Hooded monks stare-out from these polychromed, bronze-clad Gothic Revival bookends made by J. B. Hirsch in the 1910's or 1920's. The company was founded in 1907, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, by Joseph Hirsch, a Rumanian immigrant. He hired designers to sculpt the original models for bookends, like the pair above.
To make bronze-clad bookends, first a model was sculpted. From the original model, moulds would be made in which plaster "composite" duplicates were cast. These plaster sculptures were then electroplated: hung in a vat of water mixed with bronze powder and zapped with an electrical current, during which the bronze powder formed a solid bronze "skin" around the plaster form. Once the bronze skin was attached, the object could be patinated or painted as bronze would be.
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Hooded monks stare-out from these polychromed, bronze-clad Gothic Revival bookends made by J. B. Hirsch in the 1910's or 1920's. The company was founded in 1907, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, by Joseph Hirsch, a Rumanian immigrant. He hired designers to sculpt the original models for bookends, like the pair above.
To make bronze-clad bookends, first a model was sculpted. From the original model, moulds would be made in which plaster "composite" duplicates were cast. These plaster sculptures were then electroplated: hung in a vat of water mixed with bronze powder and zapped with an electrical current, during which the bronze powder formed a solid bronze "skin" around the plaster form. Once the bronze skin was attached, the object could be patinated or painted as bronze would be.
The American Arts & Crafts period—like Arts & Crafts periods elsewhere—sought to "revive" artful elements of ancient mythology, literature, symbolism or the aesthetic culture of its country. The Gothic period of Europe proved a rich source of creative inspiration (as these bookends will attest).
After World War Two, Joseph Hirsch's company took an interesting turn. Pre-War France had a legacy of having made spelter (zinc) castings—used for bookends, lamps, ashtrays and other small decorative objects. These finely-cast items were sometimes called "French Bronzes." With Germany invading, one of these French Bronze foundries decided to bury their moulds under the factory floor—carefully separating the different parts of each mould and scrambling them. They didn't want anyone else, especially the invaders, to find and use their moulds. By the time the War was over, aesthetic styles had changed and the foundry decided to leave the moulds underground. Hirsch heard stories of these moulds and decided to find the foundry owner and buy his old moulds. The digging was ambitious and reassembly was difficult, given the separation and mixing of all the parts. But Hirsch brought the moulds back to America and began to cast the French Bronzes to much success. By the Post-War period, Hirsch's original product line (bronze-clad items) had pretty much run its course. The specter French Bronzes provided a new chapter for the company.
At over 8 inches tall and six inches wide, these bookends provide a bit of visual (and actual) heft—holding-up your cherished tomes. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Happy Saint Paddy's Day!
As famous—and popular—as Saint Patrick is, his life is heavily shrouded in mystery. He is believed to have lived in the Fifth Century (possibly, some sources say, the Fourth Century) and was born in Roman-occupied Ravenglass (along the Western coast of Central England). According to his autobiographical Confessio, he was enslaved at the age of sixteen and taken to Ireland where he worked six years as an animal herder. After escaping, he undertook a difficult and dangerous journey, finally reuniting with his family in Britain. He later became a priest and returned to Ireland.
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Happy Saint Paddy's Day!
As famous—and popular—as Saint Patrick is, his life is heavily shrouded in mystery. He is believed to have lived in the Fifth Century (possibly, some sources say, the Fourth Century) and was born in Roman-occupied Ravenglass (along the Western coast of Central England). According to his autobiographical Confessio, he was enslaved at the age of sixteen and taken to Ireland where he worked six years as an animal herder. After escaping, he undertook a difficult and dangerous journey, finally reuniting with his family in Britain. He later became a priest and returned to Ireland.
He always referred to himself as Patricius (his Latin name). In Ireland, he was called Pátraic (Old Irish), later Pádraig (Irish). This is why the proper name for his feast day is St. Paddy's Day (never St. Patty's).
As a missionary, he is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland—and was very successful at incorporating Christian teaching into the existing pagan culture and belief system. He travelled the island, often confronted by hostile local chieftains, establishing churches and monasteries in his trail. He also served as a Bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland.
Saint Patrick has never been officially canonized by the Church. Instead, it seems he was "sainted" by popular acclaim (with the assumed approval of a successor bishop). To his credit, Patrick was the first famous figure to call for the end of slavery.
The sterling silver Art Deco cufflinks, shown above, were made in the Twenties or Thirties. They are decorated with radiant machine-turned guilloché work and bathed in a layer of spring green enamel. Click on the photo above to learn more about these handsome cufflinks.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Pilkington Royal Lancastrian employed several notable ceramics designers and decorators including Charles Voysey, Walter Crane, Richard Joyce, Gordon Forsyth and Gwladys Rodgers. The artist with the longest career at Pilkington was William Salter Mycock. In fact, his years at Pilkington spanned the lifetime of art pottery production for the company.
William Mycock was born in 1872. His earliest working years were as a freelance "jobber" decorating pottery for various firms in the region. He also painted ceramics at Wedgwood while taking art courses at night. Mycock joined Pilkington in 1894, two short years after the company was founded. At this point, he was decorating Pilkington's ceramic tiles (the company's first product).
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Pilkington Royal Lancastrian employed several notable ceramics designers and decorators including Charles Voysey, Walter Crane, Richard Joyce, Gordon Forsyth and Gwladys Rodgers. The artist with the longest career at Pilkington was William Salter Mycock. In fact, his years at Pilkington spanned the lifetime of art pottery production for the company.
William Mycock was born in 1872. His earliest working years were as a freelance "jobber" decorating pottery for various firms in the region. He also painted ceramics at Wedgwood while taking art courses at night. Mycock joined Pilkington in 1894, two short years after the company was founded. At this point, he was decorating Pilkington's ceramic tiles (the company's first product).
In 1906, Mycock was transferred to the brand new art pottery division where he remained until 1938. This was the year that Pilkington stopped making art pottery, though it continued to produce ceramic tiles, its first business. Mycock retired himself when art pottery was retired at Pilkington.
I have been unable to find very much personal information about this talented artist. He was known to love music, pursue watercolor painting, and could quote Ruskin at length. As for his work, his original sketches (often on tissue paper—allowing them to be transferred to the ceramics pieces) are held in the archives of the Swinton and Pendlebury Public Library. Otherwise, we only have his beautiful work to define his legacy.
