Jim Clements crisscrosses the world, searching for the Holy Grail of antiques.
More than once in the past 28 years, he thought he’d found it — he had found it, temporarily. But the thrill of each find faded in warp speed until it was a memory that felt as old as the item that evoked it.
“I’m always looking for something like that again — that feeling, that rush of finding something most unusual.”
So, on an early fall morning, he sets out again, this time for Beijing, China. It’s been two years since he and Reggie Marshall, who co-owns the antiques store Marshall Clements with him, have been there, and he doesn’t mind. (“China is really a project.”) They only go as inventory dictates, and right now, they must go. Their 12,000 square feet of showroom floor in Riverdale is running low on mainly three things: Chinese porcelains, antique blue and white accessories and 18th century furniture — an important part of their offering.
These buying trips are highly structured. After all, this is big-time antiquing — dealers from the surrounding states come to Marshall Clements to buy truckloads of their “antiques,” a word that doesn’t quite seem to describe their wares. These are phenomenal vestiges, weathered traces of old worlds noted in history books. You don’t just happen upon them; you scour the globe hunting for specific pieces. You even take a guide. In fact, the only thing Clements has truly stumbled upon in almost 30 years in the business was, well, a career in the antiques business.
Born and raised in Malvern, Clements moved to Houston after graduating from Henderson State University to “try to find work in the big city.” But the work he found usually was in a restaurant. Back in Arkansas, Clements landed his first commercial design job at an eatery and decorated the place with his and a fellow collector’s antiques, which were for sale. When they decided to leave the restaurant, the owner purchased their entire stock, they reinvested the profits in more antiques and were on the path to owning a behemoth antiques business.
Their base of operations started out in England but quickly expanded to France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, North Africa and beyond. In early excursions they’d simply rent a car and use a map to travel to antique fairs in small towns. “Often the places we stopped might be a local fair, a church bazaar, an antiques store — soon we were just knocking on people’s doors and asking if they had anything …”
Eventually, as they became better known, they were invited into private residences to pick items from collections that were otherwise not for sale. Some of the most exclusive invites came on a trip to Sicily, Clements’ favorite exploration. The pair was chauffeured around the island nation for private tours of castles, villas and chateaus that were owned by royals or near-royals. A translator helped facilitate conversations with kings, princesses, barons and earls during cocktail hours, high tea and buffets. Mingling complete, they’d then get to view the private living quarters.
“That’s where we learned about decayed elegance. They had really fine antiques in their part of the houses but they would be old, chipped and rotten — and wonderful, absolutely wonderful.”
Wonderful, at least, for a while. The pieces he spends so long gathering disperse with customers; the ones he keeps transform from new discoveries to household staples. The thirst for rarity returns. Wonder takes hold. He can never rest.
“Retirement is really out of the question because this is what I like to do.”
Clements Collectibles
Soirée: What are some of your favorite items that you’ve kept for yourself?
Clements: Probably my favorite piece that I own is an Etruscan mermaid that is of carved stone from probably about the 13th century. Furniture-wise I love the 17th and 18th century pieces that are French and Italian because I really love the scale and the aesthetic pleasure of seeing them.
What has been your best find?
My best find was Reggie, a business partner that I get along with, then argue with. We’re great foils for each other because we argue about the jobs we go on, shop well together and argue about the pieces we buy.
How is your own home decorated?
It’s a cozier extension of the shop, infused with contemporary elements. I like all aspects of design. To me, good design and art is not frozen on the timeline. Any time throughout our civilization there has been wonderful art.
How would you describe the store’s look?
Our design style is really very eclectic and it looks kind of like a world traveler’s collection with an emphasis on scale, texture and color. Most of our pieces I think are kind of forever.
What types of home design styles work well with antiques?
I think antiques are good in every home. It adds character to have some pieces that have a story and have some age on them. I have lots of young people that come and buy some new pieces from me but also some that are going to be heirlooms.