We're counting-down the days to Mother's Day with an assortment of thoughtful gifts for the important women in our lives. Order early and be sure to request gift boxing, if you'd like it. We can also ship directly to your mother, possibly saving a few days in-transit. (Please be sure to specify your desired greeting for an enclosure card to accompany your gift.)
Since I opened my shop on Bleecker Street in 1995, I have always offered a curated blend of antique and contemporary items—"Handsome Gifts" and home furnishings. I always attempted to blend the items properly; to carry well-crafted offerings, old or new, which sat-well with each other. And I never wished to confuse the customer with a contemporary item deceitfully designed to pass as an antique. On the other hand, I occasionally found living artisans who were reviving age-old (perhaps "extinct") tradecraft—items made just as well (or better) today as they were made the first time around. The frame above is such an example. It was made by an artisan named Edgar Berebi in the East Coast jewelry manufacturing hub of Providence, Rhode Island. After modeling his exquisite designs, he casts them in pewter—paying careful attention to maintain crisp detail. After this, depending on the design, he plates them (or parts of them) in 24 karat gold, enamels them selectively, and punctuates the piece with hand-set Swarovski crystals. Their design, weight and attention to detail truly make them products of a lost time. Were I able to find plentiful old examples of such frames, I would certainly buy as many as I could afford. But I am also proud to carry Edgar's works. They have all of the quality and style of such a frame made 125 years earlier.
This frame reminds me of the days of Nijinsky, Scheherazade and the Ballets Russes. An enticing "proscenium" invites the viewer into a magical world of balletic fantasy. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
More nice Mother's Day gifts tomorrow and in the days to come.
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 Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or 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