Shown above, a handsome incised trumpet-form vase by William Mycock. The pattern is hand-incised and painted with aqua and cornflower blue glazes. Although it has its own character, it was inspired by Medieval Persian ceramics—one of the guiding stars of English Arts & Crafts ceramics design, especially at Pilkington. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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150 years ago, before the advent of domestic electricity (1880-1900) or widespread delivery of natural gas to homes (1890-1910), coal, wood and peat were the most common household fuels. Lighting was provided by candles and oil lamps. Candles were a domestic necessity—and a convenient storage box would be found in the kitchen, if not several rooms of a large home. Candles might be used to keep a convenient flame at-hand. They (or a thin "string-like" candle called a "spill") might also be used to transfer a live fire from one place to another.
When the English Arts & Crafts candlebox, shown above, was made (c. 1890's), electricity and gas were already provided (or about to be) in highly-populated areas (cities and large towns). Gas and electricity would roll-out to less densely-populated areas over the following decades.
This Arts & Crafts candlebox would certainly have been used. Nevertheless, the artisan-designer probably realized that such an item was a relic—a happy reminder—of an earlier time and need. Such was the undercurrent of the Arts & Crafts Movement: to "revive" the past, often in a sentimental and sympathetic way (naturally, executed in the best of taste and craftsmanship).
The box shows two hand-hammered repoussé Lions Rampant supporting a chevron crest. One lion is dexter (on the right hand) and the other is sinister (on the left hand)—however, the assignment of right and left are based on the viewpoint of the person carrying the shield (which is the opposite of the person viewing the shield being carried). The dexter side of any work of heraldry is considered the more honorable position, although, the sinister side (though less important) is not considered a place of dishonor (as the name, sinister, might imply in common language).
The metalwork on this candlebox is well-executed. Beneath the feline heraldry, the box's lid and two short sides are adorned with fruit, flowers and leaves. Along the front panel, a quaint village scene is portrayed—homes, a windmill and flocks of birds—between two crossing botanical elements. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Much of the time, Art Deco styling is expressed with streamlined shapes, sharp edges and dynamic color combinations. Art Deco was Modern, Futuristic, Ready-for-the-Space-Age. Rocket ships and airplanes symbolized this fast and forceful promise. And Art Deco was wildly popular—incorporated into all manner of design, from architecture to toaster plugs.
This vocabulary of Art Deco crispness certainly was employed in British design. But, over the years, I've noticed a distinct and specific version of English Art Deco—a sub category—which is a little gentler, a little rounder, a little more subtle than its typical American sibling. In this English variety, designers "softened" the typically crisp Art Deco features.
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Much of the time, Art Deco styling is expressed with streamlined shapes, sharp edges and dynamic color combinations. Art Deco was Modern, Futuristic, Ready-for-the-Space-Age. Rocket ships and airplanes symbolized this fast and forceful promise. And Art Deco was wildly popular—incorporated into all manner of design, from architecture to toaster plugs.
This vocabulary of Art Deco crispness certainly was employed in British design. But, over the years, I've noticed a distinct and specific version of English Art Deco—a sub category—which is a little gentler, a little rounder, a little more subtle than its typical American sibling. In this English variety, designers "softened" the typically crisp Art Deco features.
Consider those English enameled metal signs from the Thirties, like one might see on the Tube or at a railway station. Rather than sharp corners, they might have softly-rounded angles. The colors might be soft brown and cream, not silver and navy blue. And the type-font might be a static, "International" sans-serif rather than a dynamic, forward-leaning, streamlined choice—bursting with movement and energy.
The enameled metal sign, shown above, is a good example of such a sign. It is a contemporary reproduction of a Thirties British Railway sign which I found on the internet (which is customizable - click here for more info). Although it is Art Deco, it embraces the "softer, rounder" variety of the movement: shape, color and attitude.
The English Art Deco vase, shown at top, was made by Pilkington Royal Lancastrian in the Thirties. Note the gentle curves and the dappled, soft pastel colors: sky blue, soft aqua, creamy yellow. It represents the softer, gentler version of Art Deco which I sometimes find in British design of the Thirties. Click on the photo at top to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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In the Nineteenth Century, imported Chinese ceramics were all the rage in Europe (especially England). But these costly treasures were beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest collectors. British ceramics workshops began to make goods "in the Oriental style," for the domestic market. Rarely were these pieces authentic. In fact, they were usually over-the-top. And they almost never reached the quality of true Chinese ceramics in form, glaze or handcraft. But they did allow customers of modest means to acquire a small dash of far-away style—a taste of someplace exotic, on the other side of the world, which they could never enjoy visiting in-person. Rather than condemn these pieces as "exploitive Orientalism," I prefer to view them as Eastern aesthetics as re-interpreted, translated through a Western artist's eyes. When one people (or culture) appreciates and adapts another culture's beauty, is it admiration or exploitation? Imitation has always been the sincerest form of flattery.
The pair of vases, shown above, were made by Henry Tooth at Bretby. Tooth previously had worked with avant-garde designer, Dr. Christopher Dresser, at the cutting-edge ceramics workshop, Linthorpe. In 1883, Tooth and William Ault (also from Linthorpe) began producing their own wares, in a studio they shared with another pottery. Success was quick. Within a year they were awarded a Gold Medal at the London International Universal Exposition. Within two years, they had moved into their own workshop premises in Woodville, Derbyshire. But the partnership was not to last. In 1887, William Ault founded his own, separate ceramics manufactory. Henry Tooth took the opportunity to greatly expand the Bretby product line. Over the years they produced a wide range of goods, from art wares to utilitarian kitchen canisters. Some of Bretby's works were hand-thrown, though the vast majority of their goods were "pressed" in moulds. Painting was done by hand, almost exclusively by women.
One of Bretby's strengths was its attempt to emulate—in ceramic—other materials like metal, wood, jewels, or cloisonné. The vases above show Bretby's bas relief treatment reminiscent of a carved Chinese screen. While the sculpting is highly flamboyant, the coloring helps rein-in the exuberance. Sweeping, Art Nouveau "whiplash" handles frame the scenes: a depiction of a Chinese court and a Chinese village (on the opposite side). Designed around the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century, these vases straddle the Victorian era's maximalism (and fascination with all things Asian) and the Early Twentieth Century's Western Art Nouveau Movement. Click on the photo above to learn more about these dramatic vases.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>There's something I love about small chairs. I don't have children. I've never had a doll. But I can't pass-up a nice, small chair—be it made for a child or a toy.
It's not that I particularly like chairs. In fact, I have always made it a point not to stock "real chairs" (they take forever to sell and take-up too much shop space until that happens).
What I like about small chairs is that they are wonderful merchandising (or home decorating) props. One can place a small chair atop a merchandise display—a table, a shelf or a mantelpiece—and provide automatic "lift" to some featured item. It helps to "break-up" the display area, creating a variation in height amongst the products.
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There's something I love about small chairs. I don't have children. I've never had a doll. But I can't pass-up a nice, small chair—be it made for a child or a toy.
