Le Sphinx

A 'Grand Tour Souvenir' circa 1880 
French Bronze on Pink Marble

Although a mythological creature most closely associated with Egypt, it is likely that this was a keepsake for the rich European traveler to Paris, as The Louvre holds one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world.

9" x 6" 

Très Chic

It is a distinct pleasure to be included in this month's French Architectural Digest dedicated to all things "New-Yorkaise". The renown jewelry designer Marie-Hélène de Taillac’s new New York apartment includes many items from The End of History. She also mentions us in her list of favorite New York places. Among those items spotted in her chic home are our Pineapple Ice-bucket, our matching Murano flower vases, a blue Barbini lamp in her boudoir, and the always elegant stopper bottles seen above. Merci Marie-Hélène!
Photos: Douglas Friedman

Crushed Glass Ceramiche

What I love about this type of Italian pottery is the crackle glass glaze set in the decoration, giving it a sort of aged stained-glass look. The pottery itself is textured to resemble natural cork. With the pop-art shapes and the unexpected mix of color - amber, teal, orange, cobalt- and textures, the result is both modernist and rustic at once. We've had this Bitossi design (either Londi or Bagni) before as a box, but not as a rectagular vase as shown.
8.5"

Swedish Set

And then there were 3...We love re-assembling like patterns from a line. This particular motif is called "Sagina" - from the very talented and prolific Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby. She designed this group in 1959. The ceramics have a mix of a very finely striated matte brown surface and what is perhaps an abstract leaf motif in this very mid-century pastel color palette.
Top bowl measures 10" from top to tip
Small vases measure around 6-7"

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

A spectacularly surreal 3-Dimensional sculptural shell collection...Italian pottery from the fabulous 50's. I'm stunned by the hand painted details applied so delicately on each individual shell. A wonderful nod to the summer season that unofficially begins today. Hope you are enjoying the holiday!
10.5" x 6.5"
NOTE: We are closed today and resume regular business hours tomorrow at noon

Lunar Lunacy

Three more cratered landscapes realized in cobalt, orange, and yellow cased glass from Germany's Hirschberg glass factory, circa the Moon-obsessed 60's.
10" and 5"

REMINDER: We are closed for Today and Monday for the Memorial Day Holiday

Africa by way of Italy

Sold as a set, this trio is an extraordinary find from the hand of Italian maestro Alvino Bagni, circa 1950s. We could hardly believe our luck in being able to assemble this rare group. The African masks perfectly represent the mid-century trend of mixing an element of "exotica" into ones modernist decor. Studded (and nose ringed, as it were) with rusted nails to give the otherwise animated faces a fierce tribal quality.

Urning Our Swag

This rather grand architectural fragment originally decorated a building in 1920s Chicago. Constructed of terracotta in a neoclassical style, this heavy piece (135 pounds!) features festoons of swagged fabric and fruit, topped with flames. Cool for the urban apartment or great for a Hamptons garden!
30" tall

Museum Quality

Here's one for the ages. Did you know that the Italian pottery company Bitossi was commissioned by none other than New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to create reproductions for their gift shop? This fish is an example of a repro of an Ancient Egyptian Faience relic (circa 1500 BC), but made for the history loving collector in the 1960s...and once again available in the present - at The End of History!
13" x 7"

Dive Right In

Today marks the 1-month-countdown to the official start of summer, but with the weather getting balmier by the moment...I couldn't help thinking of a classic 1950s kidney shaped swimming pool when this Murano glass ashtray from Barbini arrived at the shop. This stunningly saturated turquoise color is always refreshing, no?
7" diameter

Lava Lovely

An icon among Fat Lava deigns. Very desirable for the West German pottery collector. Made by Roth, a factory in Eberhahn, Germany, circa 1960s
12"

UFO Vase

This is literally one of the largest pieces of hand blown Cenedese glass to fly on to our shelves in the history of our universe. 19" in diameter is HUGE and a major statement as a centerpiece for a grand dining room table or your lofty coffee table. The coloration is a marbleized rusty hue with swirls of green.

What's in Store

It's always intriguing to see how the merchandisers of major stores incorporate our wares into their display schemes. Barneys New York shows us how nicely our vintage goods mix with contemporary decor.

Totally Tubular

A perfectly cylindrical, somewhat futuristic, glass vase created by Cenedese in Murano Italy c. 1960s. Sommerso glass that ranges from olive at the top to teal at the base and crystal clear in the middle. The casing is at least 1/2" thick and the total height is 16"...a spectacular example of new wave minimalism.

