga on a lotus pedestal, with documented London provenance from the 1980s.
Indicative · ₹64,00,000Request dossier →
c. 6th c.Jewellery
Byzantine gold necklace
A rare gem-set gold necklace with articulated frontal drops and devotional cross, property of a British gentleman.
Indicative · ₹40,00,000Request dossier →
19th c.Furniture
Dragon armchair
An imposing carved armchair with dragon-head terminals and pierced cloud-and-scroll backrest, in richly figured hardwood.
Indicative · ₹8,82,000Request dossier →
c. 1880Jewellery
Renaissance-revival suite
An enamel pendant necklace and matching earrings depicting birds and foliage, with original antique fitted box.
Indicative · ₹25,00,000Request dossier →
3rd–4th c.Indian relics
Gandhara Bodhisattva
A noble half-length Bodhisattva carved in fine grey schist, the headdress surmounted by a seated Buddha within a scalloped aureole.
Indicative · ₹8,00,000Request dossier →
19th c.Decorative arts
Louis XV candelabra
A commanding gilt-bronze floor candelabra on a tripod base with rocaille motifs and elaborate fluted column. Exceptional casting and chasing.
Indicative · ₹4,50,000Request dossier →
c. 1896Fine art
Post-Impressionist still life
A richly coloured still life of fruit and a teapot in the Pont-Aven manner, glazed and framed, with documented European provenance.
Indicative · ₹32,00,000Request dossier →
18th c.Books & maps
Map of the Archipelago
A finely engraved and hand-coloured map of the Greek Archipelago with a decorative cartouche, in a glazed giltwood frame.
Indicative · ₹3,80,000Request dossier →
19th c.Architectural
Marble garden urn
A neoclassical garden urn carved in white marble with spiral fluting and pierced strapwork, a statement piece for a hall, lobby or garden.
Indicative · ₹14,00,000Request dossier →
Pieces shown are indicative of recent catalogues and may no longer be available. Prices exclude India duties and taxes, which we quote as a landed estimate before commitment.
EngagementTransparent, tiered,
Transparent, tiered,
landed-cost.
Our fees scale with the value and complexity of each acquisition, and we quote a clear landed cost before you commit, never a surprise. Active buyers join one of our circles.
Public Bulletin
Open to allSelected monthly highlights, brand introduction and limited previews.
Collector Circle
HNWI collectorsEarly-access catalogue, priority alerts and an annual sourcing consultation.
Trade Desk
Dealers & auction housesEarly access, reserve-watch lists, trade sourcing notes and reduced search retainers.
Design Studio
Designers & hotel groupsOngoing sourcing, moodboards, project shortlist calls and preferred commercial terms.
Questions
Frequently asked.
No. The model is UK-wide. Our network spans 46+ auction houses and antique dealers, with monthly sourcing from auctions and shops across the country. London is the gateway, not the limit.
Furniture, jewellery, silver, paintings, works on paper, decorative objects, rare books, maps, manuscripts and select heritage pieces with clear documentation.
Yes. Auction representation is a core service: shortlist, review, bidding advice, discreet execution and post-sale logistics. You need not attend.
No responsible adviser guarantees every category absolutely. We provide rigorous, multi-stage diligence, proportionate specialist review, and clear disclosure of what is known, what is likely and what remains uncertain.
Yes. Packing, insurance, export, customs coordination and white-glove delivery are central to the service, and a key reason to engage us rather than self-source.
Only selectively, and only where provenance, title and legal position are strong. Because the legal and reputational risk is higher, undocumented Indian-origin antiquities are usually declined.
The UK Acquisitions Desk
Begin a confidential
Begin a confidential
acquisition.
Request this month's private catalogue, brief us on a piece you're seeking, or book a confidential acquisition call.
Emailinfo@ardaas.ltd
Phone / WhatsApp+44 7786 091999