It's not that I particularly like chairs. In fact, I have always made it a point not to stock "real chairs" (they take forever to sell and take-up too much shop space until that happens).
What I like about small chairs is that they are wonderful merchandising (or home decorating) props. One can place a small chair atop a merchandise display—a table, a shelf or a mantelpiece—and provide automatic "lift" to some featured item. It helps to "break-up" the display area, creating a variation in height amongst the products. In a home, a small chair can be used effectively within a collection of ceramics, to elevate a plant, or to give focus and interest on a sideboard serving spread. (You can even keep an antique doll or teddy bear on a small chair.)
This antique chair, from the late Nineteenth Century, features a spindled back and a pierced, slatted seat. It is most certainly for a doll (not a child) given its size (any child capable of sitting-up alone would be too big for this chair). Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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The town of Poole, in the county of Dorset, lies along the Southern seacoast of England. In 1873, Jesse Carter purchased an existing "tile manufactory" along the quay (British English for "dock" or "pier"). Around the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century, the workshop started making art pottery wares in the Art Nouveau style. After WWI, Poole (still called Carter, Stabler & Adams) embraced jazz-age Art Deco. Around this time, Poole also formed a creative alliance with members of the Bloomsbury Group including Duncan Grant, Roger Fry and Vanessa Bell (Virginia Woolf's sister). Designs evolved into Post-War Modernism after WWII. During all this time, the factory continued to make ceramic tiles. In fact, Poole supplied much of the ceramic tiling for London Tube stations in the Thirties.
Dorset is known for the exceptional quality of its clay (very pure). Poole is best known for its highly-decorated (painted) ceramics. Most of this work was done by women. In England (as in America), decorating pottery was considered a safe and suitable occupation for a middle class woman (if she must work outside of the home). Such work was well-supervised, artistically respectable, within the universe of "feminine craft," and properly separated from the more brutish world of male trade and industry. The decorators were encouraged to express themselves (to a degree) within the parameters of the designer's established pattern. Thus, each piece of Poole pottery is truly unique. And the decorator-artists were encouraged to "sign" their pieces with a small monogram on the back of the piece. Certain unique pieces, by certain decorator-artists, have developed a devoted following amongst collectors, sometimes commanding competitive prices.
Poole had two periods of significant financial difficulty, once in the Thirties (during the Depression) and then in the early 2000's. After a few changes of ownership, Poole pottery declared bankruptcy and closed in 2006. It was purchased by an investment group and re-opened in 2007—now in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England's traditional ceramics-making region in central England.
The Late Modernist bowl, shown above, was created and hand-painted in the 1980's. An aqua underglaze is hand-decorated with cornflower blue "gadrooning" in a somewhat biomorphic design. It is signed by the artist-decorator (possibly Tina Sherratt). Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>In the Nineteenth Century, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the Ohio River Valley emerged as the preeminent glassmaking region of the United States. The region had all the necessary ingredients for glassmaking: raw materials (silica-sand and limestone), cheap heat (natural gas and coal), cheap labor (and much of it from glass-making Eastern European countries) and rivers and railways (to ship-out the finished product).
Riverboat captain, Edward Muhleman, had made a tidy sum plying the waters of the Ohio River during America's Industrial boom. As he got older, he found himself ready to wrap-up his "seafaring" career—but he wasn't quite ready to retire completely. He set the goal of building the country's largest glass manufacturer in the Ohio River Valley. He founded his company (soon to be called "Imperial Glass") in Belleaire, Ohio, in 1901 and set-about raising funds and hiring managers. Building the physical plant (the factory) was slowed by several delays. However, in 1904, glass production finally began.
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In the Nineteenth Century, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the Ohio River Valley emerged as the preeminent glassmaking region of the United States. The region had all the necessary ingredients for glassmaking: raw materials (silica-sand and limestone), cheap heat (natural gas and coal), cheap labor (and much of it from glass-making Eastern European countries) and rivers and railways (to ship-out the finished product).
Riverboat captain, Edward Muhleman, had made a tidy sum plying the waters of the Ohio River during America's Industrial boom. As he got older, he found himself ready to wrap-up his "seafaring" career—but he wasn't quite ready to retire completely. He set the goal of building the country's largest glass manufacturer in the Ohio River Valley. He founded his company (soon to be called "Imperial Glass") in Belleaire, Ohio, in 1901 and set-about raising funds and hiring managers. Building the physical plant (the factory) was slowed by several delays. However, in 1904, glass production finally began.
Imperial made pressed-glass, that is, glass items formed of molten glass in cast iron moulds. This method was much less labor-intensive than mouth-blowing glass, hand-cutting, or hand-finishing it. Imperial also used what is called a "continuous-feed melting tank" to make its products. In this method, glass chunks are dropped into a smelting tank (in batches or continuously), they are heated to liquid, and the molten glass is drained out as needed. This kind of continuous production allows the glass factories to operate 24 hours a day. The production never stops.
Within months, the brand new Imperial Glass Company was a major player in the American glass industry. Over eight decades, Imperial sought to make glass for a wide range of customers at many different price points. Imperial made inexpensive Depression Glass and they made expensive art glass objects, too.
In the 1950's, Imperial introduced the purple slag glass line shown above: compotes, candlesticks, covered bowls, ashtrays. In subsequent years, they expanded the color range (usually mixed with white). By 1984, Imperial was in dire straits, forcing it to declare bankruptcy and (eventually) close for good.
Click on the photo above to learn more about this attractive item.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>British ceramicist Edward Thomas Radford (born 1860) was a master of wheel-thrown pottery. He began his career at Wedgwood, followed by stints at Linthorpe, Burmantofts, Doulton, then back to Wedgwood. He was recruited to a new pottery company, Pilkington, in 1903 (it began making pottery in 1904) and he stayed here for the rest of his career. Radford retired in 1936 and Pilkington discontinued art pottery in 1938 (though its ceramic tile manufacturing continued).
Radford was a star at Pilkington. He could throw monstrously-sized pots or the tiniest of pieces (only 1.5 inches tall). And he could throw a pot and then fashion a perfectly-fitting lid by eye (and hand) alone.
Although many of the pieces at Pilkington were cast, a significant number were hand-thrown by Radford. He inscribed his work with the initials E.T.R. He also designed many of the shapes which he would hand-produce (though, like any hand-produced work, each piece was slightly different). These pieces would then be glazed with a standard Pilkington color or decorated with another artist's painted design.
