AO Journal
Best in Show: Winter Antiques and BRAFA
The worlds of art, antiques, and collectibles converged recently at two of the world’s most prestigious shows, attracting an array of curators and collectors, aficionados and dealers.
Celebrating its 64th year, the internationally renowned Brussels Art Fair (commonly known as BRAFA) is one of the premier art and antique fairs in Europe, showcasing everything from centuries-old tribal art to contemporary paintings, ceramics and jewelry. Located in the cosmopolitan capital’s historic Tour & Taxi, 65,000 plus attend the yearly show and don’t be surprised if you bump into a Royal Belgium or two. Belgian designer and Renaissance man Axel Vervoordt is a regular, and his booth is always a perennial favorite.
The venerable Winter Antiques Show is highly regarded as one of the best shows in the United States, featuring 70 of the world’s top experts in fine and decorative arts. Held yearly at the Park Avenue Armory, the show features an intriguing mix of modern and classic with items from ancient times to present day. An afternoon at the show is equivalent to a day at the museum for some and the ultimate shopping experience for others (and the glamorous people-watching is not bad either).
Here are a few Best in Show highlights.
BRAFA
Axel Vervoordt
José Zanine Caldas (Belmonte 1918-2001 Vitória)
Square Sculpted Cube of Cedrela wood, 1980
La Pendulerie Van Overklift
Case attributed to Claude Galle (1759-1815)
Mantel clock representing the meeting of Robinson Crusoe in patinated matte gilt bronze and green marble
Baronian Xippas
Stanley Whitney (Philadelphia, 1946)
Parisian Blue, 2012
Oil on Linen
Winter Antiques Show
Apter-Fredericks Bureau Bookcase
Hirschl & Adler Frank Walker Painting
Joan B. Mirviss Hakuko Vase
Charles Ede Egyptian Bust of Seated Nobleman or Scribe
Photo credits: Courtesy of Winter Antiques Show
Courtesy of BRAFA
