Ancient History

We step again into our time machine with these antique glass objects that can be categorized as "Grand Tour Souvenirs". This prized pair of Amphora are ancient Roman style glass housed in reproduction bronze Pompeii stands with lion's heads & claw details.  This type of keepsake would have been sold to wealthy travelers in Italy during the 19th century. The glass has a beautiful opalescent sheen and almost iridescent quality to the green coloration.
12" tall & sold only as a pair

Delicious Nautilus

Our time travel through the world of decorative arts brings us back to 1883 and the Victorians newly found hunger for all things Japanese. After the 1854 trade treaty, Japan's wonders were made available in vast numbers for the first time to the west. Extravagant displays of decorative arts at all the major worlds fairs of the 19th century resulted in Japan having great influence in western art. A great example can be found here from the venerable English firm of Royal Worcester Porcelain (founded in 1751). A pair of delicate and surrealistic renderings of Nautilus shells held by coral branches on a glittering seabed.
7" each

Big Bang

Monumental museum quality pottery from the masterful hand of Arne Bang, circa 1940. A form that embodies the aesthetic transition from Art Deco to Machine Age. An impressive scale at 14" in diameter and 4" in height. Expand the photo to closer inspect the speckled glaze technique that lends his work a desirable depth of texture by mimicking the patina of aged bronze.

Time for The New York Times

 

Rebecca Flint Marx has written a wonderful profile of our shop entitled "Obsessions in Color, Form and Glass", for today's Sunday New York Times. The image above is of a satisfied customer who happened to be in the shop while Marx and photographer Elizabeth D. Herman were covering our store for the article. The result is a terrific overview of our history, our design philosophy, and a testament to the indie spirit our store has been fortunate enough to maintain for going on 16 years in the same West Village location - in an era and city now dominated my multi-national brands. For more (plus a slideshow) see link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/nyregion/at-the-end-of-history-obsessions-in-color-and-glass.html

Fine Pharoah

King Tut as realized in 1959 by the famed Italian ceramicist Urbano Zaccaganini. It has purposefully aged quality to the crazing and glazing...as if it were actually dug up after thousands of years. Interesting side note: Our shop's proprietor Stephen has a real family connection to the original discovery. Stephen's maternal grandmother was actually present in Egypt when Tutankhamun's tomb was excavated and she even knew Howard Carter. How's that for a little bit of history repeating?

Another Great Gunnar

A circular stunner...this great graphic mid-century porcelain bowl is by Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand, Sweden

9" in diameter

Vanity Fair

Ahhh...the sweet smell of success. This lovely 1950s Murano Barbini bullicante perfume bottle is rich with gilt and perfect to add fancy to your vanity or pretty to your powder room.
7.5"

Back in Black

Expanding our horizons into the 21st century (our first foray into new millennial glass works) with an onyx trio from contemporary artist Massimo Micheluzzi, 2003. Rare to see solid black glass for sure, but the major draw here is the carving technique. Known as "battuto", Micheluzzi utilizes a diamond cutting tool to create fluid canals, not unlike the waterways of his hometown of Venice. This work seems to bridge traditional Venetian glassblowing methods with a decidedly modern viewpoint.

 9"-11"

Provinance: Originally sold through Barry Friedman, Ltd.

Legendary

Mid-Century goes Mid-Evil with this classic story - set in stoneware. "Saint George and the Dragon" created as a limited edition sculpture (marked 34/200) by the great Gunnar Nylund for Rorstrand, circa 1950s. This story dates back as far as the 10th Century and its hero is considered the patron saint of England.  Not to mention, it's also reminding me of one of my favorite HBO series, Game of Thrones.
13" x 13"

Bowled Over

Attributable to Bitossi, this striated Italian bowl of royal blue, a touch of metallic, and a myriad of fabulous 50s glazes is a real artifact of that color-filled era. A great size @ 11.5" in diameter.

