This weekend saw the Australian Antiques & Art Dealers Association Melbourne fair come to the Royal Exhibition Building.
Ordinarily, this not the type of event I would normally attend - potential for far too much stuffiness for my liking - but I managed to score a free double pass, which saved a whopping $40! There was an incredible array of things on show, the majority of it waaaay out of my price range, some beautiful art deco furniture and a disturbing number of animal 'artifacts' for sale. There was quite a bit of carved ivory and I even saw a giant tortoise shell fire-screen - it was quite an amazing piece, but when I think of the magnificent creature that once lived inside, it makes me quite sad.
On a brighter note, here are some of the shiny, pretty things that caught my eye:
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| 1930s 'Mischief' by Saville miniature perfume bottle with glass top hat casing and hat box. |
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| A stunning Art Deco dresser & matching covered stool. |
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| Some gorgeous green accessories for the dresser... |
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| A jewelled celluloid dance purse |
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| More sparkling beauties |
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| A stunning Art Deco mother-of-pearl purse |
All the above items, except the Mischief top hat perfume bottle, are available from Online Antiques. As their name suggests, they only sell online, but they have a booth booked for the Melbourne Love Vintage Show in a few weeks time if you're interested in seeing some of these lovely items in 3D.
And to finish, here's one of the more unusual pieces on display...
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| Antique Japanese tortoiseshell harikata (artificial phallus) with accessories. C. 1800, Early Meiji Period. |
Yes, that is what it looks like, an antique sex toy!! According to the limited information I could find, they were mainly used by geisha's as a masturbatory tool for
their own pleasure or for their secret encounters with female
lovers. Can you imagine how many oldies got a shock when they saw this nestled amongst their precious antiques? Fantastic!
- Tamara
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