A Vanity Affair L'art du nécessaire

This is the ultimate illustrated guide to the most exquisite vanity cases from the nineteenth century onward; an unmissable opportunity for lovers of jewelry and fashion.

This elegant and richly illustrated volume, featuring a slipcase and gilded page edges, showcases a rare private collection of vanity cases and includes an exquisite array of luxury accessories from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century. These vanity cases, carefully designed and mostly handmade, became covetable accessories with the advent of beauty products.

The vanity case, the ultimate jeweled fashion accessory, was designed and made mostly in Paris by skilled designers and craftsmen who understood that the fashionable modern woman needed a practical solution for carrying lipstick, powder compact, cigarettes, lighter, theater tickets, keys, and other small paraphernalia. Tiny, made of precious metals, including platinum and gold, with inlays of lacquer, gemstones, mother-of-pearl, jade, or enamel, these reticules took hundreds of hours of patient craftsmanship to complete.

François Curiel is Chairman of Christie's Europe and heads Christie's global Luxury division. David Snowdon is Hon. Chairman for Christie's in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India. Lyne Kaddoura is an independent jewelry specialist and advisor, as well as Senior Consultant with Christie's. Pierre Rainero is the Image, Style and Heritage Director of Cartier. Catherine Cariou is the former heritage director at Van Cleef & Arpels. Laurence Mouillefarine is a journalist, art market expert, and author of books on jewelry. Diana Scarisbrick is an art historian specializing in jewelry; she is the author of numerous publications and curator of many international jewelry exhibitions. Vivienne Becker is a London-based jewelry historian, journalist, and author of more than twenty books on the history of jewelry design and contemporary jewelry.