Oh, for the good old days! Wasn't life much simpler then? No worries to bear. No hunting for food. No clothes to wash. Well, we messed it up. And our lives have never been the same. The bookends, shown above, capture Eve luxuriating against a date palm tree—well before The Fall. No apple in sight. And, lest you blame Eve for Adam's fall, please recall, in Genesis, God told Adam that he was not to eat of the forbidden fruit. He never gave Eve such instructions. Nevertheless, when God questioned Adam about eating the fruit, he immediately responded, "The Woman made me eat it!" Such an outburst seems prophetic; for millennia to come, such "blame game" responses have echoed through...
This is one way to organize paperwork. And it's branded "Diamond," the birthstone which begins April First.
The organization of paper makes me think of this story from last week:
Deep within the dozens of boxes of "misappropriated and recovered" government documents this year was found an "Official Presidential Order" written sometime during the waning days of 2020. According to Avril Foulin, staff assistant at the National Archive's Stolen Document Recovery Department, the document—which may or may not have been officially processed—was found in a folder, clipped to commercial import invoices for "Chinese Antiq. Style PVC Ecomomy Fawcet (with high-gloss golden color sprayed)." Interestingly, the presidential order under scrutiny may have been related to these cheap and tacky plastic bathroom fixtures.
Skyscrapers! Angles! Silvery-shine! This pair of bookends screams "Art Deco!" They were made in the Thirties or Forties by Russel Studios (Chicago), cast of their "Silverlite" alloy—a blend of aluminum and zinc. Aluminum has been used since the 5th Century BC. It was especially important for dying fabrics and paint-making. Although aluminum ore is plentiful, it still was enormously costly, due to the very complicated processes required to make it useable. It was difficult to separate the pure aluminum from its compounds. We are told that when Emperor Napoleon III of France (who reigned from 1852 to 1870) wanted to impress his dinner guests, he'd have the gold flatware removed and replaced with aluminum cutlery. The six pound "cap"...
When it comes to the arts, I love it all: painting, music, cinema, literature. Fine arts, performing arts, decorative arts. But, of all these disciplines, I think that sculpting will always be my favorite—especially the sculpting of stone. What art-creation could be more difficult, more physically taxing to produce? How does an artist "release" a perfect, delicate work from within the confines of its constricting material? To stand before a magnificent marble sculpture—a cold, dead piece of stone transfigured into a living, breathing human resemblance—is glorious to me. And The Master of All Sculpting is certainly Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo was a Florentine—born in just the right place at just the right time. Florence, circa 1500, was Ground Zero of...
The Twentieth Century ushered-in a new conception of "The Modern Woman." Even before World War One—at which time many men were sent-off to war and women filled their work world vacancies—change was already in the air. Women were campaigning for the vote. They were entering the workforce. And they were mixing with men (socially and professionally) in more ways than they had in the Victorian era. The Nineteenth Century stereotype of the demure, frail, house-bound woman was being replaced with images of the active, strong and (even) athletic woman. Charles Dana Gibson's "Gibson Girl" was just such a modern woman.
One of the things I dislike about Modernist architecture is its lack of beautiful handcraft—those hand-fashioned details which are the evidence that a human artisan had touched and built it. Masonry. Stone carving. Tile work. Back in the Art Deco Thirties, architects and builders still honored the artistic craftsmanship which gives a building its soul. The builders of Rockefeller Center—constructed during the dark years of the Great Depression—still managed to fund the artwork, the human handicraft, which makes the building special. Inside the building, frescoes by accomplished and famous artists decorate the public spaces: lobbies, hallways and stairwells. Outside, inlaid, painted bas relief panels honor the spirit of industry, commerce, trade work and progress. These exterior Art Deco panels are the aesthetic...
While watching The Graduate for the umpteenth time, I was reminded just how popular (and chic) Black & White interiors were in Mid-Century America. When I was a young boy, we had an ultra stylish neighbor down the street. One of the neighborhood kids informed me that she was a divorcée. Her daughter was a classmate and, on rare occasion, I was invited into their house. Her mother had decorated much of the house—including the living room (which we were never allowed to enter)—in Mid-Century Modern Black and White. Somehow, I began to associate Black & White interiors with "fast living" (whatever that meant to an eight year old boy). This notion was confirmed, years later, the first time I saw The...
Dante Alighieri—Italy's most important poet and one of the all-time greatest writers of the Western World—changed the course of Western literature. He affected the way we think of Heaven and the Underworld. Dante wrote in the vernacular (not in Latin, the language of the educated elite). Furthermore, Dante didn't write in "standard Italian"; he wrote in the dialect of his hometown, Florence. Alas, Dante found himself on the losing side of an ugly Florentine political struggle and he was banished, on pain of death, from his beloved home city. It was in Ravenna that Dante wrote his greatest work, the Divine Comedy. It was in Ravenna that Dante died and was buried (and where he remains to this day)....
Today is Palm Sunday—the day on which Christians commemorate the final week, hours, and moments of Christ's life on Earth. What starts with Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem ends with betrayal, brutal torture, execution and burial in a tomb. Of course, to Christians (mournful as this is), this final "Passion" is the unavoidable pathway to Christ's death and resurrection. Palms—especially palm branches—have enormous significance throughout the Middle East and around the Mediterranean. Of course, the date palm was an important source of sustenance in this hot and arid region: food, shade, and useful materials. The palm branch was sacred to Mesopotamians (c. 6000 BC), symbolized immortality to the Ancient Egyptians, and represented victory to the Ancient Greeks and the Romans....
I raised horses as a kid. I belonged to 4-H—"The Comancheros"—on the island of Kauai. Through the program, I learned important lessons about horsemanship, responsibility, sportsmanship, and competition. Each day, after school, I had to bid farewell to my friends and head-out to the pasture to ride and care for my horse. Seven days a week. Exercising, grooming, feeding and watering (our pasture land had no plumbing—I had to bring water in numerous 5 gallon canisters). Every couple of months, we had a horseshow which required three or four days of preparation and competition. On occasion, the routine was drudgery; much, much more often, it was incredibly fulfilling. There is an extraordinary relationship which forms between a person and his horse—something...
A pair of male nudes—young scholars—have fallen asleep, heads resting upon their still-open tomes. They are bronze-clad, in which a sculpted "composite plaster" figure is electroplated in bronze. This "bronze skin" can be finished—patinated, painted or both—as bronze would be. Such bronze-clad items had the appearance of bronze but were much less expensive to produce. Think of them as 1920's "poor men's bronzes," sold in gift shops or museum stores (where one might have just viewed the original work). This handsome pair of Art Nouveau bookends appear to straddle the transition where Art Deco design was just around the corner.
