CARTIER OPENS NEW BOUTIQUE IN HONG KONG

CARTIER, THE NUMBER ONE LUXURY JEWELRY BRAND IN CHINA, CONTINUES TO BUILD UP ITS PRESENCE IN THE ASIAN MARKET WITH THE OPENING OF YET ANOTHER STUNNING FLAGSHIP ON FRIDAY. THE NEW STORE, WHICH SPANS 900 SQUARE METERS, IS HOUSED INSIDE THE PRINCE'S BUILDING, AN UPSCALE SHOPPING CENTER IN HONG KONG. THE THREE-STORY BOUTIQUE REPLACES CARTIER'S OLD STORE, OPENED IN 1970, THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE SAME BUILDING. THE NEW SPACE IS OPULENTLY DECORATED WITH OAK-CLAD AND BRONZE INTERIORS, CHANDELIERS AND MIRRORED WALLS. IN ADDITION TO CARTIER'S FULL RANGE OF TIMEPIECES AND FINE JEWELRY, THE NEW PANTHER DE CARTIER COLLECTION WILL BE ON VIEW HERE THOUGH ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE ISN'T SLATED UNTIL NEXT YEAR. THE PANTHER DE CARTIER COLLECTION WILL BE CRAFTED IN JADE, DIAMONDS AND JADEITE AND IS EXPECTED TO BE A HIT AMONG LOCAL SHOPPERS SINCE THE CHINESE CONSIDER JADE AN AUSPICIOUS STONE. CARTIER TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THAT IT EXPERIENCED DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN ASIA SINCE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS TWO YEARS AGO. CARTIER, WHICH INTENDS TO DOUBLE ITS BOUTIQUES ACROSS CHINA IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, IS HARDLY THE ONLY WESTERN LUXURY BRAND WITH ITS EYES SET ON THE ASIAN MARKET. TIFFANY & CO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO OPEN 25-30 NEW STORES IN CHINA IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND, FRENCH JEWELER VAN CLEEF & ARPELS OPENED FOUR NEW BOUTIQUES THIS YEAR, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SHOPS IN CHINA FROM FOUR TO EIGHT.

BIBLIOTHEQUE DE L'ARSENAL PRESENTS 'LA BASTILLE, OR A LIVING HELL'