Amazing Amethyst

A geode of a different style. Surprisingly, this piece is not Italian, but actually Swedish from Strömberg. Technically, cut crystal (which is really unusual in a geode) giving it a wonderful optical effect. Not to mention the center is a beautifully saturated Amethyst purple.
5 1/4" in diameter

Small Wonders

We are known for being able to provide not only choice, but the satisfaction of creating an 'instant collection' if one was so inclined. Right now, we have a wonderful selection of the works of a small Danish studio called Palshus. Formed in 1948 by ceramicist Per Linneman-Schmidt and his wife Annelise, the Palshus studio created ceramics with an admittedly Japanese aesthetic - matte glazes and fine lines. A lovely signature to their work is the almost illuminated look of the highlighted rims.
Most are no more than 6" or 7"

Little Boxes, Little Boxes

Keepsake ceramic boxes by the likes of  Bitossi and others for import by Raymor or Rosenthal Netter are a mainstay at our shop and no mid-century bedside or coffee table should be without one. Just a sampling above of our always in-stock selection.
Sizes tend to be consistent at around 8" x 4" (lid) x 2" high

Recommended Reading

When noted designer Shawn Henderson wanted to add exquisite objects to his sophisticated and urban interior for his celebrity client, funny man Will Farrell, he came to The End of History. Will's wife is Swedish, so who better to provide rare Scandinavian pottery than our emporium rich with hundreds of recent acquisitions sent by our partners in Copenhagen?! It's all featured on the glossy pages of the March 2013 celebrity packed issue of Architectural Digest.

Valentine's Finds

Need a last minute shopping hint for Valentine's Day? Let me play cupid for a moment...May I suggest a vintage heart shaped Barbini glass bowl from the 50s - perfect for your sweetheart!
6-8" in diameter

Modernist Obelisks

Three decorative glass Obelisks from Cenedese, Murano, 1960s. I'm particularly wild about the gold leaf bubbles trapped in glass.
9"

German/Roman Bronze

Three views of the same diminutive bronze vase, decorated on all sides with female nudes in various poses and activities of an Ancient Roman style. Made in Mid-century Germany by Professor Fritz Nuss, better known for his more modernist life size public works (think Henry Moore). 1950s
4"

Centennial Ceramic

Modernist Pottery - An anomaly for the company Rosenthal, Germany, as they are among the best known makers of porcelain in the world. This ceramic may be a re-issue of an earlier design, for it is incised "100 Year" anniversary (1979-80). There is something very Japanese about this shape...a simple and elegant form - great for a single orchid stem.
4.5" tall
6" diameter

Abstract Expresssion

Signed oil on canvas by Noboru Yamashita, 1963

Original Frame

48" x 32"

Turning Japanese

Although we are best known as purveyors of accessories from the 20th Century, we can't resist an exquisite exception. Such is the case with this lovely hand-painted piece from Japan, circa late 19th century. The scene makes one long for the tranquil birds and blooms of spring, seemingly an eternity away given our current inclement weather.
16"

Hirsute & Handsome

 

A hauntingly good looking male bust by the famed American artist Edward Melcarth, signed and dated 1968. Most of his works were purchased by Malcolm Forbes and later by Forbes' son.

UPDATE: I was pleased to be contacted by the nephew of Melcarth and informed that the bust is made of a type of resin and that this piece is often referred to as the "Heroic Head" or "Roman Head". The subject model likely a friend or lover of the artist.

Melcarth had another important friend and patron in Peggy Guggenheim for whom he designed the most fabulous sunglasses of the 20th century.
12" tall

Luscious Lucite

2 x Trios of American-made Lucite candle sticks from the 60s ~  retro-futuristic illumination triplicated in fantastic acrylic and brass

Top: 10", 14", 18.5"

Bottom: 4", 7.5", 10.5"

Beyond Blue

The word of the day is...Cerulean. It's that particular hue of blue, somewhere between cobalt and blue-green. We just love the great saturation and gorgeous crazing of this french 1930s ceramic vase. Although unmarked, it is quite possibly from the French studio of Edmond Lachenal.
 12"

Checkered Past

Is it just me...or does this 1950s gold and brown Bavarian porcelain vase remind anyone of a certain French luxury brand?
11"

Out of Africa

African art is incredibly difficult to date, but lucky for us we have a terrific clue in a paper label showing that this pair is from a country that only existed in name for a very short period. From 1961-1964 the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa... and is now known as Tanzania. These two native women are carved from a very dense, dark, hard wood, likely ebony.
7", 6"

Table Talk

A rather special occasional table...Mid-century Murano glass from the base to the leg with the original matching green tinted clear beveled top. Teal glass with brass fittings in a sleek modernist shape. So exciting - It looks like an exclamation point!
29.5" tall and 23.5" in diameter

Monkey Business

Looks like mother has her hands full. Another charming animal figurine from the prolific Knud Kyhn for Royal Copenhagen...this one is a simian scene that gives form to the term "monkey on your back". Dated 1958 and incised with Knud's mark.
14"