As I mentioned before, I love the softness of English Art Deco. Unlike it's American counterpart, English Deco pieces seem to have been placed in a gentle tumbler, softly removing any sharp edges. The ashtray shown above was designed by artist Keith Murray for Wedgwood. Born in New Zealand, Keith's family moved back to England when he was 14. Although he studied architecture, he was hired by Wedgwood to help execute their new strategy: to create good-looking ceramic items which could be produced with mass production technology. Wedgwood realized that young customers (in the 1930's) had good, modern taste, but often little money. They wanted to produce items which this demographic could afford and would buy. Unlike other Art Deco decorative wares on the market, Murray's line for Wedgwood had a handsome, architectural simplicity and glazed in simple, natural colors. Please click on the photo above to learn more about this piece.
LEO Design's Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed. While we contemplate our next shop location, please visit our on-line store which continues to operate (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
Follow us on Instagram: "leodesignhandsomegifts"
Follow us on Facebook: "LEO Design - Handsome Gifts"