ARMANI/DOLCI CHOCOLATE EASTER EGGS

THIS EASTER, ARMANI/DOLCI WILL BE OFFERING DELICIOUS, SCRUMPTIOUS EASTER EGGS CREATED FROM THE FINEST CHOCOLATE. MOREOVER, EACH DELIGHTFUL EGG CONTAINS AN ELEGANT SURPRISE FROM ARMANI/DOLCI, AN ITEM WHICH CAN EVEN BE CHOSEN BY THE CLIENT IF ORDERED IN ADVANCE. THE EGGS ARE AVAILABLE IN THREE FALVOURS, DARK, MILK AND WHITE CHOCOLATE AND COME IN TWO SIZES, WHICH ARE ALL STAMPED WITH THE ICONIC 'A'. THE SUMPTUOUS AND REFINED PACKAGING IS INSPIRED BY HANAMI, THE JAPANESE CELEBRATION OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOM. LIKE A PRECIOUS SILK KIMONO, THE BLUE COLOURED WRAPPING IS ENHANCED BY AN ELEGANT FUCHSIA SATIN RIBBON WITH A STYLIZED METAL FLOWER CHARM. THE CHOCOLATE EGGS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE GIORGIO ARMANI/DOLCI STORE ON 5th AVENUE IN NEW YORK UNTIL THE END OF MAY AND CAN BE DELIVERED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

CHANEL BOCCE BALL SET

WITH SUMMER QUICKLY APPROACHING, LUXURY FASHION HOUSE CHANEL IS OFFERING A UNIQUE VINTAGE-INSPIRED BOCCE BALL SET, HOUSED IN A SUMMER THEMED BRAIDED WICKER AND LEATHER TRAVEL CASE WHICH CAN DOUBLE AS A PICNIC BASKET. THE SET, PRICED AT AROUND $2,800, INCLUDES 8 STAINLESS STEEL BOCCE BALLS ENGRAVED WITH THE ICONIC CHANEL LOGO AND A WOODEN 'JACK' OR TARGET BALL. THE CASE IS FINISHED IN TWO-TONE BROWN AND NATURAL WOVEN WICKER WITH CHANEL'S TRADEMARK INTERLOCKING C's DONE IN THE BRAIDED ROPE ON THE COVER, AND BROWN SADDLE LEATHER STRAPS AND HANDLE.

ROBERTO CAVALLI CHOCOLATE EASTER EGGS

JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING CAFE GIACOSA HAS CREATED A LUSCIOUSLY DELECTABLE COLLECTION OF MILK, DARK AND WHITE CHOCOLATE EGGS. THE CHOCOLATE EGGS FEATURE GIRAFFE, ZEBRA AND TIGER PRINTS SHELLS FOR A UNIQUE DESSERT EXPERIENCE. CAFE GIACOSA ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN FLORENCE, OWNED BY FAMED ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNER ROBERTO CAVALLI, WHO IS MOST NOTABLY RECOGNIZED FOR HIS TRADEMARK EXOTIC ANIMAL PRINTS, FEMININE FLORALS AND OVERTLY PROVOCATIVE LOOKS, IS SITUATED NEST TO THE LUSHLY APPOINTED CAVALLI BOUTIQUE WHICH FEATURES THE DECADENT PLUSH WORLD OF ROBERTO CAVALLI. THE CAVALLI CHOCOLATE EGGS ARE PRICED AROUND $66 AND ARE AVAILABLE AT caffegiacosa.com

