Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you!
This "holiday" began long, long ago . . . in a capital far, far away. Thursday 3 May 1979 was a national Election Day in the United Kingdom (two years after the Star Wars film release). The pre-election polls strongly favored the return of the Conservatives—led by Margaret Thatcher. Were the Conservatives to win (which they did), she would become the United Kingdom's first female Prime Minister (which she did). Overnight, even as the ballots were still being counted, the Conservatives boldly purchased a large advertisement in the next day's London Evening News: "Dear Maggie, May the Fourth Be with You. -Your Party Workers." Thatcher's win marked the beginning of an 18 year Conservative takeover of Parliament. (The Empire had struck back.) And the nerdy pun made its worldwide debut.
Today, Star Wars fans continue to mark the day. Costume parties, sci-fi contests, marathon screenings, memes aplenty and other space geek events populate the day. Most of all, the faithful greet each other with the classic Star Wars salutation. Disney, which now owns the Star Wars franchise, has been know to release its new Star Wars offerings on this day. And the most hard core fans celebrate the following day as well: "The Revenge of the Fifth."
The large, jug-form vase, shown above, was made in Modernist Germany in the Sixties or Seventies. It was made by Ruscha in Rheinbach, West Germany, and its swirling, gaseous, otherworldly glazing likely was developed by glaze master Otto Gerharz. The "planetary" glazing has always reminded me of some planet or moon hanging above a barren Star Wars landscape—strange, complex, mysterious. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome, impressive 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).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.