New York City - Curiosities

Rare and unusual figural Surrealist Elsa Schiaparelli lingerie bag. This amusing, rare Schiaparelli figural cat lingerie bag is made of bright pink acetate, with "Shocking" Pink ribbon accents and long pink raffia fringe. With a white plush snout and hand cut felt eyes eyebrows and mouth. Excellent Condition. Signed, Zipper Entry on back. Length 18" x Wide 9". 1950's. Schiaparelli, "I gave to pink, the nerve of the red, a neon pink, an unreal pink, Shocking Pink". Yves Saint Laurent: Schiaparelli's pink was "an aggressive, brawling, warrior pink” Elsa Schiaparelli's "Shocking" Pink was a color which derived from a 17.27 carat rose colored Cartier diamond known as the Tete de Belier, belonging to her friend and client, Daisy Fellowes. Shocking Pink was used for the eponymous perfume "Shocking", which was launched in 1937. The packaging was designed by artist Leonor Fini and the bottle was based on Mae West's curvaceous figure. Her first shoe-hat, designed for her autumn 1937 collection, had a Shocking Pink heel. Salvador Dali loved...

Victorian Tiffany Sterling Chatelaine from the late 19th Century. Ornate pierced sterling silver motifs with a central hook on bottom and 4 side lo...

Elegant French Black Lacquer Travel Photo Frame to keep close ones at hand. Cover slides over on each side to reveal photo which can be propped up o...

Charming Victorian Novelty Pencil designed for office use in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Glass cabochons (4) are each color coded to a different pencil color. To release, guide the cabochon down track to reveal the color needed. Creative design which made office life easier over a hundred years ago, with the added convenience of hanging off a necklace chain or waist chain...

Unusual Victorian Sterling Beard comb from the late 19th Century. Sterling frame hand etched with an iris and butterfly motif. Comb has a break but there is...

Schiaparelli's Mint in Box, "Sleeping" perfume sachets (3) of "Sleeping Blue" satin, over stitched with Schiaparelli's signature "S". Still fragrant wrapped in the original unopened cellophane, tied with vibrant yellow ribbon. "Sleeping," is one of many perfumes Schiaparelli designed, debuted for her summer 1940 collection. For her spring 1939 Commedia dell' arte collection, Schiaparelli had been inspired by Man Ray's 1939 painting...

Lovely Victorian Sterling Etched Match safe from the late 1900's UK. Hand etched with ornate scroll patterns with a cartouche which was added for initials....

Art Deco Faux Watch Compact from the 1920's. Made to look like a watch in chrome with enamel accents. It opens to reveal both powder and rouge compartments. Marked "Sene", Paris NY. ...

Four Surrealist perfume sample minis by Parfums Salvador Dali for the release of Salvador Dali's "Salvador Dali" perfume. The now-iconic perfume bottle forms were modeled after the nose and lips of the goddess Aphrodite as depicted in Dali's own 1981 painting...

Czech Beaded Decorative Pockets from the Art Deco Period. Hand beaded and made as sew ons for 1930's day dresses. Sold and priced per pair. Old stock. $185...

Victorian Perfume Chatelaine in the Japanesque taste, popular in the late 19th Century. Silver plated with partial gilding as highlighting for the A...

Amazing Carved Bakelite Art Deco Elephant Dress Suite from the 1930's. Huge pair of hand carved elephant heads set with jet eyes form a buckle with a set...

A perfect mixture of fashion and the decorative arts. An image by Georges Lepape originally for the Gazette du Bon Ton,September 1913 forms this amusing metal mobile in a collaborati...