Royalty hits Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair
April 29 will be celebrated as a royal day not only in England, where Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry, but also in Chicago where the 14th annual Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair will open to the public. The Fair will showcase beautiful antiques—some with royal connections—from more than 100 of the top antiques dealers from around the world.
You don’t have to be royalty to have a jaw-dropping ring. As part of their collection, M.S. Rau Antiques will feature this 9.03-carat sapphire and 1.63-carat diamond ring, which is sure to be a centerpiece of any jewelry collection.
John Atzbach Antiques will showcase this beautiful Russian Imperial Presentation snuffbox. The bombe shaped box is elaborately engraved with scrolling foliate designs accented with cobalt blue enamel leaf motifs. In the center is a finely painted oval miniature of Tsar Alexander II, surrounded by pearls and diamonds.
M.S. Rau Antiques will highlight a bedroom set at The Fair that doesn’t just look royal— it is! This amazing seven-piece Empire Bedroom Suite was owned by Egypt’s last ruling king, King Farouk. The set was created by Parisian ebeniste, Antoine Krieger, circa 1870. King Farouk was known to have an insatiable appetite for the best money could buy, often going on European shopping sprees where he would spend tens of millions of dollars at a time. It was on one of these sprees that he found this one-of-a-kind bedroom set.
In the sprit of the royal wedding, The Fair will host a Royal Toast at 1 p.m., on April 29, to celebrate the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middelton. Cake and champagne will be served, and guests may enter a raffle for two tickets to the Joffrey Ballet.
The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair will run from April 29 through May 2 at The Merchandise Mart, Chicago. Tickets are $15 to $25, which also provides admission to Art Chicago, one of the leading contemporary and modern art fairs in the world, and NEXT, an invitational exhibition of emerging art.
The Fair will once again be an exciting component of Artropolis, a world-class, citywide celebration of art, antiques, and culture. The multiple shows under the Artropolis umbrella enable attendees to enjoy a diverse selection of art, prints, sculpture, and other three dimensional forms from antiquities to contemporary art.
For more information about the Fair and to purchase tickets visit merchandisemartantiques.com or call 800.677-MART (6278).
Tickets to The Fair’s Preview Party start at $150 per person. To purchase tickets, visit ric.org/antiquesfair or call 312.238.6023.
Antiques Fair hours & location (April 29 – May 2, 2011):
Thursday, April 28 • Preview Night
Friday April 29 • 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday, April 30 • 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sunday, May 1 • 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Monday, May 2 • 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
8th Floor, Merchandise Mart, Chicago
MMPI is the world’s leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together in more than 300 market events, trade and consumer shows and conferences each year. MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 W. Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; the Boston Design Center in Boston; and the Washington Design Center in Washington, D.C.
Vornado Realty Trust, owners of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.
Vornado Realty Trust, owners of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.
–Gina Kramer