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British ceramicist Edward Thomas Radford (born 1860) was a master of wheel-thrown pottery. He began his career at Wedgwood, followed by stints at Linthorpe, Burmantofts, Doulton, then back to Wedgwood. He was recruited to a new pottery company, Pilkington, in 1903 (it began making pottery in 1904) and he stayed here for the rest of his career. Radford retired in 1936 and Pilkington discontinued art pottery in 1938 (though its ceramic tile manufacturing continued).
Radford was a star at Pilkington. He could throw monstrously-sized pots or the tiniest of pieces (only 1.5 inches tall). And he could throw a pot and then fashion a perfectly-fitting lid by eye (and hand) alone.
Although many of the pieces at Pilkington were cast, a significant number were hand-thrown by Radford. He inscribed his work with the initials E.T.R. He also designed many of the shapes which he would hand-produce (though, like any hand-produced work, each piece was slightly different). These pieces would then be glazed with a standard Pilkington color or decorated with another artist's painted design.
Radford, a founding artist with the company, helped set the highest standard of excellence, which won the company a Royal Warrant of Appointment by King George V in 1913.
A "Royal Warrant" is granted by the monarch (or, sometimes, the monarch's parent or spouse) to acknowledge publicly a deserving company, manufacturer or service. The warrant indicates that this business regularly supplies goods or services purchased by the Royal Household and it allows that company to use the royal coat-of-arms on its products, packaging and promotional materials (accompanied by strict rules of use). It also allows the company to add "Royal" to its name—in this case, Pilkington Royal Lancastrian.
Radford had a son, Edward Thomas Brown Radford, who was a ceramicist himself. He worked at Pilkington, with his father, from 1905 until he was called-up for World War One. When Edward Jr. returned from war, he continued his career in ceramics, initially selling the wares of other companies, then starting his own firm, Radford Handcraft Pottery.
The handsome vase, shown above, was hand-thrown by Edward Thomas Radford. One can still see and feel his fingermarks on the sides of the vase. The piece was then glazed with a mottled orange and yellow Vermillion glaze, topped with an organic, dripping caramel top coat. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>The older I get, the more I appreciate just how convenient a good tray can be. Of course, I have always used a tray when serving my guests at table. But I now find myself pulling-out the tray when I set or clear the table (carrying far more plates, cutlery, napkins or glassware than I could handle without it). The tray makes carrying safer and easier—and it cuts-in-half the number of back-and-forth trips I have to make.
I also use a tray when moving merchandise around my home or showroom—and appreciate the reduced number of trips I have to make up or down a flight of stairs. The tray makes it easier to organize LEO Design's collection of cufflinks (which I do fairly frequently), allowing me to sort and move groupings from one place to another.. And at tax season, the tray makes it easy for me to organize and transport my stacks of paperwork, receipts and envelopes.
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The older I get, the more I appreciate just how convenient a good tray can be. Of course, I have always used a tray when serving my guests at table. But I now find myself pulling-out the tray when I set or clear the table (carrying far more plates, cutlery, napkins or glassware than I could handle without it). The tray makes carrying safer and easier—and it cuts-in-half the number of back-and-forth trips I have to make.
I also use a tray when moving merchandise around my home or showroom—and appreciate the reduced number of trips I have to make up or down a flight of stairs. The tray makes it easier to organize LEO Design's collection of cufflinks (which I do fairly frequently), allowing me to sort and move groupings from one place to another.. And at tax season, the tray makes it easy for me to organize and transport my stacks of paperwork, receipts and envelopes.
The oak butler's tray, shown above, was made in Late Victorian or Edwardian England (1890-1910). It is a simple, handsome, unembellished household tool—utilitarian form and function without extraneous decoration. Planks of oak are surrounded by an oak gallery (which strengthens the tray and provides a "perimeter rim" which keeps things from rolling-off the edge of the tray). The handles are secure; nevertheless, I usually wrap my fingers under the sides of the tray while I carry it—to provide extra support under the tray (rather than rely solely on the handles to support all the weight). Click on the photo above to learn more about this useful and handsome piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Food canisters are nearly as old as society itself. The successful storage of food marked an important turning-point in mankind's development. Once food could be stored for future consumption, people could settle-down and form communities with some measure of stability. Prior to this, people wandered—hunting and gathering—and were compelled to consume that food (or waste it) before moving-on.
The earliest methods of food storage were drying it in the sun or cooling it in a cold spot (a hole in the ground, a cave, or a cool body of water). In time, food storage vessels were made out of ceramic or wood followed by glass and plastic. Food storage techniques gave families a measure of confidence that they would eat—even on those days when they did not slay a mammoth or pick berries in a woods. In time, the salting and pickling of foods were also developed which allowed food to be eaten later.
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Food canisters are nearly as old as society itself. The successful storage of food marked an important turning-point in mankind's development. Once food could be stored for future consumption, people could settle-down and form communities with some measure of stability. Prior to this, people wandered—hunting and gathering—and were compelled to consume that food (or waste it) before moving-on.
The earliest methods of food storage were drying it in the sun or cooling it in a cold spot (a hole in the ground, a cave, or a cool body of water). In time, food storage vessels were made out of ceramic or wood followed by glass and plastic. Food storage techniques gave families a measure of confidence that they would eat—even on those days when they did not slay a mammoth or pick berries in a woods. In time, the salting and pickling of foods were also developed which allowed food to be eaten later.
These four food canisters, made in England in the Sixties or Seventies, have a soft-square shape which makes them convenient to snuggle-together, not wasting much counter space. The hip, orange lids (some variety of plastic, possibly Bakelite) still have their original "gaskets" on the interior (though those gaskets have dried a bit over the decades). Such a quartet of canisters would make a strong impact in your Mid-Century kitchen—all while keeping your dry good supplies fresh and at-hand. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>This vase, probably English or French, ticks a couple of Nineteenth Century boxes: Asian Style and Darwinian Intrigue. Both of these dynamics were at play in the minds of Late Nineteenth Century Europeans.
First, there was the Western fascination with "Oriental" art and design—especially Asian style as embodied by Chinese ceramics (which 95% of Europeans could not afford). For a few centuries, Western traders had been crossing vast seas, buying and selling with China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Chinese ceramics were an important (and valuable) part of this trading mix. The Chinese had mastered ceramics production techniques which blew the minds of the Europeans (this despite their fairly primitive kilns and other equipment). Red glazes (including oxblood, as shown in the vase above) were the most difficult to manage—for a small variation in temperature, time or chemical glaze composition could scuttle the elusive color. Though Europeans tried to copy Chinese ceramics effects, they just couldn't figure them out—and the Chinese weren't telling their secrets.
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This vase, probably English or French, ticks a couple of Nineteenth Century boxes: Asian Style and Darwinian Intrigue. Both of these dynamics were at play in the minds of Late Nineteenth Century Europeans.
