Thorny Beauty

A very rare example of a Danish Modern lamp by the Bornholm based Michael Anderson & Sons, Denmark, circa 1950. Wonderfully organic and wholly unexpected.
20" (to top of shade)

Italian Illumination

Shown here is one of an available pair of Empoli glass bottle lamps, with original matching finials. Rewired and customized with elegant Lucite bases. Also noteworthy are the proportions: The shape is wider than it is deep...like someone flattened a traditional lamp and a nice height @ 44" to the top of the fabulous finials.

Metal Mania

American Brutalism at its best. Created by Glen Davis, a member of "Group A", originally formed in 1944 as "The Abstract Group" in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania - a guild with the goal of promoting abstract art in the area. The piece signed and numbered 5/69 (likely a date, and not referring to one of a series) is made of a multitude of hand cut metal rods, welded into "T" formations and reconfigured into a tower of controlled chaotic beauty.

22 x 6.25 x 6.25 inches w/ base

Provenance: The Glen Davis Estate

Rome by Way of France

We are clearly not strictly modernist as of late. Our 19th Century exploration leads us to a pair of neoclassical French bronze urns. Handsome and historic is what we are feeling all of a sudden.
9" each including the pink marble base

Our Asian Fascination

We continue our venture into Eastern art with this rare Peking Glass vase from China. Made in the 19th century- placing this from the Qing Dynasty. The process is similar to "Cameo" glass, where the red outer casing is carved away to reveal the opaque white base.

This piece does hold a hallmark as well as a reign mark, which leads us to believe that was originally displayed in the Imperial Palace.

Mini-Masterpiece

This one is a real question-mark - quite literally. A tiny bronze on black marble sculpture of unknown origin, not to mention indiscernible in terms of an obvious "front" side. Therefore, I simply photographed it from every angle. There is gorgeous fluidity to its form and the diminutive size (just 7") makes it sweet for sitting in a bookshelf or on one's desktop.

"Watch" What Happens

What better way to prop a story on exquisite Swiss watches called "Impeccable Timing" - but on and among Scandinavian ceramics from The End of History. The height of luxurious living can be found in the pages of Robb Report, and the November 2012 issue featured our fine array of pottery from Marsellis, Gunnar Nylund and Carl Harry Stalhane for Rorstand, Berndt Friberg and Stig Lindberg for Gustavsberg among others.
Photo by Lisa Charles Watson; Styling by Charles W. Bumgardner

Egyptian Revival Meets Art Nouveau

A mega mix of styles in singularly fabulous piece. Bavarian mid-century porcelain by Edelstein, decorated with petals of etched gilt and a deep cerulean base color. Beyond definition, but one gorgeous discovery! 

Large and lovely at just over 16" tall

Spectacular Satsuma

This antique Japanese vase from the Meiji period is one of the most incredible examples of Satsuma pottery we have ever acquired. So vast in scale and detailed in fine handwork, that we feel almost certain that it was made for special exhibition at the time - around 1880. 

20" high x 13" wide x 12" deep 

Brutalist/Cubist

A literally huge achievement in oil on canvas in the cubist manner. Look closely and you will see a warrior holding a standard with an amusingly outsized hand. The paint is sort of globbed on and layered in a brutalist fashion, giving it truly surreal dimensions. Signed Julios - not an artist I've ever heard of - which just adds an air of mystery to its origin. Awesome 1960's colors as well - Avocado, Rust, and various hues of Blue.

41" x 53"

Quan Yin Again

Buddha as a girl - rendered in gilded terracotta and teal glaze, Italy, circa 1950s

20" (including base)

Spring Has Sprung

In celebration of the first day of spring...we present a Millefiori paperweight by Fratelli Toso. A tiny garden captured in clear faceted glass, circa 1950.
4.5"

Just Jacks

Decorative jacks are a 20th Century mainstay. These three wooden ones are of a fabulously folksy variety and in a subdued color combination.