MARILYN MONROE COSTUME TEST

CHRISTIE'S TO SELL MICHAEL CRICHTON COLLECTION

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR MICHAEL CRICHTON APPROACHED ART IN THE SAME WAY HE DID HIS WRITING, THROUGH EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, BUT ALSO BY DEVELOPING CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS WITH MANY OF THE ARTISTS WHOSE WORKS HE COLLECTED. THE POPULAR THRILLER WRITER DIED IN 2008 LEAVING BEHIND SUCH BLOCKBUSTERS AS 'JURASSIC PARK', 'THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN' AND THE TV SERIES 'ER'. BUT HE ALSO LEFT A 20th CENTURY ART COLLECTION THAT FEATURES SOME OF POP ART'S BEST KNOWN ARTIST'S, INCLUDING JASPER JOHNS, ROY LICHTENSTEIN AND CLAES OLDENBURG. CRICHTON'S FAMILY IS SELLING OFF ABOUT 80% OF THE COLLECTION AT CHRISTIE'S AUCTION HOUSE IN NEW YORK ON 11-12.MAY. AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS IS JASPER JOHNS' 'FLAG', A RENDITION OF THE AMERICAN FLAG THAT CRICHTON BOUGHT FROM THE ARTIST IN 1974, AND WHICH DECORATED THE WRITER'S BEVERLY HILLS BEDROOM. IT WAS LAST EXHIBITED IN 1992-93 AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS IN LONDON. ABOUT 70 OF THE 100 WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING PAINTINGS BY JEFF KOONS, PABLO PICASSO AND ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG, WILL BE DISPLAYED AT CHRISTIE'S ROCKEFELLER CENTER GALLERIES UNTIL 13.APRIL. A SPOKESPERSON FOR CHRISTIE'S SAID THAT CRICHTON WAS GENEROUS IN LENDING WORKS FROM HIS COLLECTION FOR EXHIBITION, BUT WAS POSSESSIVE ABOUT THE 'FLAG'. 'WITH THE FLAG IT WAS SUCH A PERSONAL THING BECAUSE OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JOHN', HE ADDED. THE 'FLAG' HAS A PRE-SALE ESTIMATE OF $10 MILLION TO $15 MILLION, BUT CHRISTIE'S BELIEVES IT WILL SET A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR THE ARTIST. THE CURRENT JOHNS RECORD STANDS AT $18 MILLION FOR 'FIGURE 4', SET AT CHRISTIE'S IN 2007. A LARGER 'FLAG' OF THE ARTIST'S SEMINAL IMAGE WAS PURCHASED PRIVATELY LAST MONTH FOR $110 MILLION BY HEDGE FUND BILLIONAIRE STEVE COHEN.