Rare Pair

Kastrup bottles in an incredible color we could only describe as 'oxblood red'. Pristine wooden stoppers cap off this rare find from the Danish glass company c. 1950s
18.5", 13"

Charity Begins at Home

We were only too pleased to lend our wares to a good cause...The 41st Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House benefiting The Boys & Girls Club. This year, the visitor is welcomed as they enter the home by the inviting colors and textures of contributing designer Andrew Suvalsky. The End of History was the perfect choice when Suvalsky wanted to source vibrant glass and ceramic accessories to highlight his playful aesthetic. Located at 161 East 64th Street (between Lexinton and 3rd), this stately townhouse has been filled with the most sumptuous settings...well worth a trip and a great charity to support!

For more information see link below:
http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/

Under The Sea

Exploring the depths of German design once again with this gorgeous gunmetal grey vase decorated with a bevy of beautiful sea-life in turquoise relief. Created by Karlsruhe Majolika.  
12" tall

Maximalism Epitomized

A photo sent from our new friend Dee from San Francisco, a valued customer and (obviously) an avid collector . Oh how we love to see our goods in a good home...and there's no such thing as too much of a good thing.

Sticking Our Neck Out

Who doesn't need a tabletop giraffe? This long necked import is an Italian hand made ceramic from the 50's. Love that sly look in its eye!
15" x 15"

Drinks Anyone?

We were simply tipsy to be included in this year's Food & Wine Cocktails 2013. The just published guide to creative mixology is garnished with myriad examples of our glass accessories throughout.
I'll drink to that!

Lion Share

Attributable to Aldo Londi for Bitossi (original Raymor sticker intact) comes this ceramic lion sculpture in a particularly gorgeous olive body and copper glazed mane. Greatly detailed and finely incised, circa 1950's, Montelupo, Italy
13"

Back by Popular Japan

Just arrived from the land of the rising sun are these spectacular mid-century Japanese bronzes... all with their original presentation boxes.  The black vase with the peek-a-boo hole is particularly modernist in shape and the copper colored bronze vase has a hot pink splatter. The ikibana vase is dramatic and charming at the same time...notice the applied gold ladybug.

Artisans: Top left (9") is by Itasaka Tatsuji and the copper vase (9.5") is by Tachikawa Zentro, Ikibana (9") is by Sakaguchi Yoshio

Opalescent and Magnificent

A compote of such excessive elegance that it literally glows-in-the-dark. But, once again, it's all about scale - 15.5" in diameter and over 12" high. Opalescent glass is rare, but a piece this enormous is a pure feat of masterful glass blowing - from the venerable Cenedese factory, circa 1960s

BONUS: Being detail oriented, I just had to mention the gold glittered rim!

Game of Thrones Platter

A mid-century take on a medieval motif...pottery meant to look like patinated metal, wrought in West Germany (or is it Westeros?) This is one to hang on the wall of your geek-chic pad.
13"

High Praise in Print

In the brand new imprint called Departures Home + Design from American Express Publishing, one of our favorite clients and high society decorators, Kitty Hawks, reveals us as one of her favorites in her Black Book of New York sources. She refers to us as "A treasure trove of midcentury glass and ceramics from all over the world." Thanks Kitty!

Tremendous Fratelli

Shot in context to illustrate the sheer mass of this giant glass lamp from Fratelli Toso, 1950s  The dimensions are around 40" to the top of the shade and 16" wide! The coloration and cross-hatch pattern makes it feel nautical and authentically Murano with its hint of gold.

Mint Julep Jewels

In recognition of today's Kentucky Derby...a trifecta of mint condition minty green stopper bottles from Empoli, Italy, 1950s
All measure around 25" tall

Greece by Way of Germany

Porcelain from mid-century Germany by a company called Krautheim. I'm loving the mix of shiny and bisque (matte) materials...not to mention the leopard festooned warrior looking fetching upon his almost certain death. The transfer is a dark chocolate brown over an off-white surface.
20"

Towering Teal

Another grand statement, this time from Gunnar Ander for Lindshammar, Sweden. Huge at 20" tall. Original sticker intact.

Tipping The Scale

Beyond the fantastic color and classic shape...the story here is all about the tremendous size. We rarely see Empoli glass vessels reach this monumental height of nearly 20" tall. A vast vase truly worth putting on a pedestal!