LAS VEGAS -- Beginning Sept. 13, more than 250 items from the
private collection of England's Duke and Duchess of Devonshire will
be displayed at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art here.
The royal collection, assembled over five centuries, includes
sculptures, porcelain, furniture, early photographs and paintings
and drawings
by such Old Master artists as Andrea Mantegna, Raphael, Titian,
Albrecht Durer, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and
Rembrandt.
Gems and jewelry also will be on display, including the
Devonshire Parure, a set of seven pieces of Victorian jewelry that
showcases 88 priceless, engraved gems, most dating from Roman
times.
Also part of the exhibit is the Kniphausen "Hawk," a
17th-century pouring vessel encrusted with red garnets, amethysts,
emeralds and blue sapphires that is said to have been the
inspiration for Dashiell Hammett's "Maltese Falcon."
Also included in the exhibit are rare books and manuscripts from
the duke and duchess' private library at Chatsworth, their
ancestral home.
Located in the heart of Derbyshire, England, Chatsworth has been
home to the Cavendish family for nearly 500 years and, in turn, has
housed one of the most famous private collections in Britain.
"This is truly one of the most historically significant
exhibitions ever to come to Las Vegas," according to Matthew
Hileman, director of marketing for the Bellagio Gallery of Fine
Art.
"The Cavendish family has been collecting for 14 generations,
everything from drawings by Raphael and Rembrandt to artifacts from
King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. This is an opportunity to
get a glimpse into the private collection of one of England's
oldest aristocratic families," Hileman said.
In conjunction with the exhibit, which runs through Jan. 18, the
Gallery Store will offer related merchandise, including a full line
of giftware created exclusively for the Chatsworth house.
In addition to books, prints, postcards and home accessories,
visitors also can peruse "The Devonshire Inheritance: Five
Centuries of Collecting at Chatsworth," a 450-page, illustrated
catalog that features a foreword by the Duke of Devonshire and
essays by Nicolas Barker, former deputy keeper at the British
Library and guest curator of this exhibition, as well as
contributions by Diana Scarisbrick, a recognized scholar of jewelry
and gems.
Tickets for the exhibit, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7
p.m., are $15 per person and $12 for students, Nevada residents and
visitors age 65 and older.
An audio tour is included in the admission price.
Tickets and more information are available at the gallery or by
calling (877) 957-9777 or (702) 693-7871, or by visiting www.bgfa.biz.
Annual gallery membership, called the Blue Card, can be
purchased for $45. Benefits include unlimited admission for two,
discounts for members' guests and discounts in the Gallery
Store.
For agents and other travel professionals, the gallery allows
the purchase of at least 10 undated VIP tickets at 25% off the
general admission price. The agent then can add his or her
commission to the price, up to the regular retail price.
Each ticket, called a Black Card, is worth one admission to the
gallery and can be used at any time. The bearer need not wait in
line or have to worry about being at the exhibit on a specific day
or at a specific time. For more information, agents can contact
Hileman at (702) 693-7851.
To contact reporter Amy Baratta, send e-mail to [email protected] .