V is for Victory

Pictured here is an iconic "Coquille" bowl. A signed piece (or should I say peace sign?) designed by Paul Kedelv for Flygsfors, Sweden, 1962.

Ready For Our Close-Up

In the 1940's and 50's a decorating style was born in Beverly Hills at the hands of designers John Elgin Woolf and Robert Koch Woolf. Meant to emulate the glamour found in the movies, "Hollywood Regency" became the term to describe decor that embraces the fanciful. This Barovier & Toso lamp embodies that aesthetic beautifully with it's baroque lines and all the gilded shimmer and drama of a red carpet gown.

Dive Into This Poole

Poole Pottery was at once a traditional and somewhat conservative English company dating back to the late Victorian era. Always willing to change with the times, they moved boldly into modernism in the fifties hiring artists to brighten up their wares. Eventually they brought on Carol Cutler who hand painted this colorful piece from the "Delphis" line sometime in the late 60's/ early 70's. The vibrancy of color and primitive lines remind me of the works of 80's icon Jean Michel Basquiat (see painting above).

What a Gem!

A Murano bowl sliced flat like a geode on top with a dark amber dip and faceted with pentagons and hexagons to create a gem-like quality. The essence of 60's glam.

Still Life

Murano fruit atop an Empoli hand-blown compote. Delectable design for the dining room or kitchen.

Africa By Way of Italy

This heavy ceramic mask was hand made in Italy in the 1950's when the mix of exotica was part of the modern aesthetic movement.

Blue Moon

This diminutive piece is just over 3" in diameter. I wouldn't be surprised if the moon was the inspiration behind its cratered design. It is the rare example of a French ware to be found in our shop. From Vallauris, the town known for its rich history of ceramics as well as the place Picasso called home during his famous ceramic period.

It's All Wight

The Isle of Wight to be specific. These red clay pottery pieces were made in England during the 1930's by one Samuel Saunders...and YES there is a relation to our very own Stephen Saunders, owner of The End of History! In fact it was on the Isle of Wight where Stephen was born and has family still. The lovely purple/blue mottled drippy glaze reminds me of a Monet.

Lavander Lovelies

Decorative perfume bottles with fanciful flame stoppers atop signature Barbini patterned vessels, Murano, Italy, 1950's. Another vanity project perhaps?

Call Me Jaded

Minty mid-century Italian glass objects for a vanity or powder room. Opaque Murano glass similar to the American Jadite produced in the 30's, yet in decidedly 60's shapes.

Super-Incise Me

Here's a perfect example of the great globalization of design. An obvious homage to the repetition-heavy works of Bitossi, Italy; this is in actuality a mid-century West German piece from the same era. Monumental in size at over 18" tall and decorated on all four sides. 

Star Power

2 Starfish Bowls - indigenous to the Island of Murano, Italy, c. 1950's. Hand-holdable in size and in a particularly Mediterranean color palette of gold and sky blue. Perfect for your seaside summer home.

This One's For The BIRDS

A lovely little tableau of a bird-admiring girl courtesy of Marianne Stark for Michael Andersen & Sons, Bornholm, Denmark, c. 1950's. The faux crazing is a deliberate design choice to give it an antique feel. It's rather small (5" x 8") and purely decorative with a wire already attached for hanging.   

Berry Nice

This vessel reminds me of some exotic fruit like a fantasy raspberry from outer-space. From the one name we associate most closely with Rörstrand, Sweden; Mr. Gunnar Nylund.

Sex and the "History" Too

We are counting the days till the opening of the most fashionable film of the spring! It gives us a great sense of pride to have assisted the Art Department of "Sex and the City 2" with set decoration for the new movie, opening May 27th. We have felt a part of the phenomenon from the beginning as our neighborhood has been transformed in to a virtual "Carrie-land" with bus tours of Magnolia cupcake eating fans taking pictures in front of the now famous brownstone on Perry Street - home to Sarah Jessica Parker's character. We understand our decorative objects, vases, and bowls, will adorn Carrie's new apartment and we can't wait to spot the cameos.

JUST Gorgeous

Art Deco bronze candlestick from metal master Just Andersen, Denmark, c. 1920's. Just look at the fancy finial!

RIBBON Candy

This delicate glass confection features striations of orange and white with flecks of copper. From the factory of Fratelli Toso, 1950's, the ribbon-like quality is termed 'Latticino'.

Good Geode

The color combination is a blend of minty green and a deep cobalt blue... an everlasting gobstopper of layered and delicious eye-candy.

A Horse is a Horse, of Course...

...of course - unless it's 3 of the the rarest style of Bitossi we've found to date. Off-white Stucco and in varying sizes no less. We think this might have been an experiment, therefore may in fact be unique! We've decided to sell them as a set for that very reason. This band of horses will stick together.

Atomic Side Tables

Swedish side tables that define the atomic age from designer Albert Larrson for Alberts Tibro, c 1955. The tops and ball feet are a tasty tone of teak while the legs are copper tubing. Well ahead of their time. Perfect for the modern home! Don't they have a certain animated quality, as if they could just tiptoe away?

Splash of Color

Here's another name from the annals of great Swedish design. This large stoneware ceramic dish is by the hand of Inger Persson for Rörstrand, 1969. The blues are positively breathtaking in their deeply saturated tonal quality. The pattern has a fluid movement that just draws you in like a whirlpool.

Venetian Illumination

Our latest hang-up. A swirly Venini-style fixture from the fifties. Fabulous!

Happy Mother's Day

Michael Andersen and Sons, Denmark 1950's

Under The Sea

Opalescent glass is particularly rare since the process fell out of manufacture for the most part by 1950. Here we have an elegant selection, a pearly shell and what reminds me of a purple stingray.

Cubist Ceramic

An anonymous piece of Italian pottery from the 50's with a futuristic design. Floating rectangles of turquoise on matte brown ceramic with a matching glazed interior. 

Feeling Fruity

Glass fruit from Murano is always in season. It's a category we tend to keep in stock. Those pictured above appear to be hand-blown, but into a wire mold, giving them a quilted look. Delicious.

Everybody Loves Raymor

Meet the Raymor family. We make a special effort to curate with the purpose of re-configuring collections, often piece by piece, until we form a grouping of a single design as it was originally offered. We get a real kick out of discovering new "family members" as they make themselves known.

A Bit of Barbini

Polka dots have never looked so chic.

Not Your Garden Variety

An all hand-carved Italian Garden Stool from the 1950's. Stunning yet strange in its blending of motifs from pre columbian symbolism to chinoiserie. It's a surreal mélange. And may I add, we have been noticing in every design magazine the use of such stools for indoor decoration.

Shot on location at our lovely neighbors: Hudson River Flowers 541 Hudson Street,  212-929-1202

All Sorts of "Groovy"

These Italian ceramics were all made expressly for export by Raymor in the 1950's. These highly glossed vessels are great for adding a pop of color to any interior.

What's Up Stud?

A nubby studded number from the one and only Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand, Sweden, circa 1950's.

Tons of Turquoise

Hand blown Italian glass from the '50's in the most mediterranean shade of blue. The two compotes above are ideal for fruitful centerpieces.