A ROARING FIREPLACE, A WARM BED, SOME WINE AND LITTLE PASTRIES WELCOMED PEOPLE TO LA BASTILLE. THIS WAS NO CHARMING INN, BUT THE NOTORIOUS FRENCH PRISON, STORMED BY AN ANGRY PARISIAN MOB ON 14.JULY.1789, IN AN OUTBURST THAT HELPED SET OFF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. FOR THE FIRST TIME, AN EXHIBIT IN PARIS HAS PULLED TOGETHER ARCHIVES ON THE PRISON TO OFFER A GLIMPSE INTO THE HIDDEN WORLD OF THE BASTILLE. IT SHOWS THE INMATES' RELATIVE COMFORT, AND WHY IT BECAME SUCH A TARGET OF REVOLUTIONARY IRE. 'I MAINTAIN IT WAS A 5-STAR PRISON', SAID HISTORIAN AND BASTILLE EXPERT CLAUDE QUETEL. HE SAID THE PRISON'S PRIVILEGED POSITION CAME FROM BEING DIRECTLY UNDER THE KING'S EYE, BOTH GEOGRAPHICALLY AND BECAUSE IT WAS WHERE MONARCH AFTER MONARCH SENT HIS PERSONAL ENEMIES. IT HOUSED ON AVERAGE 40 INMATES A YEAR, EACH OF WHOM HAD HIS OR HER OWN CELL. THE KING'S OWN PHYSICIAN WOULD TEND TO THE PRISONERS, WHO ALSO BENEFITED FROM THE SERVICES OF AN APOTHECARY AND A MIDWIFE, ACCORDING TO ELISE DUTRAY, CO-CURATOR OF THE EXHIBIT. 'EVERYONE WOULD FUSS OVER THE PRISONERS', SHE SAID. WEALTHY INMATES SUCH AS PHILOSOPHER VOLTAIRE AND THE MARQUIS DE SADE LIVED IN PRIVATE APARTMENTS AND COULD BRING THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, RECEIVE GUESTS AND EVEN THROW DINNER PARTIES, ACCORDING TO THE CURATORS. BUT THE BASTILLE WAS STILL A PRISON. ITS EIGHT IMPOSING MEDIEVAL STONE TOWERS MADE ESCAPING PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT. 'THERE WERE THREE DOORS TO A CELL, AND THREE LOCKS TO EACH DOOR', DUTRAY SAID. BUILT BETWEEN 1370 AND 1380 AS A FORT TO PROTECT THE SOUTH OF PARIS, THE BASTILLE PROVED A POOR MILITARY DEFENSE. IT WAS THE FAMED CARDINAL OF RICHELIEU WHO IN THE 17th CENTURY CONVERTED THE BUILDING INTO A PRISON. THE KING COULD SEND WHOMEVER HE WANTED TO PRISON WITHOUT A TRIAL, WITH A SIMPLE SEALED LETTER. 'IT WAS ARBITRARY, PEOPLE WOULD GO IN WITHOUT KNOWING WHY, AND WOULD COME OUT WITHOUT KNOWING WHEN', DUTRAY SAID. PEOPLE WERE NOT PUT IN THE BASTILLE FOR CRIMES SUCH AS THEFT OR MURDER. THEY WERE THERE FOR TROUBLING THE SOCIAL ORDER. THIS INCLUDED PROTESTANTS, HOMOSEXUALS, PROSTITUTES, TRAITORS AND ANYONE WHO DARED SAY ANYTHING AGAINST THE KING OR HIS REIGN, WHICH MEANT MOST OF THE PRISONERS WERE AUTHORS, PUBLISHERS AND BOOK PEDDLERS. LIFE IN THE BASTILLE HAD ITS LIMITATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD WAS STRICTLY CONTROLLED. ONE PRISONER SENT A MESSAGE ON HIS HANDKERCHIEF WRITTEN OUT OF COFFEE AND SOOT, ON DISPLAY IN THE EXHIBIT. ANOTHER SMUGGLED HIS OUT IN A CHEESE. ONE PRISONER SEWED A MESSAGE ONTO A PIECE OF CLOTH, CLAIMING HIS INNOCENCE AND ASKING WHOEVER FOUND IT TO HELP HIM. 'SECRET IS THE WORD THAT DEFINES THIS PRISON. PRISONERS WHO LEFT THE BASTILLE WOULD HAVE TO SIGN A REGISTER PROMISING NEVER TO TALK ABOUT THE PRISONERS THEY SAW IN THE BASTILLE OR WHAT THEY LIVED THROUGH', DUTRAY SAID. THIS MEANT NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN THE PRISON. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC RELIED ON BOOKS WITH EXAGGERATED ACCOUNTS OF TORTURE AND SUFFERING TO FORM THEIR OPINIONS. LOUIS XVI IMPLEMENTED REFORMS TO THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM, ABOLISHING TORTURE IN THE PRISONS IN 1780 AND DESTROYING THE UNHEALTHIEST PRISONS. HE EVEN HAD PLANS TO DESTROY THE BASTILLE AND REPLACE IT WITH A PUBLIC SQUARE NAMED AFTER HIMSELF. THE PLANS WERE LATER REVIVED, THOUGH THE SQUARE TODAY IS CALLED PLACE DE LA BASTILLE. BUT THE KING'S REFORMS HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION. THE BASTILLE HAD SYMBOLIZED ROYAL ABUSE FOR GENERATIONS. ON 14.JULY.1789, THE PEOPLE OF PARIS, MANY OF THEM STARVING, REVOLTED AGAINST THE KING FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF NEGOTIATIONS TO REFORM THE SYSTEM OF PRIVILEGES, THE STRICT AND UNPRODUCTIVE SOCIAL CODE THAT WAS RUINING THE COUNTRY. WHEN THEY STORMED THE BASTILLE, THERE WERE ONLY SEVEN PRISONERS INSIDE. THE NEXT DAY, PARISIANS BEGAN DESTROYING THE PRISON. TODAY NOTHING REMAINS OF THE BASTILLE EXCEPT A FEW CARVED STONES, A DOOR AND A COUPLE OF KEYS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY IN THE EXHIBIT. ANOTHER KEY WAS SENT AS A GIFT BY GENERAL LAFAYETTE TO GEORGE WASHINGTON AND CAN BE SEEN IN MOUNT VERNON. THE FREE EXHIBIT, CALLED 'LA BASTILLE, OR A LIVING HELL', IS SHOWING AT THE BIBLIOTHEQUE DE L'ARSENAL THROUGH 11.FEBRUARY.2011.

WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE TEQUILA BOTTLE

MEXICAN DISTILLER HACIENDA LA CAPILLA, HAS RECENTLY UNVEILED A 1.3 LITER TEQUILA BOTTLE CALLED 'TE DIAMOND STERLING'. THE STUNNING BOTTLE, MADE OF A 2.3 KILOGRAM LAYER OF PLATINUM AND OVER 4,000 DIAMONDS TOTALING 328 CARATS, IS VALUED AT OVER $3.5 MILLION. THE BOTTLE, DESIGNED BY FERNANDO ALTAMIRANO, WAS SEEN DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS TELEVISION IN MEXICO CITY. ALTAMIRANO HOPES TO BREAK THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLE.

BANK OF IRELAND SELLS PART OF ITS ART COLLECTION

BANK OF IRELAND HAS RAISED OVER $2 MILLION IN A SALE OF ITS PRIZED IRISH ART WORKS, AUCTIONEERS SAID THURSDAY, BU THE MONEY WON'T BE USED TO SHORE UP THE TROUBLED LENDER AMID THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC GLOOM. ADAM'S AUCTION HOUSE SAID 144 WORKS SOLD WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WHEN MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE PACKED INTO THE GLITZY BALLROOM OF DUBLIN'S SHELBOURNE HOTEL, HOURS AFTER THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THE TOUGHEST BUDGET CUTS IN THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY. THE EVEN HIGHLIGHTED THE RESILIENCY AND QUIRKINESS OF IRELAND, WHERE FOR DECADES WEALTH WAS KEPT HIDDEN UNDER A MATTRESS, AND WHERE SAVERS ONCE AGAIN ARE SEEKING A HAVEN SAFER THAN THE COUNTRY'S CRIPPLED BANKS. IT ALSO PROVIDED A LIGHTING ROD FOR PEOPLE DISGUSTED BY HOW IRELAND'S BANKS BROUGHT THE COUNTRY TO RUIN, ARE ON COURSE TO RECEIVE BILLIONS MORE FROM AN INTERNATIONAL LOAN, YET CLING TO THEIR OWN STAGGERING PRIVATE WEALTH. 'THE BANKS HAVE MISMANAGED EVERYTHING FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. WHY SHOULD WE NOW ENTRUST THEM WITH THIS COLLECTION?', ASKED GEMMA MASTROINNI CARROLL, A FORMER WALL STREET BANKER WHO WAS AMONG ABOUT 20 PROTESTERS OUTSIDE THE SALE. 'THESE ARE VALUABLE ASSETS FOR OUR FUTURE. THE BANKS WILL DEFAULT, AND THEY WILL LEAVE THIS COUNTRY WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING', SHE SAID. BANK IF IRELAND DECIDED TO AUCTION OFF ITS ART STOCKPILE AFTER FACING CRITICISM OVER ITS MULTI-BILLION BAILOUT AND ITS INCREASING RELIANCE ON TAXPAYERS' GOODWILL. THE BANK IS DONATING THE MONEY TO LOCAL CHARITIES RATHER THAN COVER ITS DEBT LIABILITIES. SOME CRITICS ARGUED THE BANK SHOULD BE DONATING ITS ENTIRE 2,000 PIECE COLLECTION TO THE NATION, SO THE WORKS ALL WOULD REMAIN IN IRELAND. SOME ON WEDNESDAY'S WINNING BIDDERS CAME FROM COUNTRIES RANGING FROM THE UNITED STATES TO JAPAN. BUT MANY OF THE BIDDERS SAID THEY WERE RELIEVED THAT BANK OF IRELAND MOUNTED THE AUCTION, AND THAT ANYBODY SHOWED UP. THE AUCTION HOUSE WAS FORCED TO SWITCH THE SALE TO THE NEIGHBORING HOTEL BECAUSE OF THE HIGH PUBLIC INTEREST. IT'S NOW EXAMINING THE BANK'S REMAINING WORKS FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE SALES. IRELAND'S FIVE OTHER IRISH BANKS, ALL BUT ONE OF THEM NATIONALIZED OR HEADING THAT DIRECTION AS STATE BAILOUTS GROW EVER LARGER, ARE CONSIDERING THE SALE OF THEIR OWN ART COLLECTIONS. THE LANDSCAPE 'CLOUDS AT SUNSET', A 1911 STUDY OF KILLARY HARBOR IN WESTERN IRELAND BY NORTHERN IRISH ARTIST PAUL HENRY, ATTRACTED THE HIGHEST BID OF $88,000. THE AUCTIONEER, JAMES O'HALLORAN, NOTED THAT THE PRICES REACHED WEDNESDAY GENERALLY PALED IN COMPARISON TO THE FREEWHEELING BIDDING EXPERIENCED IN THE FINAL, HEADY DAYS OF IRELAND'S CELTIC TIGER BOOM, JUST THREE YEARS AGO. 'WILLIAM JOHN LEECH'S STILL LIFE OIL PAINTING 'MARGUERITES', WHICH SOLD FOR $22,600, COULD HAVE SOLD FOR TWO OR THREE TIMES THAT PRICE IN THE RECENT PAST. PARTLY IT'S THAT TASTES HAVE ADJUSTED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT THE SPECULATORS HAVE ALSO GONE. IT MEANS WE HAVE A MUCH MORE GENUINE ART MARKET.'

