The End of History: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Big Blue

A blue and gold early 1950s lidded jar by Alfredo Barbini, one of our favorite Murano artists. A large and beautiful piece at 11 inches tall.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Mid-Century Italy gave us this fantastic pair of Aldo Londi for Bitossi vessels - a cylindrical vase with a grey glazed interior and a lidded jar in a groovy jumble of triangular geometric patterns. The colors are a mix of red, orange and chocolate brown over a textured matte surface.
13 inches and 7" (including lid)

Monday, April 27, 2015

Jaded in Japan

A very fine pair of early 20th Century Japanese sterling silver bowls inlaid with ancient jade rings to the rim. Marked made in Japan Yamanaka & Co., they were most likely retailed through Yamanaka & Co. on 5th Avenue & 28th Street in New York, known for it's sellection of museum quality Japanese artworks. From 1895, Yamanaka & Co. established itself in New York as a purveyor of the finest Japanese art that was in high demand in fin de siècle London, Paris & New York.
The firm, especially Yamanaka Sadajirō (1866-1936), played a crucial role in shaping the Japanese art collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and worked closely with many prominent New York collectors and patrons. Many pieces of Japanese art in North American museums today were originally sold from their 5th Avenue galley.
They are 4 inches diameter, circa 1920, although the jade may well be much older and possibly Chinese in origin, sold as a pair.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Grand Gunnar

This is the largest Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand vase we've ever had the pleasure of offering for sale. A monumental masterpiece with Nylund's signature hare's fur glaze in rich earth tones. Recently acquired from a private Swedish collection. Spectacular at 25 inches tall, 1950s.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Swedish Ice

This heavy multifaceted sculpture by Jan Johansson for Orrefors gives new meaning to the term "Crystal Clear". Circa 1969, . 8.5 inches tall.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Ekeby Rarity

A Monumental masterpiece by Anna Lisa Thomson (1905-1952) for Upsala Ekeby.
22 inches tall.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

2-of-a-Kind

A pair of Scandinavian classics from the designer Bo Borgström and produced in the 1960s by Åseda glassworks in Sweden. We would describe the colors as delicious melding of avocado & lime and an orange that leans towards pumpkin. The signature is the clear base and the almost folded-over lip.
9 1/2 " each

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Fine Feathered Pottery

Gilded Bitossi ceramics circa the 1950s - in a pattern called Piuma (or feather)

Tallest lidded jar is 18.5 inches, the cachepots are 7 inches, the bowls are 9 inches in diameter

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Murano - In Case You Wondered

A treasure trove of 1960s cased glass amassed from the vintage family archives of the renown Cenedese company. These pieces were made in Venice the in mid-20th century but never sold abroad - until now. The deeply saturated, yet muted jewel tones, make this a uniquely time-stamped collection.
Sizes range from just over 4 inches to 16 inches in height

Monday, April 20, 2015

Totally Toft

Denmark's terrific Thomas Toft. As rare as his works are, we have assembled a truly expansive array of his mid-century vessels, bowls, and even a lamp.
The motif is usually an abstraction in geometric contrast of in chocolate brown matte and white glaze. They represent fish (look closely - you'll see it!), flora (ferns perhaps), & even a rooster (see 3rd up from the bottom).
The vases are around 16 inches in height. The lamp is over 2 feet with a shade, the bowls are from 5 inches to 9 inches in diameter.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Towering Achievement

There's something akin to modernist architecture with this vase designed by Carl-Harry Stålhane for Rörstrand. We see the reflection of skyscrapers in this fabulous size and form - 14 inches.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Tiffany & Co. Goes French

A stylish and chic pair of Mid 20th Century French gilt wash sterling silver vanity boxes retailed by Tiffany & Co. French Minerva head for .950 purity & unknown French maker's mark along inner rim of each box.
3.75 inches tall by 2.5 inch diameter.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Golden Years

A beautiful gilt bronze, mid-century abstract sculpture by New York artist Seymour Meyer (1914-2009). This fine example is #5 of an edition of 9, 15.25 inches tall.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Murano Urns

Although only a few years older than The End of History, this pair of white, thick cased Murano vases have a classical beauty that's timeless. Large at 16.5 & 14.5 inches tall, they're signed Bisazza Murano and dated 1993.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Sensational Seta

When it comes to Aldo Londi's "Seta" line - these are the tops! Above is a rare surviving gold stopper to the tallest striated piece of Bitossi we have ever seen.

Below is an arabesque form - a lovely lidded, matte glazed piece with gold illuminations and turquoise glazed interior.

Above: 26 inches tall

Below: 16 inches tall

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Groovy Twosome

A pair of psychedelic ceramics from Bitossi circa the 1960s - Lidded lovelies just in time for spring.
11.5 inches and 10 inches

Monday, April 6, 2015

Seeing Spots

A wild trio from the great Swedish ceramicist Ingrid Atterberg for Upsala Ekeby, 1950s. We are getting a very leopard-print feeling from this rarely seen pattern - an exotic theme seems likely as she was known to be inspired by Africa in her other works.
7", 9", 13"