A Satyr is the Greek mythological "nature spirit"—bestial, feral, sexually insatiable. Called Sátyros by the Greeks, they were semi-divine, often found accompanying Dionysius, the god of wine, music and randy living. Satyrs lived in the wild—in forests or in the mountains—were always male and they were "perpetually tumescent." These tricksters would interact with humans to make mischief or to seduce them. Satyrs have been portrayed in evolving ways: originally as a man with a horse's legs and ears; later more typically human; and, eventually, a man with the legs and ears of a goat. When Greek mythology started to inform and blend with Roman mythology, the satyr seems to have been conflated with Pan (a faun). It was during the Roman...
A "mirrored pair" of bookends is when the two mates—the two single bookends—are sculpted to face in opposite directions when placed on the shelf. The pair above is a good example: one bookend faces right, the mate faces left. This allows one to place them on the bookshelf, holding-up books, with each one facing-forward. Most pairs of bookends—perhaps 95% of them—are composed of two of the exact same sculpture. In such a case, when in use, one dog will be facing forward, the other will be facing backward (tail-out). Making a mirrored pair of bookends takes more effort and is more costly. Firstly, the foundry needs to create two original sculpted models (and make two different moulds) for each pair...
Spring is here! Today at 11:05 pm is the Vernal Equinox, that day when the Earth's axis is perfectly-aligned with the Sun, such that day and night (on that day) are approximately equal. Equinox means "equal night." Going forward, the days increasingly will be longer than the nights—until the Summer Solstice (20 June), the longest day of the year, after which date the days will begin to shorten.
Speaking of Spring, these bright and cheerful cufflinks are certain to bring a touch of hopefulness to your shirt cuff. They are made of sterling silver and topped with white and lime green enameling
Hooded monks stare-out from these polychromed, bronze-clad Gothic Revival bookends made by J. B. Hirsch in the 1910's or 1920's. The company was founded in 1907, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, by Joseph Hirsch, a Rumanian immigrant. He hired designers to sculpt the original models for bookends, like the pair above. To make bronze-clad bookends, first a model was sculpted. From the original model, moulds would be made in which plaster "composite" duplicates were cast. These plaster sculptures were then electroplated: hung in a vat of water mixed with bronze powder and zapped with an electrical current, during which the bronze powder formed a solid bronze "skin" around the plaster form. Once the bronze skin was attached, the object...
Happy Saint Paddy's Day!
As famous—and popular—as Saint Patrick is, his life is heavily shrouded in mystery. He is believed to have lived in the Fifth Century (possibly, some sources say, the Fourth Century) and was born in Roman-occupied Ravenglass (along the Western coast of Central England). According to his autobiographical Confessio, he was enslaved at the age of sixteen and taken to Ireland where he worked six years as an animal herder. After escaping, he undertook a difficult and dangerous journey, finally reuniting with his family in Britain. He later became a priest and returned to Ireland.
Pilkington Royal Lancastrian employed several notable ceramics designers and decorators including Charles Voysey, Walter Crane, Richard Joyce, Gordon Forsyth and Gwladys Rodgers. The artist with the longest career at Pilkington was William Salter Mycock. In fact, his years at Pilkington spanned the lifetime of art pottery production for the company.
William Mycock was born in 1872. His earliest working years were as a freelance "jobber" decorating pottery for various firms in the region. He also painted ceramics at Wedgwood while taking art courses at night. Mycock joined Pilkington in 1894, two short years after the company was founded. At this point, he was decorating Pilkington's ceramic tiles (the company's first product).
150 years ago, before the advent of domestic electricity (1880-1900) or widespread delivery of natural gas to homes (1890-1910), coal, wood and peat were the most common household fuels. Lighting was provided by candles and oil lamps. Candles were a domestic necessity—and a convenient storage box would be found in the kitchen, if not several rooms of a large home. Candles might be used to keep a convenient flame at-hand. They (or a thin "string-like" candle called a "spill") might also be used to transfer a live fire from one place to another.
Much of the time, Art Deco styling is expressed with streamlined shapes, sharp edges and dynamic color combinations. Art Deco was Modern, Futuristic, Ready-for-the-Space-Age. Rocket ships and airplanes symbolized this fast and forceful promise. And Art Deco was wildly popular—incorporated into all manner of design, from architecture to toaster plugs.
This vocabulary of Art Deco crispness certainly was employed in British design. But, over the years, I've noticed a distinct and specific version of English Art Deco—a sub category—which is a little gentler, a little rounder, a little more subtle than its typical American sibling. In this English variety, designers "softened" the typically crisp Art Deco features.
In the Nineteenth Century, imported Chinese ceramics were all the rage in Europe (especially England). But these costly treasures were beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest collectors. British ceramics workshops began to make goods "in the Oriental style," for the domestic market. Rarely were these pieces authentic. In fact, they were usually over-the-top. And they almost never reached the quality of true Chinese ceramics in form, glaze or handcraft. But they did allow customers of modest means to acquire a small dash of far-away style—a taste of someplace exotic, on the other side of the world, which they could never enjoy visiting in-person.
There's something I love about small chairs. I don't have children. I've never had a doll. But I can't pass-up a nice, small chair—be it made for a child or a toy.
It's not that I particularly like chairs. In fact, I have always made it a point not to stock "real chairs" (they take forever to sell and take-up too much shop space until that happens).
What I like about small chairs is that they are wonderful merchandising (or home decorating) props. One can place a small chair atop a merchandise display—a table, a shelf or a mantelpiece—and provide automatic "lift" to some featured item. It helps to "break-up" the display area, creating a variation in height amongst the products.
The town of Poole, in the county of Dorset, lies along the Southern seacoast of England. In 1873, Jesse Carter purchased an existing "tile manufactory" along the quay (British English for "dock" or "pier"). Around the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century, the workshop started making art pottery wares in the Art Nouveau style. After WWI, Poole (still called Carter, Stabler & Adams) embraced jazz-age Art Deco. Around this time, Poole also formed a creative alliance with members of the Bloomsbury Group including Duncan Grant, Roger Fry and Vanessa Bell (Virginia Woolf's sister). Designs evolved into Post-War Modernism after WWII. During all this time, the factory continued to make ceramic tiles. In fact, Poole supplied much of the ceramic tiling for London Tube stations in...
In the Nineteenth Century, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the Ohio River Valley emerged as the preeminent glassmaking region of the United States. The region had all the necessary ingredients for glassmaking: raw materials (silica-sand and limestone), cheap heat (natural gas and coal), cheap labor (and much of it from glass-making Eastern European countries) and rivers and railways (to ship-out the finished product). Riverboat captain, Edward Muhleman, had made a tidy sum plying the waters of the Ohio River during America's Industrial boom. As he got older, he found himself ready to wrap-up his "seafaring" career—but he wasn't quite ready to retire completely. He set the goal of building the country's largest glass manufacturer in the Ohio River Valley. He...
