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Fashion’s Eye on Monstrous Beauty: At The Met with Betsy Nathan & Sarah Hand
Continue ReadingThere’s still time to catch Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie at The Met on view through August 17th. I was lucky enough to see it with my dear friend from Hamilton College, Sarah Hand. She has extraordinary taste and has been a fashion insider for over 30 years. While I was visiting New […]
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Windy City: Michael Thompson’s Kites Soar in Chicago Homes by Laurel Feldman & Lauren Coburn
Continue ReadingWe cherish our global community of designers and artists, but we’re not immune to hometown pride. When two notable Chicago interior designers both gravitate toward one of our favorite Chicago artists – and select his work for their clients’ outstanding homes in Chicago — it showcases the local design alchemy that we’ve cherished since PAGODA […]
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Get To Know Us Better With Betsy
Continue Reading“Everything we do at PAGODA RED carries meaning. We believe in making connections with people near and far through extraordinary objects and their stories.” -Betsy Nathan, Founder I’m Betsy Nathan, founder and creative director of PAGODA RED in Chicago, Illinois. PAGODA RED is a destination for antiques, art, and curiosities. We started primarily with objects […]
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Pipe Dreams: The Opulence of Chinese Opium Accessories
Continue ReadingBeginning in the 18th century, recreational opium smoking became an entire culture unto itself, replete with beautifully crafted paraphernalia that provided an opportunity to express one’s taste and aesthetic refinement. We’re honored to have recently become stewards of a vast collection of antique Chinese opium accessories. A feat of collecting that took a decade to […]
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As You Wish: The Ruyi Symbol and Magical Mushrooms in Chinese & Japanese Decorative Arts
Continue ReadingIn modern pop culture, “as you wish” is the catchphrase of secretive pirates and all-powerful genies. Say it aloud at a party, and film fans will immediately think of Wesley’s devotion to Buttercup in The Princess Bride. It’s a phrase from fiction, one that builds on our fascination with objects and people that could magically […]
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Moon Garden Magic with Jeanne Nolan
Continue ReadingJeanne Nolan of the The Organic Gardener is known for creating gardens that are as nurturing as they are beautiful. For Nolan, a home garden can be touchstone of daily life: a source of food and cut flowers, a place of meditation and play, and an endless source of creative inspiration. Like us, Nolan is […]
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MK Pritzker at PAGODA RED: A Celebration of Illinois Design
Continue ReadingIn his introduction to A House That Made History, designer Michael Smith describes Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker as a “dynamic and deeply engaging” couple. Their longtime friend is spot-on, as our community discovered with Mrs. Pritzker at PAGODA RED as she signed copies of her new book with Rizzoli. A House […]
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Luxe Life: The Custom Homes of Chinese Songbirds
Continue Reading“Songbirds brush the eaves in flight and fish dart through the waterweed, men of elegance and taste, apprehending their nature, do not weary of watching them all day long.” – Wen Zhenheng, translated by Tony Blishen The practice of keeping a small songbird as a pet is a longstanding tradition in China dating back to […]
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Yaji Gardens: Antidotes to Modern Life
Continue ReadingIn ancient China, elaborate gardens were closely associated with the upper class—who enjoyed palatial estates and grounds stocked with rare flora and fauna. But a new, more intimate garden gained popularity during the Mongol occupation (in the late 13th and early 14th century). In concert with a renewed emphasis upon the arts, the spaces—designed specifically […]
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Travelogue: Following The Tea Horse Trail to Tibetan Art
Continue ReadingThe Tea Horse Trail is the southern equivalent of the historic Silk Road trading route. As the name suggests, the Tea Horse, which first emerged during the Tang Dynasty, was used to ferry tea from Southern China up to Tibet.There, it was traded for Tibetan horses and salt. On a memorable mother-son trip, PAGODA RED founder […]