English Old Sheffield rolled plate silver egg cups, circa 1820; French café au lait bowls, early 20th century; English Old Sheffield teapot with ebony handle, circa 1830; French faience plate, Luneville—all at Lucullus.
Antiquing in New Orleans represents some of the best shopping in the world. But with the huge collection of galleries, shops and specialty retailers, where do you begin? Here’s a clip and save FAQ with some of those queries we hear from our readers. Take this along on your next marathon antique shopping excursion in the city.
I shop in New Orleans for antiques because there are things here I can’t find anywhere else in the world. Where is one of the best places for me to go?
M.S. Rau Antiques (630 Royal St.) is the place for you. This place is huge (30,000 square feet) and old. How old? Woodrow Wilson was elected president the year they opened. Sapphires from Sri Lanka, 19th-century Georgian mahogany furniture, museum-quality 16th-century English silver, antique Swedish porcelain—you get the picture.
Nineteenth-century French faience tureens with 19th-century French glazed pottery at Lucullus.
I can’t get enough of ornate lighting fixtures, especially from France. The more dazzling and rococo the better! Where should I go?
French Antique Shop (225 Royal St.) is the place for you. Be prepared to look up, up, up, up in this place, as the ceiling is ablaze with one of the largest collections of antique lighting in the country. From a sparkling bronze and Baccarat crystal Louis XV chandelier to a pair of Louis XVI crystal sconces, you will indeed be dazzled. The lighting serves to illuminate a world-class collection of furnishings, mantels, mirrors and more.
I love strolling through room after room of European antiques, and I want to shop in the French Quarter. Where should I go?
You will probably want to take a full day trip to Antiquing in New Orleans represents some of the best shopping in the world. But with the huge collection of galleries, shops and specialty retailers, where do you begin? Here’s a clip and save FAQ with some of those queries we hear from our readers. Take this along on your next marathon antique shopping excursion in the city.
Louis XVI paint and gilt bed with tufted pink fabric, c. 1860; Directoire style side chair, c. 1930; Framed floral needlepoint, c. 1840; and French painted poudreuse, c. 1840 at Bush Antiques.
I shop in New Orleans for antiques because there are things here I can’t find anywhere else in the world. Where is one of the best places for me to go?
M.S. Rau Antiques (630 Royal St.) is the place for you. This place is huge (30,000 square feet) and old. How old? Woodrow Wilson was elected president the year they opened. Sapphires from Sri Lanka, 19th-century Georgian mahogany furniture, museum-quality 16th-century English silver, antique Swedish porcelain—you get
the picture.
A pair of 14-kt. gold antique American bangle bracelets with Archeological Revival accents. Photos courtesy of Waldhorn & Adler Antiques.
I can’t get enough of ornate lighting fixtures, especially from France. The more dazzling and rococo the better! Where should I go?
French Antique Shop (225 Royal St.) is the place for you. Be prepared to look up, up, up, up in this place, as the ceiling is ablaze with one of the largest collections of antique lighting in the country. From a sparkling bronze and Baccarat crystal Louis XV chandelier to a pair of Louis XVI crystal sconces, you will indeed be dazzled. The lighting serves to illuminate a world-class collection of furnishings, mantels, mirrors and more.
Art deco platinum, diamond and cabochon ruby clips with an attachment to wear as a brooch. Jewelry on this page is from Waldhorn & Adler. Photos courtesy of Waldhorn & Adler Antiques.
I love strolling through room after room of European antiques, and I want to shop in the French Quarter. Where should I go?
You will probably want to take a full day trip to Rothschild’s Antiques (241 & 321 Royal St.), where you can close your eyes and easily step back to the 1700s. Rothschild’s specializes in 18th, 19th, and 20th century English and French furniture, silver, chandeliers and jewelry. Among the thousands of items: antique silver, marble mantels, porcelains, and more—all imported from Europe.