British ceramicist Edward Thomas Radford (born 1860) was a master of wheel-thrown pottery. He began his career at Wedgwood, followed by stints at Linthorpe, Burmantofts, Doulton, then back to Wedgwood. He was recruited to a new pottery company, Pilkington, in 1903 (it began making pottery in 1904) and he stayed here for the rest of his career. Radford retired in 1936 and Pilkington discontinued art pottery in 1938 (though its ceramic tile manufacturing continued). Radford was a star at Pilkington. He could throw monstrously-sized pots or the tiniest of pieces (only 1.5 inches tall). And he could throw a pot and then fashion a perfectly-fitting lid by eye (and hand) alone. Although many of the pieces at Pilkington were cast,...
The older I get, the more I appreciate just how convenient a good tray can be. Of course, I have always used a tray when serving my guests at table. But I now find myself pulling-out the tray when I set or clear the table (carrying far more plates, cutlery, napkins or glassware than I could handle without it). The tray makes carrying safer and easier—and it cuts-in-half the number of back-and-forth trips I have to make. I also use a tray when moving merchandise around my home or showroom—and appreciate the reduced number of trips I have to make up or down a flight of stairs. The tray makes it easier to organize LEO Design's collection of cufflinks (which...
Food canisters are nearly as old as society itself. The successful storage of food marked an important turning-point in mankind's development. Once food could be stored for future consumption, people could settle-down and form communities with some measure of stability. Prior to this, people wandered—hunting and gathering—and were compelled to consume that food (or waste it) before moving-on. The earliest methods of food storage were drying it in the sun or cooling it in a cold spot (a hole in the ground, a cave, or a cool body of water). In time, food storage vessels were made out of ceramic or wood followed by glass and plastic. Food storage techniques gave families a measure of confidence that they would eat—even...
This vase, probably English or French, ticks a couple of Nineteenth Century boxes: Asian Style and Darwinian Intrigue. Both of these dynamics were at play in the minds of Late Nineteenth Century Europeans. First, there was the Western fascination with "Oriental" art and design—especially Asian style as embodied by Chinese ceramics (which 95% of Europeans could not afford). For a few centuries, Western traders had been crossing vast seas, buying and selling with China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Chinese ceramics were an important (and valuable) part of this trading mix. The Chinese had mastered ceramics production techniques which blew the minds of the Europeans (this despite their fairly primitive kilns and other equipment). Red glazes (including oxblood, as shown in...
Here's a nice set of eight (plus one) fine crystal cocktail or champagne glasses, made in the Forties or Fifties. The glasses have a sensuous "tulip-form" bowl and a faceted stem for an easy grip and nice handfeel. A lovely "ring" sings-out the glass's fine quality.
At first glance—which was from a distance—I thought that these English Arts & Crafts candlesticks were made of cast and patinated bronze. It was only upon closer inspection that I realized that they are mahogany, burnished with a warm, reddish finish. These elegant floriform sticks bear a stylized resemblance to poppies or tulips. The cups are sensuously turned buds. The base is turned, too, with a pleasingly curvaceous profile. Finally, the two "knuckles" floating on each stem provide just the right punctuation to complete perfectly the design. The brass bobeches atop each candlestick—which prevents the candle flame or heat from harming the wood—are darkened with age. They nearly disappear into the wooden candle top.
Ebonywood has been used decoratively for millennia. It has a very fine texture and can be highly polished. Carved ebony objects have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. The wood became popular in Europe during the late 1500's, when Dutch traders began importing the material which grows in India, Sri Lanka, West Africa, Indonesia, Australia and Mauritius. Recall the heavy, black frames which were popular during the Golden Age of Dutch painting; perhaps some were ebonywood (or other woods ebonized to resemble it). Ebony became popular for European furniture making in the 1600's. In France, such furniture makers were called ébénistes—a word still used for "furniture maker" to this day.
While I love the Art Nouveau, I always have been hesitant to enter "The Art Glass Fray." It's a world chock-full of passionate, opinionated and discriminating aficionados—people who seem to loooove setting other people straight. These experts all seem to have 75 years of collecting experience (and don't you forget it!). Interestingly, my reluctance has proved convenient. Glass breaks easily and I am always shipping merchandise (either from Europe or to my customers). The less delicate merchandise I stock, the less-fraught my life should be. (Right?)
Welcome, March, and your flower, the glorious Daffodil.
Is there any flower more hopeful, more optimistic, than the daffodil? It emerges during the chilly bleakness of winter—a sunny, bright, resilient reminder of beautiful days to come. Quite often, it is the only spot of color in an otherwise grey landscape. And what a color it is!
The Stangl Art Deco vase, shown above, is dressed in a saturated daffodil yellow glaze. The vase's form is inspired by a Classical Greek or Roman urn, embellished with a pair of foliate handles—which honor both the ancient aesthetic and the modernism of the Art Deco. And the rich yellow color practically vibrates with sunny optimism.
A calendar year, on Earth, is 365 days long. However, it takes a little more time than that for the Earth to complete its full revolution around the Sun—365.242374 days, to be precise. (A true "Earth Year" is 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, 1.1 seconds.) This small difference would add-up to 24 days in a century. After 100 years, the calendar would be off by nearly a month. Within 500 years, our Summers would be freezing cold! So, in 46 BC, Julius Caesar instituted a leap day—an extra day added to the calendar every four years—on his new Julian Calendar. This "intercalary date" was still not quite right (the adjustment was too much). So Pope Gregory XIII instituted his Gregorian Calendar (in...
The term "trench art" is used to refer to the folk crafts fashioned of (or partially fashioned of) the used or spare materials of warfare. This art form was especially popular during and after World War One. Trench art was made by all the major WWI participants: England, France, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States. But very little trench art actually was made "in the trenches"—or even on the front lines, for that matter. Much of it would have been made away from the battlefield, for example, at training camps or other military posts. Some might have been made in hospitals by recuperating soldiers. And some may have been made back at home—by soldiers awaiting call-up. Even after...
Can it really be? Spring is three short weeks away! Spring normally arrives on the 20th or 21st of March. However, this year, because it's a Leap Year, Spring springs one day earlier than normal: 19 March. The first day of Spring is also the Vernal (or Spring) Equinox. Equinox means "equal night." The Equinox is the date when the Earth's axis is aligned such that the Sun hovers right over the Equator. On the Equinox, night and day are (nearly) the same length. And, going forward, the days will be longer than the nights. The cufflinks shown here, made in England in the Twenties, are decorated with sunny enameled stripes: lemon and lime. Though they may be worn any...
The Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University is wonderful. It's not very large—in fact, it is quite manageable for a two hour visit. But the collection includes works by many of the greats: studies and lesser-known paintings.
Shown above, a study of the seated figures for John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo, 1882 (the final painting which hangs in the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, also in Boston). Sargent is my favorite "modern era" artist. With such economy, spontaneity and confidence—with just a few brush strokes—the 26 year old artist was able to paint a white skirt, conveying brilliantly how the fabric drapes over the woman's legs beneath and how the light plays off of the folds of her garment. Genius!
