September 18, 2007

Just the Artifacts

Reliquiae

Souvenirs can be tricky.

Postcards never make it into a scrapbook, that Eiffel Tower trinket was probably made in China, and you polished off two dozen chocolates before leaving the Brussels airport. Ouch.

Procuring worthwhile cultural artifacts is certainly an art — and one Amelia Hughes has mastered. She calls her assortment of captivating objects from all over the world Reliquiae, and it’s housed, appropriately, in well-worn Goyard travel trunks.

You’ll find various clutches — from a 1970s Christian Dior tapestry to a top-handle crocodile — and shimmering vintage pieces from Whiting & Davis, like a snake bracelet that slithers around the wrist. Baubled Miriam Haskell jewelry is nestled among strung gold lockets.

Sort through it this weekend at a trunk show at Stel’s. Afterward, Hughes heads to Turkey and Egypt to seek more luscious spoils.

Something tells us she’ll come back with way more than a snow globe.

Trunk show September 21-23 at Stel’s, 334 Newbury Street, Back Bay (617-262-3348). To see styles, go to reliquiaeonline.com. To purchase, e-mail amelia@reliquiaeonline.com.