First, there was the Western fascination with "Oriental" art and design—especially Asian style as embodied by Chinese ceramics (which 95% of Europeans could not afford). For a few centuries, Western traders had been crossing vast seas, buying and selling with China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Chinese ceramics were an important (and valuable) part of this trading mix. The Chinese had mastered ceramics production techniques which blew the minds of the Europeans (this despite their fairly primitive kilns and other equipment). Red glazes (including oxblood, as shown in the vase above) were the most difficult to manage—for a small variation in temperature, time or chemical glaze composition could scuttle the elusive color. Though Europeans tried to copy Chinese ceramics effects, they just couldn't figure them out—and the Chinese weren't telling their secrets. Throughout the Nineteenth Century, rich Europeans (especially Englishmen) signaled their wealth by accumulating vast collections of valuable Oriental ceramics. It was the status symbol amongst Industrialists and Aristocrats of the Nineteenth Century.
The vase, shown above, also tickles the public's intrigue with evolution, stirred-up with Charles Darwin's 1859 book, On the Origin of Species. In the late Nineteenth Century—in Europe and in America—all things creepy-crawly were used in the decorative arts: butterflies, moths, spiders, snakes, and, yes, lizards—which the vase above incorporates. Even high-end manufacturers, like Cartier or Tiffany Studios, used such creatures in their product designs.
In time, Western ceramicists finally learned how to copy the Chinese ceramics techniques. Nevertheless, true Asian imports still remained very expensive. That's when Western ceramics makers began to produce their own "Oriental" offerings for domestic consumption. These were never authentic, in fact, they were clearly Asian design interpreted though Western eyes. But they provided affordable, exotic style—a chance for someone of modest means to travel vicariously to another, faraway place.
The vase, shown above, incorporates a classic Chinese form (the bottle vase), that formerly-elusive glazing (oxblood), and a creeping reminder of evolution (a pair of sculpted lizards). I am not certain of the maker. My initial reflex was England's Burmantofts (I found the piece in London) or France's Dalpayrat. The wonderful form, with squiggling lizards, intrigued me—as did the earthy, somewhat variegated oxblood glazing. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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Here's a nice set of eight (plus one) fine crystal cocktail or champagne glasses, made in the Forties or Fifties. The glasses have a sensuous "tulip-form" bowl and a faceted stem for an easy grip and nice handfeel. A lovely "ring" sings-out the glass's fine quality. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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At first glance—which was from a distance—I thought that these English Arts & Crafts candlesticks were made of cast and patinated bronze. It was only upon closer inspection that I realized that they are mahogany, burnished with a warm, reddish finish. These elegant floriform sticks bear a stylized resemblance to poppies or tulips. The cups are sensuously turned buds. The base is turned, too, with a pleasingly curvaceous profile. Finally, the two "knuckles" floating on each stem provide just the right punctuation to complete perfectly the design. The brass bobeches atop each candlestick—which prevents the candle flame or heat from harming the wood—are darkened with age. They nearly disappear into the wooden candle top.
These candlesticks are the epitome of Arts & Crafts sophistication. They would look superb in a well-appointed Arts & Crafts interior or in a minimalist Modernist environment. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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Ebonywood has been used decoratively for millennia. It has a very fine texture and can be highly polished. Carved ebony objects have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. The wood became popular in Europe during the late 1500's, when Dutch traders began importing the material which grows in India, Sri Lanka, West Africa, Indonesia, Australia and Mauritius. Recall the heavy, black frames which were popular during the Golden Age of Dutch painting; perhaps some were ebonywood (or other woods ebonized to resemble it). Ebony became popular for European furniture making in the 1600's. In France, such furniture makers were called ébénistes—a word still used for "furniture maker" to this day.
Today, ebony is possibly the most expensive wood in the world. In fact, modern ebony is endangered and highly regulated. As a result of over-harvesting, the wood is rare and only small objects are made of ebony today: clarinets & oboes, the black keys of pianos & organs, and the fingerboards of string instruments like violins, cellos and some guitars. In the past, black chess pieces were made of carved and turned ebony.
The Edwardian English ebonywood trinket box, shown above, was made around 1905. It has a hinged lid and a removable divider. It can be used to hold a small collection of cufflinks, perhaps a watch, or a handful of collar stays. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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While I love the Art Nouveau, I always have been hesitant to enter "The Art Glass Fray." It's a world chock-full of passionate, opinionated and discriminating aficionados—people who seem to loooove setting other people straight. These experts all seem to have 75 years of collecting experience (and don't you forget it!). Interestingly, my reluctance has proved convenient. Glass breaks easily and I am always shipping merchandise (either from Europe or to my customers). The less delicate merchandise I stock, the less-fraught my life should be. (Right?)
Despite my predilection, I was arrested the moment I stumbled upon this Bohemian Art Nouveau glass inkwell. I was told it was Loetz—which is certainly the most famous Bohemian glass brand name (though not necessarily better than its competitors' best works). I knew that most Loetz products were never signed (or marked by the maker) and this inkwell wasn't. So I asked the sensible question, "How do you know it's Loetz?" The seller, flummoxed by the question, summoned her "fellow experts" sitting nearby. Their verdict: "It's Loetz. You just know when it's Loetz."
I bought the piece, brought it back to the States, and (eventually) opened that Pandora's Box of on-line research about Bohemian glassmakers. The internet is a minefield of confusion, contradiction and misattribution, waiting to disorient the neophyte who dares to venture forth.
My verdict: It's not Loetz. (Most likely.)
After a bunch of on-line digging, I have concluded (99%) that this inkwell was made by Wilhelm Kralik Söhne—an innovative and excellent Art Nouveau glassmaker, also in Bohemia (at the time within the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Kralik was an accomplished competitor to Loetz. In fact, some of Kralik's finest work has been compared to Tiffany glass. The company was founded in 1815 by Josef Meyr. In time, Wilhelm Kralik was running the company which now consisted of several different Bohemian factories. Kralik had pioneered several innovative production methods which would pay dividends in the decades to come. When Wilhelm died in 1877, the company's various locations were divided amongst his sons. Heinrich Kralik renamed his factory in memory of his father, Wilhelm Kralik Söhne (Sons). By the end of the Nineteenth Century, the company had really hit its stride—making high end Art Nouveau glass luxuries for export throughout Europe and abroad.
The Twentieth Century was very difficult for Bohemia. World War One took its toll. And Bohemia, so close to Germany, was roiled by the Nazi annexation of Sudetenland in 1938. Eventually, Germany took everything. At the end of the WWII, Prague was "liberated" by the Soviet Union—who came back in 1968 to take the country. Most of these brilliant Bohemian artglass makers could not function during this political, social and military upheaval. Most were closed (or nationalized and redirected) before or during World War II.