I have long wanted to visit the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard—especially once I learned that it possessed George Frederic Watts's painting of Sir Galahad, created between 1860 and 1862. I had long assumed that the picture was in England. After years of pre-internet searching, I finally learned that it was right here in America, at Harvard. Watts, a favorite of mine, used his then wife, the famed English actress Ellen Terry, as his model for the romantic youth. The painting was wildly popular and for several decades it was reproduced (in sepia tones and, later, in color) as museum art prints. Many a boy's bedroom would have been decorated with this print—considered a heroic role model for any young boy. Over...
So much for "Banned in Boston." The "General Hooker Entrance," which most people use to enter the Massachusetts Statehouse, is clearly—and proudly—signposted. You can't miss it. Which is why a certain (delicate) state representative has demanded the sign by pulled-down. She's upset by the possible double entendre—and the probable giggles of touring teenaged boys.
Joseph Hooker (1814-1879) was a Union General in the American Civil War. He was born in Western Massachusetts to an English-American family which arrived in the 1600's.
Boston is amongst my very favorite of American cities. My father was born in Chinatown, just a stone's throw from Boston Common. My mother was born across the Charles River in Cambridge. They met at Suffolk University in Downtown Boston. For the first 15 years of my life, we travelled from Honolulu to Boston nearly every summer—"It may be our last chance to see Papa"—where, by the age of nine, I had mastered the Boston Subway (The T) in order to visit the Museum of Science multiple times a week. I travelled to Boston this week to see the premiere of my husband's ballet, Raymonda, at the Boston Ballet (he designed the scenery and the costumes). Of course, I cannot visit...
Can one have too much organization on one's desk? This English early Twentieth Century oak stationary stand bears the crest of Queen's College, Oxford. Store stationery supplies: envelopes, paper, business cards. Perhaps a stash of commonly used forms or cards. Or keep your to-do cards and paperwork close-at-hand. And the handsome, wooden construction adds a small touch of architectural interest to your office, den, kitchen or entryway.
To hold this Japanese hand-carved business card case is to appreciate its beauty and craftsmanship. The delicately tapered "wedge" (thicker on one edge than the other) feels great in the hand. The hinged cap, at top, closes with a satisfying magnetic click. Pulling the case from the breast pocket of a jacket will provide that extra measure of confidence before handing one's business card to that important professional contact.
This week we're sharing a selection of useful wooden items. The wood of this English barrel-form coin bank glows richly. Riveted brass bands punctuate the bulging form. Warm, honest materials meet straightforward function: a handsome place to stash your savings.
Yes, this English Arts & Crafts Letter Rack is made of wood—though it is embellished with plenty of hand-hammered brasswork. A winged dragon stalks in a field of botanicals, while an undulate amethyst glass cabochon floats overhead. The hand-tooled panels are riveted to the oak understructure. This piece is made to hang (on its mounting ring) or it can rest of a flat surface.
Is there anything more wonderful than wood? Warm. Useful. Natural. For millennia, humankind has been fashioning wood for tools, shelter, warmth and all sorts of decorative items. Perhaps it is the most malleable and accessible of natural materials. And the nature of wood makes it ideal for many uses—which no other material can replicate.
For the next several days, we'd like to share a selection of our wood-crafted objects, items which are handsome and useful.
Shown here, an American Arts & Crafts slatted oak wastepaper basket. The quarter-sawn strips, bound with rawhide lashings, add an additional level of textual interest. What Arts & Crafts desk (or office) wouldn't look better with this handsome basket?
It's a chilly morning in London—4:30 am—and we await the car to the airport. (Where is he?) Not much sleep and I'm exhausted; I guess I can sleep on the plane. But I have had a wonderful week—socially, artistically, theatrically, professionally. It's great to have "stretched-my-legs" in London. In the next week or two, I intend to have received, cleaned-up, photographed and listed the new items (currently in-transit with the shipper). These suitcases are for our personal possessions and purchases—and, in truth, my husband had been in London for six weeks.
It will be good to get home! And start processing the newly acquired finds!
It's hard for me to name a favorite London museum. Let's just say that the Tate Britain is one of them. For me, a visit to the Tate is a walk down Memory Lane, enjoying my favorite, painted hits. So, for my last full day in London, I went to visit the Tate. The museum claims to present "500 years of British Art"—and its collection is, indeed, vast and wonderful. But how "British Art" is defined seems rather elastic to me; many of the museum's works have been sculpted or painted by non-Brits. Perhaps a work of art (even one by a foreign artist) qualifies as "British" if it was conceived on British (or United Kingdom) soil? Or perhaps it's considered "British"...
Shopping, theatre and museums! My three favorite things to do while in London. Having finished packing-up all my purchases (thus far), I headed to Trafalgar Square to visit the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Art—two of the great art museums in the world. Shown above, a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, painted in 1969. The trustees of the National Portrait Gallery wanted to commission a new portrait of Her Majesty for their collection and the Queen expressed interest in sitting for Italian portraitist Pietro Annigoni (who had painted her 15 years earlier, as a young queen). It took 18 sittings (over 10 months) before the painting was unveiled in 1970. The bold, regal likeness—with its monumental, Modernist composition—captured...
In 1851, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, organized a Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, which was a tremendous success. This Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations featured 14,000 exhibitors and welcomed six million visitors. Queen Victoria visited 37 times. The fair's purpose was to elevate and promote science, industry and technology. It was modeled on previous French exhibitions which had focused on French trade. This fair, however, broadened the exhibitors' list to companies and organizations from around the world—making this show a model for future World's Fairs. Prince Albert, a driving force in embracing technology and social improvement, proposed building a permanent venue, a flexible space for exhibitions, entertainment and public education on the edge of...
Hyde Park provides much "breathing space" for many Londoners—not unlike Central Park in New York City. The park began in 1536 when Henry VIII plundered the Church property from Westminster Abbey (part of his "dissolution of the monasteries") and created a private hunting grounds for himself and his court. In 1637, King Charles I declared the park open to the general public—and it has since remained an important retreat from the bustle of London's urban life. The park also is a site of dog walking, sunbathing, horseback riding, and other quiet recreation. It has been a military camp, a parade grounds, an exhibition fair grounds and the location for duels to the death. And Hyde Park is a go-to location...
When I first opened my shop on Bleecker Street in 1995, I carried a line of British men's shaving products made by George F. Trumper. Trumper opened his Mayfair barber shop in 1875. He was a talented perfumer, as well, and he produced a line of men's grooming products which quickly became fashionable with London's wealthy gentlemen. His little shop—still fitted with original Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century mahogany cabinetry—is on Curzon Street. From the 1680's through the 1760's, Mayfair was the pastoral site of the annual May Fair, held the first two weeks of May (except when the Plague was raging). In time, however, the attractions—and the crowds—began to upset the delicate sensibilities of the gentility prompting the Grosvenor family (the Dukes of Westminster)...
