The Winter Show Cochairs Share Their Favorite Things from This Year’s Edition

The highly anticipated Winter Show, now in its 66th year, kicked off on January 24 with 72 fine-and decorative-arts dealers showing objects made across 5,000 years of history at the historic Park Avenue Armory on New York’s Upper East Side. The fair presents everything from jewelry and antiques to arms and old manuscripts, and this year’s highlights included a special exhibition, “Unrivaled,” which brought together works from the Hispanic Society Museum and Library, as well as a selection of some 50 terrestrial and celestial globes at Daniel Crouch Rare Books. As always, there were treasures to be found for all. We asked the fair’s three cochairs to share items that caught their eye and how they would incorporate them in their designs. Read on below.

BRIAN J. MCCARTHY 

Known for his sumptuous, polished style, Brian J. McCarthy launched his design studio over 25 years ago and has designed breathtaking homes from Monaco to Gstaad.

Magnificent Early Naive School domestic animal portrait depicting seven dogs in a stylized landscape (circa 1770). Photo: Courtesy of Robert Young Antiques

1. Folk Art and Furniture at Robert Young Antiques

“This London dealer is one of my first stops at the Winter Show every year. Robert Young has such a curious eye, and not only do they have incredibly authentic original English and European folk art and furniture, their background and displays are also works of art. Everything they bring—and do—has such soul.”

Paul Evans, custom sculpture-front two-door cabinet for Directional, USA, 1964. Photo: Courtesy of Lost City Arts

2. Paul Evans Cabinet from Lost City Arts

“I was instantly drawn to the sculptural, Brutalist nature of this steel and slate cabinet. It’s a perfect example of the work of midcentury master Paul Evans.”

Roger Capron, “Vase a Oreilles Taureau” ceramic vase, circa 1958, signed. Photo: Courtesy of Lebreton

3. Roger Capron Ceramic Vase at Lebreton

“This gallery always brings a beautifully curated, refreshing collection of 20th-century European—and, more specifically, French—ceramics, furniture, and sculpture. I was particularly struck by this ceramic vase from 1958.”

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ANNABELLE SELLDORF

The German-born architect is a founding principal of Selldorf Architects, the New York City–based architecture practice whose clients include the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the Frick Collection, the Clark Art Institute, Neue Galerie New York, and most recently the Rubell Museum in Miami.

Cuzco School, The Presentation in the Temple, Cuzco, Peru, 1700s. Photo: Courtesy of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, New York

1. Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum and Library 

“I am very much looking forward to seeing ‘Unrivaled,’ the Hispanic Society Museum and Library loan exhibition. They have such treasures, from paintings by the great Spanish Masters Velázquez and Goya to decorative arts and medieval objects. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to get a glimpse of their important holdings.”

Lord Orford’s Gold “Cup of Montezuma.” Photo: Courtesy of Thomas Heneage

2. Cup of Montezuma at Thomas Heneage Art Books

“I was struck by this beautiful small piece being offered by Thomas Heneage. It was used for the ceremonial sharing of drinks to mark significant occasions, and the symbolism resonates across the ages.”

An oak cupboard designed by the architect C.F.A. Voysey, circa 1904. Photo: Courtesy of H. Blairman & Sons Ltd

3. Oak Cupboard by H. Blairman & Sons Ltd. 

“This handsome oak cupboard designed by the architect C.F.A. Voysey at the turn of the 20th century would fit well into many homes. With its clean lines and perfect proportions, it is a timeless piece of casework.”

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AMELIA HANDEGAN 

Amelia Handegan, an interior designer based in Charleston, South Carolina, is known for her sophisticated eclectic interiors and for her restoration of important historic houses.

A fine Op Art tapestry, designed by Victor Vasarely and crafted circa 1966. Photo: Courtesy of Keshishian

1. A Fine Op Art tapestry at Keshishian  

“My love of textiles drew me to this piece, which was designed by Victor Vasarely and crafted at the Tabard workshop in Aubusson, France, circa 1966. I would use it as a focal point in a room by placing it above an 18th-century rustic table. The metallic threads would encourage a gold tea leaf ceiling, straw mats on the floor, and pale walls. It is a wonderful piece, allowing the juxtaposition of many styles within a room.”

Hashimoto Gahō, two six-fold screens with paintings of pine with setting sun and bamboo with rising full moon, circa 1903.

2. Two Six-Fold Screens by Hashimoto Gahō at Joan B. Mirviss LTD

“The simplicity of this piece is its beauty—it makes you pause. I would use it possibly in a bedroom, where I could add to the serene atmosphere using beautiful textiles and very simple furniture.”

Albert Bloch, Portrait of a Boy, 1911. Photo: Courtedy of Jonathan Boos

3. A painting by Albert Bloch at Jonathan Boos, New York 

“Jonathan Boos’s portraits are always a favorite. Albert Bloch was an important early modernist, and the only American associated with the Blue Rider Group. I am always intrigued by faces; you can only imagine who these people were. The bold black brush strokes and somber palette of this piece would play nicely in a monochromatic room. I would love to see it displayed over something unusual such as the Paul Evans sculpture-front two-door cabinet, which is on offer at Lost City Arts.”

The Winter Show is on view at the Park Avenue Armory from January 24 to February 2. Purchase tickets here.