BONHAMS TO SELL ROLL-ROYCE PHANTOM III THAT APPEARED IN PAN'S LABRYINTH

THE FIRST ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM III TO BE SOLD TO AMERICA, WHICH FEATURED IN THE AWARD-WINNING 2006 FILM 'PAN'S LABYRINTH', IS TO BE SOLD AT BONHAMS TRADITIONAL END OF YEAR SALE OF IMPORTANT MOTOR CARS AND FINE AUTOMOBILIA ON 6.DECEMBER, WHICH THIS YEAR TAKES PLACE AT MERCEDES-BENZ WORLD AT BROOKLANDS IN SURREY. A TOTAL NUMBER OF 24 PHANTOM III ROLLS-ROYCES ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN SOLD TO AMERICA NEW, WITH THIS CAR LISTED TO HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FIRST ON 2.DECEMBER.1936. ESTIMATED AT £60,000 – 70,000 AND IN FANTASTIC CONDITION, THE CAR WAS USED ALONGSIDE A BENTLEY IN A CAR CHASE IN THE FILM PAN'S LABYRINTH, WHICH WAS DIRECTED BY GUILLERMO DEL TORO. IT HAS BEEN OWNED BY A PROMINENT CONNOISSEUR OF PRE-WAR LUXURY CARS SINCE THIS TIME AND KEPT IN SOUTHERN EUROPE.
300,000).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

VERSACE'S RETURN ZOFFANY PAINTING TO HEIRS

A PAINTING STOLEN FROM A LONDON HOME IN 1979 AND WHICH ENDED UP IN THE COLLECTION OF LATE ITALIAN LUXURY FASHION DESIGNER GIANNI VERSACE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL OWNERS, BRITAIN'S ART LOSS REGISTER SAID ON MONDAY. THE WORK BY 18th CENTURY GERMAN ARTIST JOHANN ZOFFANY HAD BEEN BILLED AS THE STAR LOT IN SOTHEBY'S AUCTION OF TE CONTENTS OF VERSACE'S LAKE COMO VILLA LAST YEAR, BUT IT WAS WITHDRAWN AS THE LAST MOMENT. A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE SUBJECT OF 'PORTRAIT OF MAJOR GEORGE MAULE' CONTACTED THE ART LOSS REGISTER, WHICH TRACKS LOST AND STOLEN ART AND ANTIQUITIES, AND THE ALR IN TURN CONTACTED SOTHEBY'S. 'WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A PROTRACTED LEGAL BATTLE BETWEEN TWO VERY WELL FINANCED EUROPEAN FAMILIES AND THEIR COPIOUS SETS OF LAWYERS HAS BEEN AMICABLE SETTLED BY THE ARL LOSS REGISTER'S MEDIATION TEAM', A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE ALR SAID IN A STATEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO FAMILIES REMAINED CONFIDENTIAL, THE ALR's CHRISTOPHER MARINELLO SAID: 'THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT GIANNI VERSACE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS PORTRAIT WAS STOLEN WHEN HE PURCHASED IT IN THE 1980s. THIS PORTRAIT DOES...HOLD PARTICULAR SENTIMENTAL VALUE TO THE ... HEIRS AND THE VERSACE FAMILY WERE EXTREMELY GRACIOUS IN THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE IN SEEING ITS RETURN.'