The quiet, upscale neighborhood of Notting Hill is overrun every Saturday morning—when the Portobello Road antiques merchants descend upon this otherwise peaceful neighborhood. And, along with the antiques traders, come thousands of customers (some serious about buying, most "just looking"). The market begins to open at 6:00 am. By Noon, the streets are clogged with Italian tourists enjoying their obligatory (and oh. so. slow.) passeggiata. The main market street, Portobello Road, began as a food market in the Nineteenth Century. After World War II, antiques traders began to populate the upper part of the road. Today, it is the largest antiques market in Britain. A mixture of terraced townhouses, small row houses, and Thirties apartment buildings are interspersed with retail...
Buying trips to London mean several certain things: early, dark and wet mornings, lots of tunneling-about on The Tube, and as much theatre as I can manage to see (though evening theatre and pre-dawn antiques hunting can be a difficult combination). I started-out Friday morning to catch the first (5:51 am) Tube to the Southbank. Four hours in the damp (including mist and rain) was unpleasant though productive. Aside from the rain, it's nice to be prowling-around the City at such an early hour. It seems that I have the whole place to myself. Come mid-morning, I headed to the Northwest section of London, finding myself in a (surprisingly) quiet Edgware Road Tube Station. This station, which serves the Bakerloo Line,...
While Bloomsbury has been my standard visiting residence in London, on this trip we're staying in the Islington flat of a good friend who is in South America for a few months. We are fortunate to have been allowed to stay in his London apartment. I first met this friend, Mark, in the 1990's when he walked into my Greenwich Village shop. He is a collector (and part time antiques trader) from whom I sometimes by merchandise. We've remained good friends from the day he walked into my store. The name Islington is the evolution of several earlier names. The Saxons (c. 1000-1050 AD) called it Giseldone and Gislandune (meaning "Gisla's Hill" or "Dune"). This name eventually became Isledon until the 1600's after...
If I had to pick one London neighborhood to call my own, it would be Bloomsbury—long a center of London's intellectual, scholarly, medical and literary enterprises. I have been staying in this active, human-scaled neighborhood for decades—surrounded by students and faculty from the neighborhood's several colleges, and employees of the numerous bookshops and many creative businesses in the area. The neighborhood was first called "Bloomsbury"—or, rather, "Blemondisberi"—in 1281, named after the French Blemond family who owned the manor here. In time, King Edward III (who reigned from 1327-1377) acquired the property, still largely rural, and gave it to the Carthusian Monks. Later, when Henry VIII was "disbanding the monasteries," this property was seized and given to one of the King's...
Let's wrap-up this short presentation on Oxford Corners with an Eastern European beauty, made in the Teens or Twenties. Marquetry stripes of contrasting woods are surrounded by notched chip-carving—providing a serrated "Tramp Art" effect. Tramp Art is the popular name for notch-carved treatments on folk-crafted wooden objects. Traditionally, the items were assembled and carved from found objects: cigar boxes, fruit crates, scrap wood offcuts. The "romantic legend" implies that homeless men, in an attempt to make a bit of money, would scrounge for the recycled materials and craft the little wooden objects to sell. In truth, Tramp Art was probably more often a simple, low-cost handcraft practiced by hobbyists and boy scouts at home, at school or at summer camp....
Here's a different take on the Oxford Corner—crisp, bold, structural. Chamfering of the members adds sophisticated elegance to the otherwise simple frame. The extended legs of the Oxford Corners make for simple, integrated "feet."
This Victorian English brass frame was made in the late Nineteenth Century. It would provide a nice "pop" for any picture—especially a dapper black and white portrait.
I'm heading to England this week—London, not quite Oxford—and I thought I might prepare for the trip by sharing a few frames with "Oxford Corners."
Oxford Corners are the style of framing joinery in which the vertical and horizontal members form an intersecting cross at the corner. And, while such joinery is named after the famed academic city, Oxford Corners have been made all over Europe—especially in the Nineteenth Century, from which the frame above originates.
The "Blackforest" frame, shown above is from either Southern Germany or Switzerland—the forested mountainous region which has long specialized in carved woodwork. This frame exhibits a hand-carved "rustic-timber" profile. Carved wooden leaves embellish each of the frame's corners.
This fierce feline is ready! Ready to guard your precious tomes. This pair of fierce lion bookends was made of cast iron in the Twenties or Thirties and still wears most of his original golden paint. Beautiful, deep bas relief sculpting is well-aged by time—creating the perfect "high/low effect" on the patina, making the sculpture pop. Lions have been portrayed in the decorative arts for thousands of years. And they have been a significant part of European heraldry since the Middle Ages. In fact, every "attitude" (position or posture) of a heraldic lion has a specific name. A lion rampant stands upon its back legs. A lion passant is shown walking. A lion couchant is lying upright, on its belly (like...
Green is my favorite color of pottery. The reason? Perhaps because I really love wood—boxes, furniture, paneling, cabinetry—and what looks better with wood (trees) than leaves and grass (green)? I find the color green (at least most shades) calming, centering. Green relaxes me. It's the color of nature herself. And the deeper the green, the more I like it.
The Übelacker West German Modernist jug, shown above, is a home run! The earthy, green glaze, for starters, is deep, deep, deep—and just this side of muddy (without being drab). Plus, the glaze is a matte finish—another few points in its favor.
Is it possible for one to have complicated feelings towards a pair of bookends? Well, it seems, in this case, I do.
The cast iron bookends shown here, are from the Twenties or Thirties. The workmanship is terrific: handsome bas relief sculpting, ultra-crisp casting, and a beautiful bronzed patina. The details of the unfolding scene—the distant mountains, the dust rising on the prairie, the scrub brush in the foreground—are conveyed with wonderful precision. The bookends are an homage to romanticized Western life—handsomely executed and perfect for any American Arts & Crafts interior.
February is here. And she brings with her the amethyst, birthstone of the month.
Until the Nineteenth Century, amethysts were rare and very expensive. They were considered one of the five "Cardinal Gemstones"—alongside diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Initially, deep purple amethysts—the color of royalty—had only been discovered in Russia and Austria. Medieval monarchs loved amethysts. To this day, Anglican and some Roman Catholic bishops wear an amethyst in their episcopal rings.
According to Ancient Greek mythology, Dionysus—the god of wine—was in-pursuit of a beautiful virgin, Amethystos. Her prayers to remain chaste were answered: before he could catch her, she turned into a beautiful white stone. In his grief, Dionysus poured wine over the stone, turning it violet—the first amethyst.
In nature, some of the cutest and cuddliest creatures can grow-up to become most fearsome—and dangerous. This Soviet porcelain bear cub might just be one such critter. The sculpture was made in the Sixties or Seventies in the Soviet Union. The symbol of the Russian Bear is an old one—at least from the 1500's. In the West, the symbolism is sometimes interpreted disparagingly: bears can be hulking, awkward and savage. Unpredictable and dangerous. But in Russia (and the Soviet Union before that), the bear has been a symbol of national pride: strength, fortitude, power. The earliest recorded use of the symbol is in Shakespeare's Macbeth (who says to the ghost, "What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian...
