When we were closing our Greenwich Village shop—three years ago this month—it was a very hectic time. The entire store was marked-down and business was more than brisk (in fact, it was our biggest single month in company history!). We were also simultaneously packing-up unsold merchandise plus 23 years worth of accumulated fixturing, backstock, and those pesky "pending repair projects." During that crazy month, we packed four 16 foot Penske "box trucks" and drove them eight hours west through the mountains of Pennsylvania. Though we attempted a high level of organization, alas, some things were packed-up too quickly and added to the pile of boxes on the truck.
One of the unexpected benefits of that tumult is the delayed "un-earthing" of these time capsules three years later—like the copper vases shown above. We have recently unpacked a small trove of these copperworks, buried for several months. Over the next several days, we'll be sharing a portion of the collection, now listed and for-sale in our on-line store.
The copper vase, shown above, is a work of perfection. It was hand-beaten from a single ingot of copper, using only an anvil, a pair of tongs and various hammers (depending on the portion of the piece being crafted). The artisan managed to raise the walls of the vase, keeping them of consistent thickness, achieved the overall vessel shape in a balanced manner, and finished the piece with an attractive hand-hammered texture. The style of the vase is also terrific: bottom weighted for stability and constricted at the neck (which will keep a small cluster of flowers looking like a presentable bouquet). Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Shown below is another option: a long-necked "onion-form" vase. This one is more sculptural, making a nice accent to a larger collection of vases—or standing proudly on its own. Click on either photo to learn more about these vases.
More hand-hammered copper items 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