The collection reflects Frederick and Beatrice Sharp’s love for art and his desire to surround himself and his family with beautiful things for display.
Frederick’s interest in golf inspired some of the first paintings he purchased, which are Dutch paintings of ‘kolf’, an early version of golf played on ice. The first-floor corridor was designed in the tradition of a picture gallery especially for Frederick’s kolf paintings.
Collections of fine silver and ceramics can be seen throughout the house. A Chippendale cabinet was especially made to sit at the top of the stairs and display a collection of ceramics. Frederick was not a connoisseur collector – he was more interested in having fashionable pieces, buying them from a dealer who sold antique and new furniture. Most of the collection is 19th century, including the Chinese bronzes, one of which depicts a dragon chasing the ‘flaming pearl’ – a Chinese legend which alludes to ‘always seeking perfection’.