In 1856, Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I was enjoying a mountain trek with his new bride, the Empress Elisabeth, a Munich-born beauty known as "Sisi." He picked a few edelweiss blossoms from amongst the craggy rocks and presented them to his beloved with the words, "First in my life that I picked myself." From that point onwards, the popularity of the flower was assured—as a symbol of immaculate and everlasting devotion (and, more broadly, emblematic of the rugged purity of the Alps and her people). Sisi wore nine edelweiss blossoms in her hair while sitting for her famous portrait by Winterhalter. For his part, the Emperor had edelweiss blossoms embroidered upon the collars of his Imperial-Royal Mountain Troops. The flower...
A few weeks ago, a British (Dutch-born) ceramics collector contacted me about my James Plant ceramics offerings, which he had seen on-line. He is writing a book on the influence of Gouda (Dutch) pottery on English ceramics design. James Plant's "Orientalist" wares—while they certainly have their own distinctive aesthetic—do share a similarity with Gouda's hand-painted pieces. He asked for more photos of my pieces and my permission to use my photos in his forthcoming book. I was happy to help—and happy to have acquired new-found motivation to re-shoot the photos of the two pieces (which had never been well-lit in their original photos).
The history of James Plant & Sons English ceramics is, shall we say, "contested." Although the vase designs and decoration are firmly rooted in the 19th Century—Christopher Dresser-inspired shapes, hand-painted "Persian Orientalist" decoration, and an 1890's Aesthetic Movement attitude—certain English collectors contend that such wares were created during World War I, when Liberty of London sought to find a replacement source for Gouda-type (Dutch) ceramics (which could no longer be imported, due to the war).
Here's what we do know about James Plant & Sons. There are records of multiple "James Plants" working in and around Hanley, England—the heart of "The Potteries," Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
When "just a nip" is enough, these one-ounce cordial glasses are perfect for the job. Cordials—liqueurs which are fairly strong and often sweet—are usually served after dessert. They are most commonly made of rum, brandy or some other spirit, strongly-enhanced with fruit, cream or herbs & spices. In a glass like this, they are served "neat"—that is, plain (without other ingredients), at room temperature. But liqueurs and cordials can also be included, as an ingredient, in other, mixed cocktails. The first liqueurs were made in the abbeys of Medieval France, where monks blended curative potions including herbs and other botanical medicaments. Early liqueurs were an evolution of herbal medicine. But before long, the monks were enjoying this postprandial tip—whether...
A most handsome vase has "swum" our way: an English Art Deco beauty by Pilkington Royal Lancastrian. A repeating pattern—three carp-like species riding atop scrolling waves—is incised upon the body of the vase. A mottled orange and yellow "uranium" glaze pops against an earthy "kelp brown" background. This vase was made in the Twenties or Thirties, just outside of Manchester, England. It has enough presence to hold-its-own as a statement piece. And yet, I must admit, it does look good featured against a collection of other Royal Lancastrian pieces.
True, Christmas is eleven months away. But it is coming!
This cast iron "Spanish Galleon" doorstop was made by Hubley (Lancaster, PA) in the Twenties or Thirties. It still has much of its original hand-painted color—though that paint is now well-aged (and full of character). Imagine this doorstop holding the door (or decorating the mantelpiece) of your favorite sailor's den or office. And imagine what style it would bring to someone's house at the shore.
Dorothy Thorpe (1901-1989) was a Mid-Century Modernist glassware decorator. She never manufactured any items herself; instead, she purchased "blanks" from established glassware (and ceramics dinnerware) makers to which she added her own decorative spin. One of her signature styles was glassware with metallic "mirrored" banding at the rim. This banding could be produced with a crisp edge or a softer "mirror fade" edge. It seems that Dorothy Thorpe was rather inconsistent when it came to marking her wares. Perhaps this was the result of sourcing products (the "blanks") from so many disparate manufacturers. Or it could be the result of her using so many different decorating processes to create so many differing styles. Sometimes she sand-blasted her initials onto...
One of the recurring themes of my Journal Ramblings is the confluence of taste, quality and modern production methods. There was a time in the Nineteenth Century—during the height of the Industrial Revolution—when good & tasteful design married the economically advantageous benefits of industrial mass-production. The idea was to create a beautiful original and then to produce them in great quantity—an effort "to bring good taste and quality to the masses." This happened in England and, a little later, in America and throughout the industrializing world. The simple 19th Century letter and pen holder, shown above, is an example of this phenomenon. Two identical "ends"—formed as a pair of flared, booted legs—are spaced three-and-a-half inches apart, joined with rods. A...
In The States, "key wallets," like the one shown above, are thought of as . . . well . . . a bit old-fashioned. Perhaps like something one's grandfather might have carried. Today, people throw their keys (if they still have any) into a bag or pocket—where it might scratch a mobile phone or poke a hole through the pocket lining. Maybe key wallets aren't such a bad idea? In Japan, where this Repp Stripe Key Wallet was made, this type of accessory is much more common. It keeps keys nice & tidy, easy to find, and it keeps one's pockets (or delicate possessions) safe from metallic banging, poking and scratching. The striped fabric covering has the appearance of silk...
Copper has been hammered in Mexico since Pre-Columbian times. Even today, there are certain regions, like Santa Clara del Cobre, where artisans still work the copper—usually in small, home-based "cottage industry" settings. Fathers and sons (and grandsons to follow) have kept their family workshops going for decades. Each workshop usually focuses, specializes, in a certain type of work: perhaps small, delicate vessels, perhaps naturally-rendered fruit shapes, perhaps large, "macho" urns and heavy vases. Each piece is "raised" from a single ingot of copper: repeatedly heated in a bonfire on the end of a tongs and beaten with a series of various-peen hammers. An anvil might be the only other "tool" used. Nevertheless, the metalsmith is able to achieve a balanced...
The Peregrine Falcon has been capturing mankind's imagination for millennia. The Ancient Egyptians depicted their sun god, Ra, as having the body of a man and the head of the peregrine. And, for at least 3,000 years, people have been practicing falconry—the sport of training domesticated falcons to capture prey and return to their master. Peregrine Falcons are superb hunters. They are eager, agile, adaptable and oh-so-fast. Peregrines have been clocked at speeds of 242 mph while in "dive mode"—making them the fastest animal on Earth. First they fly to an altitude over 3,500 feet, after which they rocket downwards toward their prey. They tuck-in their heads, pull-in their wings, and contort their bodies for maximum aerodynamics. Even at these speeds,...