The handsome art glass inkwell, shown above, was made around 1900. The triple-buttressed form is lashed with an organic "web" of "pulled glass trailings." The metallic, iridescent, jewel tone glass is reminiscent of gemstones. And the cast brass lid bears an Art Nouveau foliate styling. In a way, this inkwell is a fragile (yet beautiful) survivor of very difficult times in a very specific place. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Welcome, March, and your flower, the glorious Daffodil.
Is there any flower more hopeful, more optimistic, than the daffodil? It emerges during the chilly bleakness of winter—a sunny, bright, resilient reminder of beautiful days to come. Quite often, it is the only spot of color in an otherwise grey landscape. And what a color it is!
The Stangl Art Deco vase, shown above, is dressed in a saturated daffodil yellow glaze. The vase's form is inspired by a Classical Greek or Roman urn, embellished with a pair of foliate handles—which honor both the ancient aesthetic and the modernism of the Art Deco. And the rich yellow color practically vibrates with sunny optimism.
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"When, all at once, I saw a crowd . . . a host of golden daffodils!"
- William Wordsworth, 1804
Welcome, March, and your flower, the glorious Daffodil.
Is there any flower more hopeful, more optimistic, than the daffodil? It emerges during the chilly bleakness of winter—a sunny, bright, resilient reminder of beautiful days to come. Quite often, it is the only spot of color in an otherwise grey landscape. And what a color it is!
The Stangl Art Deco vase, shown above, is dressed in a saturated daffodil yellow glaze. The vase's form is inspired by a Classical Greek or Roman urn, embellished with a pair of foliate handles—which honor both the ancient aesthetic and the modernism of the Art Deco. And the rich yellow color practically vibrates with sunny optimism. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome vase.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>A calendar year, on Earth, is 365 days long. However, it takes a little more time than that for the Earth to complete its full revolution around the Sun—365.242374 days, to be precise. (A true "Earth Year" is 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, 1.1 seconds.) This small difference would add-up to 24 days in a century. After 100 years, the calendar would be off by nearly a month. Within 500 years, our Summers would be freezing cold!
So, in 46 BC, Julius Caesar instituted a leap day—an extra day added to the calendar every four years—on his new Julian Calendar. This "intercalary date" was still not quite right (the adjustment was too much). So Pope Gregory XIII instituted his Gregorian Calendar (in 1582 AD), which shaved-off the occasional Leap Day.
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A calendar year, on Earth, is 365 days long. However, it takes a little more time than that for the Earth to complete its full revolution around the Sun—365.242374 days, to be precise. (A true "Earth Year" is 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, 1.1 seconds.) This small difference would add-up to 24 days in a century. After 100 years, the calendar would be off by nearly a month. Within 500 years, our Summers would be freezing cold!
So, in 46 BC, Julius Caesar instituted a leap day—an extra day added to the calendar every four years—on his new Julian Calendar. This "intercalary date" was still not quite right (the adjustment was too much). So Pope Gregory XIII instituted his Gregorian Calendar (in 1582 AD), which shaved-off the occasional Leap Day. Today, we observe Leap Days every four years, except at the Turn-of-the-Century. When the century turns with a "00" year (like 1800, 1900, 2000), the Leap Day is omitted, except every fourth century (those evenly divisible by 400). For this reason, the year 2000 had a Leap Day and 2100 (and 2200 and 2300) will not.
But that's too much math! Let's turn our attention to this "Lucky Toad"! He is beautifully sculpted, silver-plated, and plays the tune Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. He originally was designed as a gift for a newborn (perhaps as a Christening gift), but we have sold him mostly to people who collect toads and fabulous oddities. His "unapologetic wartiness" makes him a wonderful paperweight or desk accessory. Click on the photo above to learn more about him.
See you in four years!
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>The term "trench art" is used to refer to the folk crafts fashioned of (or partially fashioned of) the used or spare materials of warfare. This art form was especially popular during and after World War One. Trench art was made by all the major WWI participants: England, France, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States.
But very little trench art actually was made "in the trenches"—or even on the front lines, for that matter. Much of it would have been made away from the battlefield, for example, at training camps or other military posts. Some might have been made in hospitals by recuperating soldiers. And some may have been made back at home—by soldiers awaiting call-up. Even after the war, the craft remained popular (and, possibly, profitable).
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The term "trench art" is used to refer to the folk crafts fashioned of (or partially fashioned of) the used or spare materials of warfare. This art form was especially popular during and after World War One. Trench art was made by all the major WWI participants: England, France, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States.
But very little trench art actually was made "in the trenches"—or even on the front lines, for that matter. Much of it would have been made away from the battlefield, for example, at training camps or other military posts. Some might have been made in hospitals by recuperating soldiers. And some may have been made back at home—by soldiers awaiting call-up. Even after the war, the craft remained popular (and, possibly, profitable).
Shown here, a pair of matchbox holders, fashioned from the brass of artillery shell casings, mounted to a diamond-form oak lozenge. Each is fitted with a brass hanging ring, allowing them to be hung in a convenient place, where one might need a match: in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or next to the fireplace. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome pair of matchbox holders.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Can it really be? Spring is three short weeks away!
Spring normally arrives on the 20th or 21st of March. However, this year, because it's a Leap Year, Spring springs one day earlier than normal: 19 March.
The first day of Spring is also the Vernal (or Spring) Equinox. Equinox means "equal night." The Equinox is the date when the Earth's axis is aligned such that the Sun hovers right over the Equator. On the Equinox, night and day are (nearly) the same length. And, going forward, the days will be longer than the nights.
The cufflinks shown here, made in England in the Twenties, are decorated with sunny enameled stripes: lemon and lime. Though they may be worn any time of the year, they are especially nice during the Spring or Summer. Their sunny dispositions suit the optimism which Spring provides.
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Can it really be? Spring is three short weeks away!
Spring normally arrives on the 20th or 21st of March. However, this year, because it's a Leap Year, Spring springs one day earlier than normal: 19 March.
The first day of Spring is also the Vernal (or Spring) Equinox. Equinox means "equal night." The Equinox is the date when the Earth's axis is aligned such that the Sun hovers right over the Equator. On the Equinox, night and day are (nearly) the same length. And, going forward, the days will be longer than the nights.
The cufflinks shown here, made in England in the Twenties, are decorated with sunny enameled stripes: lemon and lime. Though they may be worn any time of the year, they are especially nice during the Spring or Summer. Their sunny dispositions suit the optimism which Spring provides. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>The Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University is wonderful. It's not very large—in fact, it is quite manageable for a two hour visit. But the collection includes works by many of the greats: studies and lesser-known paintings.
