Suzanne Tucker. Photography by Michal Venera.

The celebrated interior designer Suzanne Tucker has been selected to serve as the chair of the thirty-fifth San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques Show. The longest running international art and antiques fair on the West Coast, the Show will feature sixty dealers from around the world, offering for sale an extraordinary range of fine and decorative arts from antiquity to the present day. Attendees will find American, English, Continental, and Asian furniture and decorative objects, paintings, prints, photographs, books, gold, silver and precious metals, jewelry, rugs, textiles, and ceramics.

An exquisite Louis Philippe period polychrome decorated two door cabinet by "Chifflot," French. Signed and dated: Chifflot 1846-47. Of polychrome lacquer on black ground, the carcass of oak and poplar. In original, unrestored condition. Offered by Carlton Hobbs, LLC.

Tucker, who chaired last year’s show, has selected the theme “Animalia – Animals in Art & Antiques.” Exhibitors will present collections that explore the beauty and mystery of the animal kingdom, as well as its symbolism throughout the ages. Tucker says, “The Animalia theme has been in the cooker for a while—it is fanciful and playful, chic and timeless—and includes the kingdom of all animals. Of course it is a subject that has been interpreted in just about every discipline, technique, and material throughout time but it's also relatable to everyone—modern and traditional, antiquities to contemporary. Mankind has always been fascinated with the beauty and mystery of the animal kingdom, creating symbolism and meaning, and the Latin word Animalis literally means ‘Having Soul.’ I love that because at the heart of all art, antiques, and decorative objects is a boundless, collective soul—that of the artist, the craftsman, the collector, the observer, and the history of the piece.”

A fine pair of oval rococo girandoles having a stylized crest blending both chinoiserie and “Gothick” elements with c-scrolls and carved leaf decoration surmounting a second crest with a profusion of leaves and c-scrolls surrounding the oval frame having candle arms with the base made of double opposing c-scrolls. English, circa 1750. Offered by Clinton Howell Antiques.

As always, the Show will feature a panoply of the country’s finest dealers, including Arader Galleries, Carlton Hobbs, LLC, Clinton Howell Antiques, epoca, Foster-Gwin, Inc., Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, R.M. Barokh Antiques, and Yew Tree House Antiques. The 2016 show will also feature more galleries specializing in fine art than in years past—a change that is reflected in the event’s new name. Tucker says, “There is a lot that is new this year—adding ‘Art’ to the name of the show for one. This was by popular demand from many dealers and opens the show up to a broader range of art galleries.” Another major update is the elimination of the fifty-year cut off date for offerings. According to Tucker, “We have invited our dealers to think beyond antiques and bring pieces from antiquity to present day ...Walking the aisles of the show will be a feast of the beauty and splendor of the finest art and antiques throughout time and pieces many centuries old as well as from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”

A late 19th century-early 20th century carousel zebra by eminent creator Karl Muller in carved, painted wood. Offered by Yew Tree House Antiques.

The Show has long had a reputation as a must-attend event for the country’s top interior designers, a quality that Tucker attributes to the fair's top-notch offerings and fabulous designer preview night, which is held before the official opening party, allowing designers to put items on hold for their clients. “In addition,” says Tucker, “there is strong designer involvement in the show itself.” Need proof? Lifestyle guru Aerin Lauder will serve as the honorary chair of the 2016 show, the entry will be designed by San Francisco architect Andrew Skurman, and there will be four designer vignettes, each incorporating a few choice antiques as well as a custom-designed wall covering exclusively developed in collaboration with De Gournay. The vignettes will be designed by Ann Getty, Catherine Kwong, Antonio Martins, and Jonathan Rachman. The Show will also present a full roster of programming, including cocktail hour talks and a highly-anticipated lecture series that will feature a number of interior design luminaries, such as David Netto and Alexa Hampton.

Nathan Oliveira, Seated Man with Pink Face, 1958. Offered by Foster-Gwin Art & Antiques.

The San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques Show will kick off on Wednesday, October 26, with an opening night Preview Gala at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion in the city’s posh Marina District and will run through Sunday, October 30. As always, 100% of net proceeds benefit Enterprise for High School Students, the San Francisco nonprofit that offers training, career counseling, and internships to a diverse group of Bay Area youth to pursue life after school with passion and purpose. Click here for more information.