Mr. Yan was playing a 1973 Bally Hi-Lo ACE pinball machine when we arrived. "Nothing here is from China", he told us, referring to the rest of Fontaine Antique Shop, a serious collection of valuable... stuff... from the past. The pinball machine, like everything in the store is for sale. Play it three times for five kuai, or better yet, take it home: 46,000rmb.
Fontaine Antique Shop, which Mr. Yan manages and whose merchandise he has supplied, was originally located across the street from La Petite Fontaine, a sister cafe/restaurant of Le Petit Jardin and part of the ‘Secret Garden' series.
After a nearly one year hiatus, it returned in October 2018 with a brand new look, at the back of the restaurant. It takes some time to find, inside an unfinished office block within a tired "fashion education center" on Changshou Lu.
Mr. Yan is an antique himself. Reluctant to talk about himself, he puts all of his energy into the antiques, with an incredible memory for where he purchased each and every one. One after another, we listened to the music from a 1906 Edison phonograph and saw the mechanical wonder of a Karl Griesbaum singing bird box made in the 1900s. Multiple Fabergé-style eggs were revealed, and a four-segment, Victorian folding biscuit box came out as well when he wanted to sell us something more affordable and practical.
According to Yan, what's the in the shop accounts for roughly 1/10 of his total collection. With the way he bargains, it's hard not to believe him. A 1913 Ford Model T sits in the lobby of the office building.
In a city where antique shops are rare, Fontaine Antique Shop yields many delights. Prices are jaw-dropping but not everyone has to buy. If you have an afternoon and want to escape the city for a while, go step in to Mr. Yan's world. ***
