Among the seventy dealers displaying their expertly authenticated art and design finds at the second edition of the Treasure House Fair from now until July 2 will be the antique retailer and showroom, A La Vieille Russie (ALVR). Presenting for the first time at the fair, ALVR has traveled from their 5th Avenue locale in Manhattan to the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London with a jewelry and objets d’art collection crafted by some of the most desired and respected who’s who of American and European nineteenth- and twentieth-century design, including Tiffany & Co, Boucheron, and much more.
ALVR’s curated jewelry presentation at the fair befits the event’s name as it is a treasure trove of what ALVR refers to as “wearable masterpieces.” Made from precious metals and gemstones, these decorative items range in traditional styles, such as a c. 1900 Italian button pearl and diamond cluster ring and a c. 1905 diamond Tiffany bracelet, to more eccentric designs, including a c. 1890 set of English pheasant-shaped gold and platinum brooches and a c. 1950 sapphire geometric bracelet.
If unique is what you crave, ALVR offers a pair of French aluminum drop earrings with gold-set rubies. This set was made thirty-five years after the metal was discovered in 1825, and at the time of their make, were worth more than any other metal jewelry. Other standout pieces include a 1928 Art Deco diamond set platinum necklace by the French house Mauboussin that was previously worn by Kate Moss and a 1999 “wig” ring from Cartier’s New Wave series that appears like a golden firework exploding in mid-air.
Also of note are pieces by Russian goldsmith and jeweler Carl Fabergé (1846–1920). Since its founding in Kyiv in 1851, ALVR has held a longstanding association with the company, first with Fabergé himself, who was a client, and later as an expert in the jeweler’s designs. Highlights at the fair include a pink guilloché enamel pendant in the shape of a whistle and a c. 1900 Princess of the Sea bell push inspired by the 1896 opera Sadko. The silver piece’s beautiful female form is enhanced with a headband of rubies and cabochon emeralds dotting her wings.
Among these well-known pieces by Fabergé, never-before-seen works by French jewelry designers Paul Robin and Jean Schlumberger (1907–1987) and American jeweler Paul Flato (1900–1999) will be on display for the first time. Those aware of Robin’s work at the fair will instantly recognize an 1875 yellow-gold owl-shaped ring with diamond eyes, which was a beloved motif of the artist and was seen frequently in his work.
If you can’t make it to the Treasure House Fair and are near ALVR’s New York location, venture over to the store to see their “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibition of glassmaker René Lalique’s late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century drawings. This is the most extensive collection of the designer’s sketches outside his home country of France. For more about the show, which has been extended to July 19, read our article covering the exhibition from the January/February 2024 issue.
A La Vieille Russie • Treasure House Fair, London • to July 2 • treasurehousefair.com