Zinc is a metal and one of Earth's 118 elements—and useful in many ways. Combined with other metals, it adds strength, corrosion-resistance or other desirable features to an "alloy." Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc (3%-45%, depending on the variety of brass desired). Zinc is sometimes alloyed with copper and tin to make bronze. And nickel silver is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. Rolled sheets of zinc are used in roofing or atop the wooden countertops in bars. And U.S. pennies, since 1984, are principally plated zinc. In recent years, since the ill effects of lead have become widely-known, zinc has often been used as a replacement for lead (in fishing weights, tire balances and other...
In the world of ceramics, I have always treasured wonderful glazes—even more than I value form. A great form, once sculpted, can be duplicated endlessly. And, in many cases, form is easy for someone else to copy. Art pottery companies in the Twentieth Century would frequently sell their old moulds—or their employees would be hired-away by competing firms. After the Coca-Cola bottle was design in 1915, it was produced in the millions (billions?) for worldwide distribution—and has become an iconic feature of the global Coca-Cola brand. But no artistry or reinvention is necessary to keep that wonderful form in the marketplace (besides aggressive lawyers who guard vigorously the bottle's trademarked shape).
Shaving brushes—good shaving brushes—are labor intensive and costly to make. Clusters of hair (whether synthetic, real badger or some other animal hair) are tied into knots and set within the brush handle (while carefully creating the classic dome-form brush shape). A good brush may last a man most of his adult shaving life—if he takes care of it. And the most important thing he can do is to rinse the brush and hang it bristles down, which allows the water to drip out of the handle (that it will not rot all those delicate knots). A nice brush stand is a good step in this protective direction.
Wherever an Arts & Crafts movement was to be found, one would also find references to that region's early history, literature and ancient cultural themes and symbols. The movement's anti-industrial DNA sought to incorporate remembraces of "pure and better times" in its contemporary design. In the American Arts & Crafts Movement, one of the recurring and popular themes was the cultural aesthetics of Native Americans. Indians were the original immigrants to the Americas—and they were the only ancient peoples on the Northern continent. Thus, if the American Arts & Crafts Movement was to incorporate ancient North American aesthetics, it makes sense that inspiration would come from the arts and artifacts of these ancient people. In England, Medieval knights and heraldry...
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
King is honored on this national holiday for his leadership of America's Civil Rights Movement—and his enormous contribution to our country's conscience and moral fiber. The holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January each year, which, this year, happens to fall on his actual birthday (15 January).
This Dutch hand-hammered pewter trophy combines elements from the Art Nouveau and the Art Deco. The hammering of pewter was a classic Art Nouveau treatment. The vessel's flaring, trumpet-like shape is punctuated with a pair of feathery, classical handles—a certain Art Deco influence.
The piece is "touch-marked" with the maker's name, "Gero." The company was founded in 1912 in Zeist, Netherlands, near the city of Utrecht. Gero (which is still in-business today) was the first company in Holland to manufacture affordable cutlery. They also produced pewter ware, like the trophy cup shown above, until 1955. A succession of artists and creative directors over saw the company's design, though I am uncertain which artist designed this piece.
One of the nice things about vegetable-dyed leathers is that they develop a handsome, rich patina with use—they are "polished" every time they are handled. This chocolate brown calfskin wallet is from Bill Amberg, London. The design—including a fine zipper which tracks around three sides of the wallet—gives it just a touch (but not too much) of a tough, urban attitude. The zipper also helps keep things neat-and-tidy.
It's the New Year! Time to reorganize, refresh, retire that To-Do List, sitting oh-so-long upon the desk. Perhaps this pair of Victorian cast iron brackets—embellished with delicate, pierced "tracery"—will give your storage projects a lift? They were made in the 1880's or 1890's and are six inches in one direction, eight inches in the other. This means you can install a wider or narrower shelf, based upon your needs and the space you have available (supporting shelves from six inches to approximately ten inches wide). These brackets would provide a small but powerful shot of architectural interest wherever they might be installed: in the kitchen, a bathroom, or in the office-den.
Let's end our parade of wintery pottery back in Pierrefonds, France—back in the shadows of the Medieval Chateau de Pierrefonds. It was here that Art Nouveau forms were dressed in sophisticated crystalline glazes, resulting in works which are unlike anything seen before or since. The French Art Nouveau vase, shown above, has an organic, egg-form body. It sits on a "platform foot" and is punctuated with two peaked, "bat wing" whiplash handles. As wonderful (and striking) as the form itself is, it's the sublime glaze that really takes this urn over the top. Multiple colors—blues, tans, greens—drip casually over the curved body of the vessel. Some of the glazes have crystallized in the kiln. And, because the vase wears a...
The English ceramic pot shown above, hand-thrown by Edward Thomas Radford for Pilkington Royal Lancastrian, is finished with a gorgeous, sky blue glaze. And, if one looks carefully, one will see that the blue glazing displays the subtlest of ombre effects—slightly lighter at the top, slightly darker at the base—not unlike the graduations of color to be found in the actual winter sky. You also still can see (and feel) the delicate fingermarks on the sides of the vessel, left by the potter himself, on the day the pot was formed upon its spinning wheel. A vase like this can be used to display a striking, minimalist floral arrangement—think three sculptural stems. It would also look good with a full,...
Even in the coldest of weather, the ocean seems to remain liquified—at least as far north as I've ever traveled (New England). It's plenty cold, indeed, yet the waves continue to wash ashore and its salty foam bubbles, churns and slowly recedes back to the sea. This West German Modernist carafe-form vase is glazed in a sea-worthy blue, topped with a dripping, tempest-tossed white foam. The corseted neck of the vase provides a constricted opening at top—perfect for gathering a modest number of stems together, nice-and-tight. And the blue (and white) coloration provides a fresh backdrop for any manner of flowers: white carnations, yellow roses, green hydrangeas.
We hop back to England, Stoke-on-Trent, to be specific. This conglomeration of six small towns in Staffordshire, England, was Ground Zero of British ceramics production in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. The region was frequently referred to as "The Potteries." Clay could be dug out of the ground. Coal was plentiful. Labor was cheap. And the region's glut of manufacturing ensured that train service (for shipping-out merchandise) was frequent and efficient. The George Clews pottery company was founded in 1906 in one of Stoke's towns, Burslem. In 1908, they moved to bigger facilities in the adjacent town of Tunstall. Although the company was named after the Clews family patriarch, George, the organization was actually run by his son, Percy Swinnerton Clews...
Saturated blue glazes drip organically down the bold, two-handled form of this French Art Nouveau urn from the early Twentieth Century. It was made in the French village of Pierrefonds—some 55 miles North-East of Paris—in the shadow of the village's Medieval castle, Le Chateau de Pierrefonds. The deep blue glazes convey an ice-cold mien, perfect for the frozen, clean winter weather. The Pierrefonds pottery workshop was opened by a painter, a French nobleman, Comte Hallez d"Arros in 1903. He envisioned producing handsome tableware—plates, bowls, pitchers—painted with fancy aristocratic heraldry: shields, banners, noble crests. The village's castle, he thought, would be a perfect backdrop to such a romantic and aspirational product line. And the pottery's name, La Societe Faienciere Heraldique de Pierrefonds,...
