My Latest Hang Up(s)

Attributed to Vistosi (notice the detail of the metallic painted band)


Tri-colored hanging lamps by Venini

Fantastic Fantoni

Fantoni is one of those names you look for in Italian pottery. This pair of lamps has a playful and elegant classical motif of female nudes in pose.

Coffe, Tea, or Me?

From the venerable American company Reed & Barton, est. 1824. This distinctly modern high sixties service is silver-plated, making it fine for everyday use...that is if your every day is fabulous.

Bottle Shaped Lamps Part 2

Many a decorator have asked the measurements of these lamps. FYI...the pair stand at a rather tall 45"(shade included) and are Murano cased glass with brass & marble bases. The long neck gives these lights an elegant line. Deep saturated sky blue matched here with red glass...super-chic!

The Golden Era

1950's Italian, bulbous bottle shaped gilded crackle ceramic lamp...that's a mouth full.

Just Another Day at the Beach

Hope everyone had a fabulous loooong weekend, and some made it to the shore. Here's a little Murano shell for your sweet (unofficial start to)Summer memories.

Feeling Clammy

This vaguely shell-fishy bowl is HUGE. At just about 12" in width, and weighing what I estimate to be at least 15 lbs., it would make a substantial statement as the centerpiece on your Mid Century modern dining table. The color is a lovely mix of purple and amber.

How Swede it Is!

This Kosta Boda glass by Erik Hoglund has a certain opalescent quality. The deep turquoise color hits me in all the right places. This is a beautiful selection for someone who wants to build an instant collection.

My Latest Hang-Up

This wall hanging falls into the catagory of Groovy! Made in the 1970's in West Germany (when there was still a distinction).

...and then I saw a white light.

This Murano lamp reminds me of a Christian Lacroix wedding dress.

This may be a long shot...

With this blog, I spend a lot of time concentrating on individual items or collections, that I am remiss in pulling back and showing the context of our surroundings. The shop is stunning at first sight. For those of you who know us just from the web...when in New York, please pay us an in-person visit. We love to hear that you discovered us via the internet, but we want to meet you too!

Introducing MODERN

From Brant Publications, the same company behind "Interview" and "Antiques" magazines, comes a new glossy quarterly. MODERN is a periodical for the serious collector and fans of modernist designs alike. I just flipped through the premier issue, and it's a welcome addition to my reading list!

Africa by way of Sweden

A tall vase by Ingrid Atterberg for Upsala Ekeby, circa 1950's. This ceramic piece is from her "Africa" line. By the way, it stands at 15"...nowhere near as large as the one pictured here with the celebrated ceramacist. I wonder where that piece ended up!

EnSconced

These wall sconces are the epitomy of glamour. Dripping in tear-drop crystals, they evoke the high-society setting of a penthouse apartment on Park Avenue in the 60's. Add a couple of white taper candles and set them aflame for your next cocktail party.

FRUITS of our labor

Glass fruit could be viewed as rather "Grandma", but peared with a brightly painted Italian bowl, they juxtapose nicely. The mixed motif gives this tableau a more modern (lemon?) twist. Pardon the puns, but I'm feeling a little fruity.

Artisanal Pottery

Sometimes we come across examples of ceramics that can be attributed to a particular potter, but whose work we have not seen prior. Such is the case with this odd triplet from the Swedish studio of Curt M. Addin. The hand-made quality tells me that it is the work of a sort of free form craftsman, not shy about experimentation with texture and non-traditional shapes. I'm pleased that the grouping remained together and was not separated by time and travel.

Recommended Reading

From Taschen, the greatest publisher of coffee table books, comes this tome that makes us feel right at home! Now, we don't sell books at our lovely shop, we just covet them. This is one title to add to your reading list.

Show STOPPERS!

Sometimes with genie bottles, the greatest interest is in the stoppers themselves. These Blenko bottles' stoppers are practically paperweights. You know how I love the bubbles!

Daum It!

We are attributing this vase to Daum , Nancy France. Organic in shape and positively effervescent with bubbles (the Italians refer to this look as Pelugoso). This Art Deco artifact is heavy and important and pure decadence.

Happy Mother's Day

One category we only dabble in is fine Crystal. These bud vases appeal to us for their simplicity in design. The taller Swedish piece is signed Stromberg 1960's. The shorter one may very well be from the same country of origin if not the same factory.

Family Affair

Thrown by the hand of Nils Kahler, born into a venerable Danish ceramic family led by his father Herman August Kahler. These pieces are incised with the family mark HAK and signed by Nils himself. They are 6" tall and are best when grouped together to show the variation in form. These were created in the 1950's just before the factory ceased operations.

The Birds

Jørgen Mogensen, 1950's
Michael Andersen and Sons, 1950's
Jørgen Mogensen, 1950's

Meet The Beetles!

Famed Danish potter Jørgen Mogensen created this heavy, earthy stoneware dish in the 1960's. Designed with repetitive rows of Scarabs, perhaps he was making a nod to Egyptian revivalism in design that was all the rage during the Art Deco period.

Contradiction in Terms

A motif you often see in decorative works from the 50's and 60's is MODERN/PRIMITIVE. This vase is the prime example with a very literal reference to cave drawings. I love the joyful stick-man hunting his prey. This piece produced in the 50's is called "Hedenhös" and was designed by Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby, Sweden.

Our First Print Ad

This print ad was created especially for Antiques Magazine. The print date is still TBD, but I couldn't resist sharing with you now. The stunning photo is of a grouping of Scandinavian pottery-our latest obsession. Enjoy.

I Dream of Genie Bottles

Two of the rarest Stopper Bottles we have are classic Barbini. Notice the aforementioned ostrich pattern that is signature to the Italian glass manufacturer. They are both 25.5" tall and about 8" wide. Spectacular-Spectacular!

Mutual ADLER-ation

This month's House Beautiful (May 2009) features a spread of Jonathan Adler's recent interior design project for Fashion Designer Liz Lange's Westchester home. Over the years our relationship with Adler has been one of mutual respect and synchronistic inspiration. His work is a complimentary mirror to our aesthetic and he comes to us for additional accessories when working with clients who, like us, want to collect the original vintage pieces that inform today's ultra-modern look. You'll notice our teal lidded Jar in the forground and yellow vessels on the bookshelf in the first photo. In the second shot, the giant tourquois vase (already sold) was lent from our shop for this fabulous shoot. Thanks and congratz Jonathan!

Bubbles Bubbles

This ashtray incorporates several signature qualities of the finer Murano factories. The gold dust is mixed with a spattering of controlled bubbles, giving it a sort of ostrich pattern. This look is most often associated with the works of Barbini.

Ribbons in the Sky

This piece makes my teeth ache for that Ribbon Candy you get around Christmas. I can't imagine the complex technique involved with achieving this design effect.