What is more convenient than reading your favourite literature on an iPad, after a hard day’s work of ploughing through the poppy fields of Afghanistan as part of the military campaign. In the 19th century our troupes were not blessed with such fitting gadgets and kilos of reading material were dragged alongside marching armies.

During PAN Amsterdam an ‘early’ version of the iPad in the form of a travel bookcase will be on display. The item, dated 1820-1840, is a very nice example of Campaign furniture, made from teakwood, and was used during military campaigns to house the favourite literature of high ranking officers.

Campaign furniture
Robert Schreuder Antiquair

PAN Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ art and antiques fair, will be presenting more than 10,000 objets d’art. The common denominator is that all the objects are vetted for authenticity, artistic quality and condition and are on sale at prices from € 500 to € 500,000.

The 130 or so exhibitors represent the elite of the Dutch and Flemish art trade. The works of art at PAN Amsterdam span more than 5,000 years of history. They include an antique faience New Year’s flask and an 18th-century secretaire attributed to Abraham Roentgen, one of the most famous furniture makers of his age. From more recent times there is a rare tubular steel chair, Gerrit Rietveld’s Beugelstoel from around 1927, in its original natural wood finish, a 1930 necklace by the renowned Parisian workshop Fossin & Fils and a large display of works by Zero artists. Never before has so much emphasis been placed on twentieth-century fine and applied art.

What you need to know about PAN Amsterdam
When        Sunday 21 to Sunday 28 November 2010
Where       Parkhal of Amsterdam RAI
Times        Daily from 11.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
                 Open until 6.00 p.m. on Thursday 25 and Sunday 28 November
Website    www.pan.nl