Shown above, a study of the seated figures for John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo, 1882 (the final painting which hangs in the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, also in Boston). Sargent is my favorite "modern era" artist. With such economy, spontaneity and confidence—with just a few brush strokes—the 26 year old artist was able to paint a white skirt, conveying brilliantly how the fabric drapes over the woman's legs beneath and how the light plays off of the folds of her garment. Genius!
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The Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University is wonderful. It's not very large—in fact, it is quite manageable for a two hour visit. But the collection includes works by many of the greats: studies and lesser-known paintings.
Shown above, a study of the seated figures for John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo, 1882 (the final painting which hangs in the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, also in Boston). Sargent is my favorite "modern era" artist. With such economy, spontaneity and confidence—with just a few brush strokes—the 26 year old artist was able to paint a white skirt, conveying brilliantly how the fabric drapes over the woman's legs beneath and how the light plays off of the folds of her garment. Genius!
Shown above, another painting by Sargent, painted when he was 28 years old. Here he captures his sister, Violet, at the family breakfast table (in the South of France), peeling an orange while she reads her book.
To me, a little Claude Monet always seems to go a long way. And then I happen upon one of his works which defies my expectations. This still life painting, titled Red Mullets (c. 1870), is enchanting in its modesty—and the beauty conjured from such a mundane subject.
The Fogg Museum at Harvard also holds a collection of paintings by James McNeill Whistler. Shown above, Nocturne in Blue and Silver (c. 1871-1872), about which art critic John Ruskin publicly accused Whistler of "flinging a pot of paint in the public's face." Whistler sued Ruskin for libel and won—however, the artist was awarded a single farthing in damages (that is a quarter of a penny; about 10 pence today).
And then there's Vincent van Gogh. This unusual picture, titled Three Pairs of Shoes (1886-1887), is painted over an earlier picture of flamboyant flowers in a vase. This still life demonstrates the artist's alacrity with brushwork and composition—and seems to honor the humble honesty of the laborers who may have worn these boots.
The evening—and my principle reason for visiting Boston—was to attend the premiere of my husband's ballet, Raymonda, at the Boston Ballet. He designed the sets and costumes. It was beautiful.
The venue, the Boston Opera House, began life in 1928 as a first-run movie theatre called the B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre. During its first year, it also staged vaudeville programs. In 1980, the movie house was converted into an opera house. Today it is the performing home of the Boston Ballet and touring productions of Broadway shows.
The ambitious and exuberant interior decor typifies the most flamboyant of the pre-war movie palaces. Going to the pictures was a glorious and glamorous event. Shown above, part of the stage's proscenium, house curtain and gilded ceiling.
The backstage hallways of the theatre are signed by the casts of various Broadway shows which pass-through. In 2010, President Barack Obama visited the opera house—and indulged one hallway wall with his signature and a call to "Support the Arts!".
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>I have long wanted to visit the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard—especially once I learned that it possessed George Frederic Watts's painting of Sir Galahad, created between 1860 and 1862. I had long assumed that the picture was in England. After years of pre-internet searching, I finally learned that it was right here in America, at Harvard.
Watts, a favorite of mine, used his then wife, the famed English actress Ellen Terry, as his model for the romantic youth. The painting was wildly popular and for several decades it was reproduced (in sepia tones and, later, in color) as museum art prints. Many a boy's bedroom would have been decorated with this print—considered a heroic role model for any young boy. Over the years, I have sold many of these antique prints, produced in the 1890's through the 1910's—and originally (probably) sold in the art museum gift shops where the picture was shown.
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I have long wanted to visit the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard—especially once I learned that it possessed George Frederic Watts's painting of Sir Galahad, created between 1860 and 1862. (To see the full-length painting, click here). I had long assumed that the picture was in England. After years of pre-internet searching, I finally learned that it was right here in America, at Harvard.
Watts, a favorite of mine, used his then wife, the famed English actress Ellen Terry, as his model for the romantic youth. The painting was wildly popular and for several decades it was reproduced (in sepia tones and, later, in color) as museum art prints. Many a boy's bedroom would have been decorated with this print—considered a heroic role model for any young boy. Over the years, I have sold many of these antique prints, produced in the 1890's through the 1910's—and originally (probably) sold in the art museum gift shops where the picture was shown.
For several years, the Fogg Art Museum was closed for renovation, preventing my visit. On this trip to Boston, therefore, I was determined to finally see my Sir Galahad. So out to Cambridge I went. Alas, I discovered that the picture is (inexplicably) in-storage, out-of-view. Considering how popular this painting is (not to mention how beautiful), I find it astonishing that the museum would hide it. (The terms of the painting's acquisition in 1943 prevent it from being loaned, either.) Perhaps the academics who govern the art world have decided that such a picture no longer has value in today's world.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>So much for "Banned in Boston." The "General Hooker Entrance," which most people use to enter the Massachusetts Statehouse, is clearly—and proudly—signposted. You can't miss it. Which is why a certain (delicate) state representative has demanded the sign by pulled-down. She's upset by the possible double entendre—and the probable giggles of touring teenaged boys.
Joseph Hooker (1814-1879) was a Union General in the American Civil War. He was born in Western Massachusetts to an English-American family which arrived in the 1600's.
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So much for "Banned in Boston." The "General Hooker Entrance," which most people use to enter the Massachusetts Statehouse, is clearly—and proudly—signposted. You can't miss it. Which is why a certain (delicate) state representative has demanded the sign by pulled-down. She's upset by the possible double entendre—and the probable giggles of touring teenaged boys.
Joseph Hooker (1814-1879) was a Union General in the American Civil War. He was born in Western Massachusetts to an English-American family which arrived in the 1600's.
The Massachusetts Statehouse, built 1795-1798, is perched atop Beacon Hill, overlooking Boston Common and the city itself. It was designed by architect Charles Bulfinch and is considered a masterpiece of Federal architecture. It is one of the oldest state capitols still in use today. The land was once owned by John Hancock, the state's first elected governor. The cornerstone was laid by Paul Revere who also improved the leaking wooden dome in 1802 by cladding it in rolled-copper sheeting. The original dome was painted grey, then light yellow, then it was gilded in 1874. In 1917, wings were added to the East and West sides to increase its space substantially. During World War II, the golden dome was painted-over in grey to prevent it from becoming a nighttime bombing target. In 1969, the dome was re-gilded as you see it today.