I am obsessed with collecting hard-to-find estate silver patterns. Word has it there’s a good place to shop for these in New Orleans.
Get thee to As You Like It Silver Shop (3033 Magazine St.), right in the thick of antique row on Magazine St. Here you can find silver everything. Do you need a 19th-century Tiffany loving cup? Of course you do. Look for names including Wallace, Gorham, S. Kirk & Son, Reed & Barton, and Towle.
P.S.: About those few pieces for which you have been searching for years, ask about As You Like It’s “wish list”—chances are your search will end here.
Call me eclectic, but I’m really into interspersing religious artifacts with my furnishings and art. Where can I find the best selection for my “fallen angel” décor?
Ah, we have the place for you. How does this sound? An Italian giltwood reliquary, circa 1800—or antique monstrances, holy water fonts, a mahogany prie dieu covered in velvet, and even silk damask vestments. Bush Antiques (2109 Magazine St.) maintains one of the largest selections of religious artifacts, art and furnishings in the city. Also, shop for distinctive architectural elements, antique furniture and more.
Bush Antiques offers a number of religious artifacts and pieces, such as an oil canvas of Jesus, circa 1870, and a standing painted crucifix, circa 1840.
I should have been born in ancient Greece or Rome—I love classicism and neo-classic designs. Where would you send me for great shopping?
If you are one of those gifted people who easily mixes period pieces with classically designed contemporary furnishings, head to Piranesi Antiques (2104 Magazine St.) where a custom designed obelisk can elegantly adorn an 18th-century Italian table. The showroom will offer inspiration to those with the “gift of mix”—furnishings, paintings, bowls, vases and clocks are just a bit of the offerings.
I love antiques, but I need help! I am looking for a shop with someone who has really made a lifelong study of antiques—somewhere I can go and get some “shopping lessons”—and I only want distinctive period pieces.
We are sending you directly to Ida Manheim Antiques (409 Royal St.). If you don’t know the difference between Chippendale and Hepplewhite, or the distinction between Baroque and Rococo, you need some “Ida therapy.” After a few visits to this venerable French Quarter dealer, you’ll be speaking “Antique”—with words like Chinoiserie, marquetry, bergere and parquetry rolling off of your tongue with ease. Best of all, you will know what they all mean. School is in session and Miss Ida is in charge.
George II brass-inlaid mahogany tripod tea table at M.S. Rau Antiques. Photo courtesy of M.S. Rau Antiques.
I’m all about my dinner parties, and to me the beauty is in the presentation. Where can I go in New Orleans to shop for great antique serving pieces, flatware, tureens, etc.?
You sound ready to enter the presentation stratosphere, and ground zero is Lucullus (610 Chartres St.), the quaint French Quarter home of experts in “the grand pursuits of dining, cooking and imbibing.” Sometimes the table is simply incomplete without the perfect French damask cloth and napkins. And how could you possibly serve aged cognac in anything but 19th-century French hand-blown glasses? Oh, and that cream celery soup you’re so known for? Only an Empire-style Austrian porcelain tureen will do—but you knew that.
I love fine European pieces, but I’m always on the hunt for French art deco furniture. Is here anywhere in New Orleans to feed both of my passions, under one roof?
Absolutely. Mire Antiques (2050 Magazine St.) is located on the street the New York Times once called the “Shopper’s Street of Dreams.” If dreams are made of things like Napoleon III clocks, Louis Philippe-style mirrors, art nouveau centerpieces and Louis XV side tables, then this is the place for you.
My motto: There’s no such thing as enough jewelry. Where can I find a great selection of antique and estate jewelry?
All that glitters and gleams can be found at the name synonymous with fine jewelry in New Orleans, Waldhorn & Adler Antiques (343 Royal St.). If you know antique jewelry, you already know this place, but the inventory changes constantly. If watches are your passion, regular sojourns to the 300 block of Royal Street need
to be on your agenda.