This smallish vase—perfect for a stem or three—reminds me of a heavily clouded winter sky. Tightly-packed, fluffy clouds allow a bit of icy blue to peek-through. Or, perhaps, it looks like compressed ice on the surface of a frozen pond. As the water freezes and melts and freezes again, a dappled, irregular pattern emerges. The piece was made by Jopeko in West Germany in the Sixties or Seventies. Jopeko began its life, under a different name, in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Like so many Twentieth Century potteries, its earliest output was "sanitary ware"—pipes, crocks, kitchenware and water coolers—not fancy decorative objets. But, after World War II, Germany (and Japan, another "vanquished" country) found that it had a large labor force to put...
Like a midnight sky, this West German vase is a play on shades of blue: inky, blackish blue with eerie streaks of penetrating brightness. It displays a simple—yet satisfyingly sensual—organic form and wears a random drip glaze which adds to its one-of-a-kind appearance. As the glaze courses over the soft curves of the vase, it creates an object filled with dynamism and movement and complexity. The ceramicist is Fridegart Glaztle who had a long and consequential career at the Karlsruhe West German ceramics studio. The Karlsruhe ceramics factory was founded at the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century to produce ceramics in the Italian Renaissance style. It underwent several changes of owners over the years, including private ownership by Villeroy & Boch and being state-run...
An icy season calls for an icy glaze. This handsome piece by Fulper (c. 1905, Flemington, New Jersey) is glazed in an organic Impressionist Winterscape of lustrous and crystalline glazes—frosty blues and just a hint of green. Think of a frozen, icy rock face or the hard, shiny surface of an icebound lake. Fulper was one of the true "art pottery" workshops in America during the Arts & Crafts period, attempting to emulate the coveted "Oriental" glazes which had eluded Western potters. Although the company had started its life (in the Nineteenth Century) by making utilitarian wares, by the Turn-of-the-Twenieth-Century, Fulper was hiring skilled artists and technicians to produce quality, expensive art pottery. Part of this high-minded mission may account for...
In France, where wine has been a traditional part of lunches and dinners, it was not unusual to serve table wine casually, decanted into a ceramic wine pitcher. French table wine, though delicious, is a bit lighter, of lower alcohol content, and not expensive (making it perfect for lunchtime or afternoon consumption). The size of the jug might be large or small—depending on the number of guests at table. Such wine pitchers might be found in either private homes or in taverns. Shown above, a small wine pitcher which might hold a couple of modest servings (or if planning ahead, provide a couple of top-offs). Using a pitcher not only allowed the wine to "breathe," it also added a touch...
The Winter's Chill—bitter though it is—brings with it a sense of freshness, cleanliness, purity. The color white often symbolizes a snowy, cold expanse. But I also feel that blue—the color of sky, water and ice—can express beautifully the cleansing wintry freeze. For the next few days, we'd like to present an array of handsome blue ceramics, from many different countries, which might bring a little beauty to this otherwise frosty season. In 1889, brothers Edward and Alfred Pilkington were in the coal business. One of their new, prospective mining sites, in Clifton—on the outskirts of Manchester—proved to be a bust. Sited alongside Fletcher's Canal, the mineshafts only produced water and clay. But this clay was perfect for making decorative tiles...
Has ever a year been more-anticipated? It's here, folks: 2024! So much to do! Big tasks which (sometimes) seem impossible. But, before we get-down-to-business, we at LEO Design want to wish you good health, much happiness and plentiful contentment in the New Year. The German porcelain sculpture, shown above, captures Baby Hercules, returning home to his cousin, King Eurystheus, after successfully completing his "First Labor." His cousin, the king, ordered Hercules (called Herecles by the Greeks) to slay the Nemean Lion—a fearsome beast whose golden fur was impervious to the weapons of mortals. Not knowing this, Hercules began his attack by shooting the lion with arrows—which simply bounced off the lions hide. So Hercules concocted a new plan: he...
Maybe it's much too early in the game. Ah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same. What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve? - Ah, but in case I stand a little chance, here comes the jackpot question in advance, what are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve? - Frank Loesser, 1947
Long, cold nights—and the presence of holiday visitors—may benefit from a menu of possible diversions (besides eating). Why flip-on the Netflix when you can suggest a game of "Puzzle Peg"? Made in the Twenties, this gameboard (complete with all pegs, instruction manual and the original box) provides several different game options—to keep your company engaged and distracted.
When Cyrus the Great founded the First Persian Empire in 550 BC, it was the largest dominion in the world. Such a remarkable empire required cutting-edge defense—in this case, elephants! True, elephants were difficult to train and costly to maintain. But they did provide a competitive edge (at least for a while). When Alexander the Great came to conquer the empire in 334 BC, the elephant troops did cause him a moment of concern. Eventually, however, Alexander figured his way around the elephants and annexed Darius III's enormous realm to his sprawling Macedonian Empire.
Here's another handsome milk pitcher, this one made by the Robinson-Ransbottom Pottery Company in the Teens or Twenties. It is called "yelloware"—a country kitchen staple material for plates, bowls, crocks, and other utilitarian objets. Bas relief flowers and strapping add a bit of decoration to the otherwise simple vessel. The company was founded in 1900, in Roseville, Ohio, by Frank Ransbottom and his brothers, Ed, Johnie and Mort. The town of Roseville was a center of ceramics production and Frank had experience working with other ceramics manufacturers in the region. When a pottery factory became available for sale, Frank and his brothers purchased it. By World War II, the Ransbottoms were the largest producers of stoneware crocks and jars in the...
It's the week between Christmas and the New Year. Time for relaxing at home; perhaps nice family breakfasts are in order? If so, consider this little pitcher. It holds up to 16 ounces of milk, or cream, and is decorated with the heads of a cow (on one side) and a bull (on the other side). It also would be terrific for serving warm maple syrup for pancakes or waffles. The jug has a "country primitive" look. And the dripping, organic glazes—blue, brown and green—is reminiscent of majolica (although true majolica is always uses a tin glaze, which I am not sure this glaze is). This piece is similar to ceramics from Bennington, Vermont, though I have not been able...
In England, "back in the old days" (when most middle-class families had household servants), "the help" was expected to work on Christmas Day, to serve their employers who were celebrating the holiday. The day after Christmas was the day-off for the servants. It was called "Boxing Day," as this was the day on which servants would receive their Christmas gifts—their "boxes." Even today, despite the fact that very few British homes can afford live-in servants, Boxing Day is still a "bank holiday."
The Japanese Modernist lacquerware box, shown above, is dressed in a handsome red "tortoiseshell" lacquer. The interior is finished in black lacquer. This Mid-Century box is perfect for serving precious foods: elegant sushi, sophisticated cookies, exquisite pâtisserie.