I'm not quite certain how General Hooker was elevated to such prominence at the Massachusetts Statehouse. The East Wing entrance to the capitol bears his name. And his sculpture (astride his horse) stands before the statehouse (shown above). Yet General Hooker is best known for his decisive loss to Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. He is also reputed to have been a hard-drinking ladies' man and gambler—which may (or may not) have accounted for his poor decision-making in battle.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Boston is amongst my very favorite of American cities. My father was born in Chinatown, just a stone's throw from Boston Common. My mother was born across the Charles River in Cambridge. They met at Suffolk University in Downtown Boston. For the first 15 years of my life, we travelled from Honolulu to Boston nearly every summer—"It may be our last chance to see Papa"—where, by the age of nine, I had mastered the Boston Subway (The T) in order to visit the Museum of Science multiple times a week.
I travelled to Boston this week to see the premiere of my husband's ballet, Raymonda, at the Boston Ballet (he designed the scenery and the costumes). Of course, I cannot visit such a historic (and personally relevant) city without taking some time to walk around (and take some pictures).
The fifty acre "Boston Common" was established in 1634 and is the oldest city park in America. Over the years, the Common has been used for various purposes including as a public gathering (and speaking) place, as a grazing pasture, as a mustering site and drilling field for the military, as an execution site and as a burial grounds.
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Boston is amongst my very favorite of American cities. My father was born in Chinatown, just a stone's throw from Boston Common. My mother was born across the Charles River in Cambridge. They met at Suffolk University in Downtown Boston. For the first 15 years of my life, we travelled from Honolulu to Boston nearly every summer—"It may be our last chance to see Papa"—where, by the age of nine, I had mastered the Boston Subway (The T) in order to visit the Museum of Science multiple times a week.
I travelled to Boston this week to see the premiere of my husband's ballet, Raymonda, at the Boston Ballet (he designed the scenery and the costumes). Of course, I cannot visit such a historic (and personally relevant) city without taking some time to walk around (and take some pictures).
The fifty acre "Boston Common" was established in 1634 and is the oldest city park in America. Over the years, the Common has been used for various purposes including as a public gathering (and speaking) place, as a grazing pasture, as a mustering site and drilling field for the military, as an execution site and as a burial grounds.
Possibly the most famous of the executed was the Quaker Mary Dyer who was hanged in 1660 from an oak in Boston Common by Massacusetts's Puritan government. Quakers, Catholics and Jews had been banned (on pain of death) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony—by the Puritans who self-righteously purported to "seek religious freedom" in America.
In the 1830's, Boston's mayor banned the cows and sheep—a far less controversial decree—and the Common was thereafter maintained as a conventional urban park space (complete with occasional protests and other civic gatherings). The Common is also well-used by pedestrians, crossing the park on their daily movements through the city.
The Park Street Church (Conservative Congregational) was built in 1809, inspired by one of architect Christopher Wren's London churches. It was the tallest building in the United States for nearly two decades—and an iconic landmark as travelers approached Boston. The church was nicknamed "Brimstone Corner" thanks to the fiery preaching within. In later years, the church was active in the abolitionist movement.
In one corner of Boston Common stands a monument, unveiled in 1897, honoring the men of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and their leader, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, an abolitionist. The 54th Regiment, which included two sons of Frederick Douglas, was an African-American regiment lead by white officers (you might remember the film Glory). The sculpture, by American artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens, portrays the men marching down Beacon Street on 28 May 1863. Shaw would be killed less than two months later at Fort Wagner (which protected the Port of Charleston, South Carolina).
Saint-Gaudens depicted 23 enlisted men, each distinctively portrayed by the artist, who hired Black models for the sculpture. Survivors of the 54th Regiment (and newly-freed slaves) contributed and raised the funds to create this work—the first such monument to African-American soldiers in the nation's history.
And just a few blocks away, at Boston's "Downtown Crossing," stands the remains of Boston's historic icon, Filene's Department Store. This Beaux Arts masterpiece was built in 1911-1912, the last major project by the famed Chicago architect, Daniel Burnham. Burnham had built Marshall Fields and the 1893 World's Fair, both in Chicago. He built the Flatiron Building in New York City, Union Station in Washington, DC, and the Selfridges Department Story in London. The façade of the Filene's building is glazed terracotta—in both white and dark green (to resemble cast iron). Although the store is now gone, fortunately, Boston has insisted on saving and restoring this architectural landmark.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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Can one have too much organization on one's desk? This English early Twentieth Century oak stationary stand bears the crest of Queen's College, Oxford. Store stationery supplies: envelopes, paper, business cards. Perhaps a stash of commonly used forms or cards. Or keep your to-do cards and paperwork close-at-hand. And the handsome, wooden construction adds a small touch of architectural interest to your office, den, kitchen or entryway. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>To hold this Japanese hand-carved business card case is to appreciate its beauty and craftsmanship. The delicately tapered "wedge" (thicker on one edge than the other) feels great in the hand. The hinged cap, at top, closes with a satisfying magnetic click. Pulling the case from the breast pocket of a jacket will provide that extra measure of confidence before handing one's business card to that important professional contact. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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This week we're sharing a selection of useful wooden items. The wood of this English barrel-form coin bank glows richly. Riveted brass bands punctuate the bulging form. Warm, honest materials meet straightforward function: a handsome place to stash your savings. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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Yes, this English Arts & Crafts Letter Rack is made of wood—though it is embellished with plenty of hand-hammered brasswork. A winged dragon stalks in a field of botanicals, while an undulate amethyst glass cabochon floats overhead. The hand-tooled panels are riveted to the oak understructure. This piece is made to hang (on its mounting ring) or it can rest of a flat surface. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome and useful piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
]]>Is there anything more wonderful than wood? Warm. Useful. Natural. For millennia, humankind has been fashioning wood for tools, shelter, warmth and all sorts of decorative items. Perhaps it is the most malleable and accessible of natural materials. And the nature of wood makes it ideal for many uses—which no other material can replicate.
For the next several days, we'd like to share a selection of our wood-crafted objects, items which are handsome and useful.
Shown here, an American Arts & Crafts slatted oak wastepaper basket. The quarter-sawn strips, bound with rawhide lashings, add an additional level of textual interest. What Arts & Crafts desk (or office) wouldn't look better with this handsome basket?
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Is there anything more wonderful than wood? Warm. Useful. Natural. For millennia, humankind has been fashioning wood for tools, shelter, warmth and all sorts of decorative items. Perhaps it is the most malleable and accessible of natural materials. And the nature of wood makes it ideal for many uses—which no other material can replicate.
For the next several days, we'd like to share a selection of our wood-crafted objects, items which are handsome and useful.
Shown here, an American Arts & Crafts slatted oak wastepaper basket. The quarter-sawn strips, bound with rawhide lashings, add an additional level of textual interest. What Arts & Crafts desk (or office) wouldn't look better with this handsome basket? Click on the photo above to learn more about this useful, wooden item.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248
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