Aproximately 5" and 8"

Eye of the Beholder

A 5-sided cubist stoneware plate created by the ever animated Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby, Sweden, circa 1950s. Her figures are almost always female, however this is so abstract as to be quite masculine at the same time. I guess it's up to the viewer to decide.  Gorgeous colors from daffodil yellow, to robins egg blue, minty green, and a lovely lavender rim.
Approximately 9" x 6"

Deco-Rate

A leafy French Art Deco ceramic from a celebrated master of the craft, Louis Dage - appointed best ceramicist in France (Nommé Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 1924. This particularly fetching horse chestnut design was made circa 1930.
14" tall

Italian Lava

Imported by Raymor in the Atomic Age 50s. From the acid yellow lava-like striped glaze exterior to the flaming orange interior...this Italian ceramic just explodes with color and texture.
8" by 6"

Bull Market

In celebration of the great rally of the stock market as of late (and hopefully a recovering economic trend) I give you this mid-century modern Murano glass bull.
8" tall and 16" from nose tip to tail

Delizioso Dish

The new April 2013 issue of Food & Wine is dedicated to all things Italian with celebrity chef and guest editor Mario Batali. Included is our large Barbini bowl...seen here as a serving suggestion for fusilli and shrimp. Scrumptious.

Little Caesar and His Little Lady

Petite Julius Caesar in Italian bronze on alabaster from the 1950s. However, the question remains...which wife is accompanying him? He was married thrice: is this Cornelia, Pompeia, or Calpurnia? 
7" each

Emerald City

With "Oz the Great and Powerful" doing huge numbers at box office this past weekend (over $80 million in the US), it got me thinking about Pantone's color of the year: Emerald & that specific shade of colored glass. All three above are from Empoli, Italy, 1950s.
l to r: 15", 16.5", 9"

Fruitful Find

A stunning still life hand-made in mid-century Italy. Ceramic fruit, piled high in a bowl with incredible details. But, even more incredible is the fact that this centerpiece is in such mint condition. We have never featured this type of Italian pottery before, for the very reason that they are never in perfect form. The other appealing aspect is the pure white color. Can you imagine this in the center of a white marble Eero Saarinen Tulip Table? We can.

Fine Feathered

A Bavarian porcelain hanging platter with an exotic peacock decoration from a line called 'El Dorado' by Karin Nossek - one of the chief designers at Kaiser, West Germany, 1960s
12" in diameter

Grey Matters

Country of origin comes into question on this one, but our best educated guess would place this from somewhere in Scandinavia. A vase of vast scale (18"!) and even greater interest - given its oh so chic gradation of grey tones. It's like a towering dowel or modernist take on the classic bamboo motif.

Scrumptious Sgrafitto

These golden oldies from 1950s Italy are likely Bitossi. We have had the vase before, although in another coloration, and I'm sure we've sold variations of the compote...but I can't recall ever a matching pair. Great texture and gorgeous gilding, but it's the green apple glazed interior of the bowl that makes this pairing so tasty.
Vase:15"
Bowl:5" high and 5 3/4" in diameter

Architectural Accessories

A heavy subject...a trio of solid Italian Travertine decorative objects created in a rather masculine manner. Imported from Italy by Raymor in the 1960s.
Obelisk 12"
Spheres 6"&4.5"

Earning Our Stripes

A most elegant example of a Zebrati glass bowl from Barovier & Toso. The zebra stripes are a perfectly plummy color and the amount of gold enough to effect the stock market.
6.5" in diameter 2.5" in height

Deco-Rate

A rare piece of Japanese Satsuma porcelain, made during the Taisho period, circa 1920s

10.25" tall

Mane Event

A winning pair of vintage Murano glass horses, stunningly expressive and realistic given the material. Observing the particular style of the mane, I strongly believe these to be from the same Venetian factory, albeit from different eras. The top is from the 40s while the other was made in the 60s.
Top: 9.5"long x 9.5"high
Center:  12" long x 9" high

China by Way of Mexico

An amazing cross-cultural find from the most famous department store in Mexico City - Sanborns (see below). Created in the 1940s, this Mexican sterling silver humidor is bejeweled with a 19th century Chinese rendering of a junk boat carved in red jade. The setting is exquisitely intricate and another perfect example of East-Meets-West design.

box measures 3.5" x 6" and 1.25" high

Gentlemen's Quarters

In the March issue of GQ - for "Wake Up Your Bedroom," a special section dedicated to tips for updating the gentleman's interior, prop stylist Noemi Bonazzi for Brydges Mackinney pulled masculine looking ceramics from The End of History to help spice up the space.

Photo credit: Ditte Isager