A 170-year-old Irish diamond Celtic revival brooch, believed to be the only one of its kind in existence, has been unveiled at Timeless, the Irish Antique Dealers’ Fair at the RDS this weekend.
It is featured alongside an official Ferrari Grand Prix drivers’ simulator used by Michael Schumacher.
The electronic simulator was used by Ferrari to prepare its drivers for the various circuits on the Formula One calendar in 2006 – Schumacher’s last season driving for the team.
It will be sold at a subsequent auction in the coming months by antiques dealer Niall Mullen, who brought the piece to the South Dublin event to give Grand Prix fans a rare opportunity to see a slice of famous F1 history.
“This is a fantastic piece of official Ferrari equipment and would have been used by the great German ace and his team-mate Felipe Massa,” he said.
The €30,000 brooch was made on Grafton Street and is the believed to be the only diamond set Irish Celtic revival fibula piece in existence, according to Garret Weldon of JW Weldon Jewellers.
“This amazing brooch is the only one we have ever seen, and we believe, the only one ever made. It was crafted by Johnson’s of 94 Grafton Street, in around 1860 and is silver on gold with a bed of three carat diamonds.”
With a blend of contemporary and antique-focused exhibitors, Timeless allows all ages and tastes to explore and discover stunning once-off, yet affordable, pieces.
A 400-year-old diamond ring which travelled the Silk Road is also among the unique designs at the Fair which returns for the 56th time and runs until Sunday.
The English crafted ring, valued at €3,950, pre-dates the mining era and the stones would have been weathered by the earth and polished rather than cut, according to Garret Weldon.
Mr Weldon has also curated a collection of Egyptian Revival jewellery, created following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The fair also features a rare first edition Memphis Milano Carlton bookcase – a favourite of David Bowie – which will be sold in Ireland for the first time by Acquired.
Breaking from all traditional materials and rules of design, Carlton bookcases, valued at €17,000, were in the collections of rock and fashion icons such as Bowie and Karl Lagerfeld, who were among the first to understand and acknowledge the ground-breaking design.
Designed by Ettore Sottsass for the Memphis Milano group, the bookcase for sale at Timeless once graced Florence palazzo and has been photographed for several famous interiors’ publications, according to Domhnall Ó Garbhí of Acquired.
More details about the fair on: timelessfair.ie
PHOTOS – CONOR MCCABE
- Revised LRD application for 1020 homes and nature park in Donabate
- Dáil abuse and verbal attacks intolerable and intimidating with 13 arrests made
- Five deaths on Irish roads this weekend including motorcycle fatality in Tallaght
- ‘Life in Ireland and Fingal’ theme for Festival of History
- Driveyou.ie car and van sharing announces 12 new locations in Fingal