TWO BROTHERS RE-CREATE HISTORIC ROMAN MOSAIC

TWO BROTHERS RECENTLY UNVEILED A PAINSTAKING RECONSTRUCTION OF BRITAIN'S LARGEST ROMAN MOSAIC THAT TOOK THEM OVER TEN YEARS TO COMPLETE. BOB AND JOHN WOODWARD USED 1.6 MILLION TINY PIECES TO PRODUCE THEIR COPY OF THE ORPHEUS PAVEMENT. NOW THE 47ft SQUARE PAVEMENT IS BEING AUCTIONED AND IT IS EXPECTED TO FETCH AN ESTIMATED £25,000. THE MOSAIC DEPICTS THE ANCIENT GREEK MUSIC MASTER ORPHEUS WITH A LYRE RESTING ON HIS LEFT KNEE, HIS HUNTING DOG ALONGSIDE HIM AND A MYRIAD OF BEASTS ALL AROUND HIM. THE ANIMALS INCLUDE A TIGER, LEOPARD, LION, ELEPHANT, BEAR, GRYPHON, STAG AND BIRDS SUCH AS PHEASANTS, PEACOCKS AND DOVES. THE STUNNING WORK IS CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY AT PRINKNASH ABBEY, NEAR STROUD, BUT THE LEASE HAS COME TO AN END AND ITS OWNER HAS DECIDED TO SELL. IONA SALE, WHO IS PUBLICIZING THE EVENT FOR AUCTIONEERS CHORLEY'S, SAID IT HAD BEEN CHALLENGING PUTTING AN ESTIMATE SALE PRICE ON THE MOSAIC, BECAUSE ON ONE HAD EVER ATTEMPTED SUCH A FEAT BEFORE. SHE SAID: 'WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE MOSAIC ALREADY. A GUESSTIMATE IS THAT IT WILL SELL FOR APPROXIMATELY £15,000 TO £25,000. BUT IT'S SO HARD TO DETERMINE WHAT IT WILL SELL FOR BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A ONE-OFF.' THE ORIGINAL MOSAIC, WHICH DATES BACK TO 325 AD, WAS FIRST FULLY EXCAVATED IN 1793 AT WOODCHESTER, GLOUSTERSHIRE. ALTHOUGH IT IS MISSING MANY PIECES, IT STILL SHOWS A FULL PICTURE. IT HAS ONLY OCCASIONALLY BEEN EXPOSED SINCE THEN BEFORE BEING RE-COVERED WITH EARTH. DURING ITS MOST RECENT UNCOVERING IN 1973, WHEN THE BROTHERS FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH IT, MORE THAN 150,000 VISITORS CAUSED CHAOS WHEN THEY DESCENDED ON THE VILLAGE. REALIZING THAT ANOTHER DISPLAY MIGHT NEVER TAKE PLACE THEY DECIDED TO MAKE A FULL-SCALE RECONSTRUCTION. THE REPLICA THEY CREATED IS NOW RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECTS OF RECENT TIMES. THE ROMAN VILLA AT WOODCHESTER, NEAR STROUD, IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BELONGED TO SOMEONE OF WEALTH AND INFLUENCE. BOB WOODWARD TURNED FROM BUILDER INTO RESEARCH SCHOLAR AS HE TRIED TO DISCOVER WHAT THE MISSING PARTS MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE. THE EARLIEST REPORT HE FOUND DATED BACK TO 1693, WHEN CELTIC SCHOLAR EDWARD LLWYD RECORDED HAVING SEEN 'BIRDS AND BEASTS ON THE FLOOR'. HE CONDUCTED CAREFUL RESEARCH INTO OTHER ORPHEUS MOSAICS TO HELP REPLACE THE MISSING SECTIONS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE. A REPLICA IN THE ORIGINAL LIMESTONE WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO HEAVY AND EXPENSIVE SO INSTEAD THE WOODWARDS SCOURED THE COUNTRY TO FIND CLAYS WITH SUITABLE NATURAL COLOURS. THE WORK WILL BE SOLD AT CHORLEY'S IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

'WORLD'S SMALLEST HOUSE' FOR SALE

WHAT IS BEING BILLED AS THE 'WORLD'S SMALLEST HOUSE' HAS RECENTLY BEEN PUT UP FOR SALE. AT JUST OVER 7 FEET WIDE AND 47 FEET LONG, THE TINY BUILDING IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST FUNCTIONING HOMES IN THE WORLD. THE 312 SQUARE FOOT 'LITTLE HOUSE' OF TORONTO, CANADA, HAS DEVELOPED A CULT FOLLOWING AND EVEN HAS ITS OWN WEBSITE. BACK ON THE PROPERTY MARKET FOR £110,000, THE COMFORTABLE HOME SURPRISINGLY COMES WITH THREE ROOMS, INCLUDING A NORMAL SIZED BATHTUB, AND COMES WITH ALL THE AMENITIES OF A REGULAR SIZED HOME. SITUATED ON DAY STREET IN TORONTO'S HISTORIC LITTLE ITALY, IT IS DESCRIBED IN THE ESTATE AGENT'S GUIDE AS A 'UNIQUE HOME IN GOOD CONDITION OVERALL AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED'. AS WELL AS ITS AMPLE 2.36m-HIGH CEILINGS, THE LITTLE HOUSE ALSO HAS A DECENT SIZED BASEMENT FOR STORAGE SPACE. 'THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE SEEMS MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE THAN THE SMALL EXTERIOR', SAID ESTATE AGENT ANTONIO NARDI. 'IT HAS A FULL BATHROOM, A KITCHEN AND A DECENT SIZED BEDROOM WITH A FOLD UP BED THAT GIVES MORE ROOM WHEN UP. THIS IS A GREAT AND HISTORIC PURCHASE.' BUILT IN 1912, THE LITTLE HOME HAS BECOME A CELEBRITY IN ITS OWN RIGHT OVER THE PAST 98 YEARS. TALK SHOW HOST ELLEN DEGENERES HAS EVEN EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN ONE DAY OWNING THE LITTLE HOUSE.