C utting edge high fashion retailer Dover Street Market has partnered with Sotheby's to curate an edit of the upcoming December Fine Jewels sale. The curation presents fine jewelry through a fresh lens, showcasing period and vintage jewels in Dover Street Market’s extraordinarily creative space. . The jewels will be displayed in Dover Street Market’s London flagship store from 1–5 December, before moving to Sotheby's New Bond Street galleries from 7–11 December.
Also contributing to this collaboration is artist, Sammy Slabbinck, specialising in surreal contemporary collage. Slabbinck has been commissioned to create bespoke artwork using the jewels as inspiration. His work will be installed at Dover Street Market followed by an installation at Sotheby’s on New Bond Street.
Dickon Bowden, Vice President of Dover Street Market says: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Sotheby’s on this incredible project. It has been so interesting for us to view unique and historical pieces of jewelry that we are never normally exposed to. We have really enjoyed the variety of jewelry in the sale, from different countries and eras and from incredible houses such as Cartier, Chaumet and Tiffany.”
Among the lots chosen is a fabulous stag beetle tourmaline and diamond brooch, a 1960s George Braque for Heber de Lowenfeld 'Iophassa' ring and a stunning claw-set diamond, and coloured diamond 'Toi et Moi' ring from the early 20th century, which was gifted to the current owner by Adele Bloch-Bauer, the iconic “Woman in Gold” immortalised by Gustav Klimt in 1907.
Dover Street Market was especially excited by the provenance of the jewels, as Mimi Hoppen, Director of Jewelry, explains: “We selected the jewelry in the same way that we do from contemporary designers and collections. We look for unique, beautifully designed jewelry with something to say. Individuality and craftsmanship is always important. The only difference is that so many of these pieces came with fascinating stories or provenances, for example the pocket watch given to Ginger Rogers by Fred Astaire!”
This particular lot is an enamel travel watch, designed as an envelope opening to reveal a rectangular golden dial. It is inscribed to the reverse with a facsimile in Fred Astaire's hand that reads: "By hand, To Feathers, All the best love -Fred". Astaire's nickname for Ginger Rogers was "Feathers", coined by Astaire after she wore the now famous blue satin gown encircled with $1500 worth of ostrich feathers for their iconic dance routine in "Top Hat".
Laurence Nicolas, Global Managing Director of Sotheby’s Jewelry & Watches Divisions says: "There is an edge to vintage jewelry – something irreverently cool that transcends times and styles. A young, high-spirited generation has come to rediscover the power of vintage jewels and wear them to accompany their boldest looks, often seduced by the great craftsmanship, fine materials and the extraordinary stories the pieces carry. These young people are part of the ‘Dover Street Market generation’ and are increasingly active in our sales. We are therefore absolutely thrilled by this collaboration. The selection curated by the DSM team has an arresting timelessness and a bold aesthetic, which shows how incredibly beautiful and wearable period and vintage jewels can be."
Discover the edit on view at Dover Street Market and Sotheby’s.
Dover Street Market
18 – 22 Haymarket London
SW1Y 4DG
1 December | 11am – 7pm
2 December | 12 – 6pm
3 – 5 December | 11am – 7pm
Sotheby’s
34 – 35 New Bond Street
London W1A 2AA
7 December | 9am – 4.30pm
8 – 9 December | 12 – 5pm
10 December | 9am – 7pm
