Hello, Friends!
I love old things, honestly. Hello, you only need to look at my boyfriend, who is almost 50! That's, like, antique!
"I'm classic," Chris objects, looking over my shoulder as I type this. I suppose he means he's the equivalent of a classic car, as opposed to a vintage model.
"So is everything in here an antique?" I ask Peter Helis, half of the eponymous duo behind Helis & Tang.
"Antique or vintage," he concedes.
My eyes glaze over. I'm from Tuguegarao, where everything is centuries-old by default: the brick horno, the cathedral, even the venerable monsignori. Besides the relics of Catholicism, I know precious little, honestly, about old things.
"What's the diff?" I ask Peter.
"Anything post-1950 is vintage, and before that, antique," Peter explains.
Makes sense. I'm vintage, too, I suppose, because I was born in the 80's, and 80's music is, like, so vintage. I grew up listening to Menudo cassette tapes!
Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from an antique shop - never mind one that deals the "Fine European" variety. No, actually - I expected to be scared. Scared that I'd knock down something terribly expensive, which I'd then have to pay for.
Such was not the case, I was pleasantly surprised to find out. There were quite a few Baccarat pieces which I thought were within my reach and would make decent wedding presents for special friends, for example. And even besides that, Helis & Tang's inventory is chock full of joyful, little objets d'art that successfully lift the musty veil off of anything "antique." Simon Tang - Peter's partner of 12 years, husband of 4 - had a handsomely framed proverb behind his desk which I thought encapsulated best Helis & Tang's raison d'etre:
This impish baby centaur was a favourite of mine:
...so was this fierce fish:
...and this Meissen tea set with gorgeous cobalt blue "petals":
The Meissen inventory at Helis & Tang is particularly noteworthy, not least because Peter displays such passion for it. His hometown, Dresden, is close to where Meissen was first produced, in 1710. For something that sounds as... well, industrial, as "the first European hard-paste porcelain," Meissen is so darn beautiful. But what do I know? We didn't have such petty things in Tuguegarao!
"What are your favourite pieces?" I press Peter further, and he presents me this cheeky Meissen figurine of birds... well, just see for yourself:
OK, so by now I am totally sold on antiques - if they all manage to express such vibrant joie de vivre!
Here's another of Peter's favourite - a 1920s Baccarat candelabra. The glass is of such rare colour and displays such painstaking enamel work done entirely by hand:
There are so many pretty things, honestly - and this Art Nouveau bottle holder instantly reminded me, as well, of Rolls-Royce's angel logo:
Isn't it fabulous?
And as a bonus, beautiful guys pass through the store at leisurely intervals to browse Helis & Tang's merchandise - because who else can appreciate such finery better than... well, men (and women!) with good taste?
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| Flowers by Solomon Bloemen |
Yah, he was very cute... and such great calves, honestly...
"How do you keep yourselves entertained on slow days?" I wonder aloud, since it mustn't be everyday that Helis & Tang gets paid a visit by a clumsy Hyperactive Gay Boy™ who is in perpetual danger of knocking things over with his excitable nature and ginormous camera, n'est c'est pas?
"I tickle Simon," Peter replies, "and Simon tickles me."
With Affection,
James
Helis & Tang
(A) 38 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong
(T) +852 3482 6100
(E) info@helistang.com
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