A Kind of Magic ― Art Deco Vanity Cases

The euphoria that swept Europe and America in the wake of World War I was breathtaking. War was over, perhaps forever, technology was rapidly shrinking the world and improving our lives within it, and, all over, people seemed to be making easy fortunes in business and the stock market.

Few material objects epitomize the excitement and glamour of that moment like the vanity case, the ultimate jeweled fashion accessory for women. Primarily designed and created in Paris by craftspeople who understood the modern woman’s need for a case to hold her lipstick, compact, keys, cigarettes, and more, they quickly became de rigeur among the fashionable. Accompanied by images and vivid descriptions that evoke the era when they were made, the forty-eight cases shown in this captivating book tell the story of the 1920s, and provide a suitably glittering insight into the history, fashion and style of the golden age of glamour. They all come from an exceptional private collection formed by Freddie Mercury’s sister, Kashmira, as a special tribute to his love of beautiful things. Examples of other contemporary jewelry and fashion items round out the selection, making for the perfect gift for any fashionista or fan of the Jazz Age.

Sarah Hue-Williams is a freelance gemologist, jewelry historian, and lecturer. She is coauthor, with Raymond Sancroft-Baker, of Hidden Gems, Jewellery Stories from the Saleroom.  Peter Edwards is London’s leading dealer in fine Art Deco.