Farewell to a giantess of the trade

A selection of the late Jan Finch’s stock at Sworders reflects her wisdom, flair and eclectic taste

WHEN Jan Finch died last year after a stoic and heroic fight against cancer, Finch & Co’s 37th catalogue was in the works and it was possible to include a fitting tribute from Ted Few, a fellow antiquarian dealer in collector’s cabinet items. ‘Whilst Finch & Co will continue to flourish,’ he wrote, ‘it is difficult to contemplate it without Jan’s quiet, unassuming yet ever-present persona. Bold, instinctive, compassionate, tough if necessary, thoughtful, loyal, fiercely protective of those whom she held dear, and empirically wise… her absence will leave a gaping hole in the industry, but her influence and the firm’s presence will thankfully be felt for decades to come.’

He expressed it perfectly. I shall particularly miss arriving at Finch’s stand at BRAFA or Masterpiece to find Craig, her husband and business partner for 33 years, happily selling and Jan standing ready to steer one to some wonderfully quirky treasure that she knew would appeal. In the grandest fairs and exhibition spaces, she retained the enthusiasm and charm of her early days stall-holding with her mother in Portobello Road. Her grandfather had also been an influence,

introducing her to the Egyptian rooms at the British Museum, to such effect that, as a young teenager in the 1960s, she donated her pocket money to a school initiative supporting the relocation of Abu Simbel and a lifelong fascination followed.