Today is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, established by UNESCO in 1983. It’s a day on which humanity’s cultural diversity (and its vulnerability) is promoted, protected and conserved. Though we often don’t think about it, monuments and cultural sites teach us the history of the world’s human experiences. Such places transmit the values, […]
It was just before sunrise on this day in 1387. A group of religious pilgrims gathered at the Tabard Inn in Southwark (part of modern-day Central London), about to begin their four day journey. 60 miles to the west stood their destination: The Canterbury Cathedral, specifically the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. Beckett, who had […]
Just in: a large collection on vintage glassware—champagne coupes, liquor stems, and whiskey glasses. Some are traditionally handsome, some have a Mid-Century edge. Come into the shop to view the full collection or see a selection of them in our on-line store. Shown above a “Citrine” crystal decanter and glass set, finely hand-etched with a […]
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils! -William Wordsworth, 1804 On this day in 1802, English poet Willam Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, were enjoying a walk around Glencoyne Bay in the Lake District in […]
In Asia, Valentine’s Day prompts a woman to give a gift to a man. On White Day (one month later) men return the courtesy. In Korea, today is Black Day—and all those who were “uninvolved” or “unlucky” on the previous two holidays commiserate by eating noodles dressed with black bean sauce. Sorry singles, both males […]
William S. Mycock had a very long and productive career with Pilkington’s. He began in 1894 hand-decorating tiles. He transferred to the art pottery division in 1906 and remained there—designing and hand-decorating ceramics—until his retirement in 1938, the same year the art pottery division was shuttered. Prior to working at Pilkington’s, Mycock had studied painting […]
Pilkington began an art pottery division in 1898, just in-time to enjoy the peak of the English Arts & Crafts Movement. They contracted the talents of England’s prominent designers and had a stable of in-house artists, as well. As the new century progressed, Pilkington found itself making a splash at international design exhibitions: in Liege […]
Pilkington’s ceramic art pottery had a rather accidental beginning. The four Pilkington brothers were part of a group of businessmen who, in 1889, planned to dig a coal mine in Clifton, near Manchester, England. It turned-out that the pits being dug were water-saturated, making the intended venture impossible. But the wet earth was suitable for […]
Shown above, more English art pottery from the 1930’s, all a part of a newly-acquired collection—now in store. Please come in to see it or check-out our on-line shop. More about this pottery tomorrow.
New in store: a collection of quality English art pottery, glazed in shades of blue and aqua from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Please visit the store to see it in-person or peruse our on-line shop. More about these new acquisitions over the next several days.
On this day in 1320, fifty-one Scotsmen signed The Declaration of Arbroath—a letter to Pope John XXII declaring Scottish independence and their intention to use military force, if necessary, to protect Scotland from invasion. Nearly seven hundred years later, 6 April has been declared Tartan Day in Canada and the United States—a day to celebrate […]
On this day in 1860, the Pony Express began its first day of service, linking St. Joseph, Missouri to the new (and important) state of California. A customer paid $5.00 per half-ounce to have his envelope whisked along the 1900 mile route in an astonishing 10 days. A company of 120 riders (each weighing less […]
In 2005, British Arts & Crafts collector Edward Smith decided he’d like to combine his two loves—his family’s (retired) Sussex, England farmland and his collection of Arts & Crafts pottery, metalwork, textiles and furniture. In a clearing amongst the trees on his property, Smith has been creating a cemetery expressly for the remains of notable […]
The Massachusetts Bay Colony, established by the Massachusetts Bay Company, was settled in the area surrounding (and between) present day Boston and Salem. The Company was strictly Puritan, and there was no separation of Church and Company, let alone Church and State. Most of the 20,000-or-so settlers were immigrants from England and their crossing […]
In some years, today’s the first day of Spring. In Poland, students celebrate the day by—skipping school? Yes, it’s Truant’s Day! The little boy, pictured above, may or may not be missing class. He was sculpted by a Polish artist however, Vaclav Szczeblewski. And whether Mr. Szczeblewski ever skipped school, I can’t say. Apparently, he […]
Henrik Ibsen is considered by some the greatest playwright since Shakespeare. He is called “The Father of (Theatrical) Modernism” by others. His great plays include “Hedda Gabbler,” “Peer Gynt,” “A Doll’s House,” and “An Enemy of the People.” He was born and died in his home country of Norway (1828-1906), and was captured in the […]
Saint Pádraig, the patron saint of Ireland, was from a Roman-era British family, born in 385 AD. His father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest. At sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped and shipped as a slave to Ireland. In a dream, he recounts, God instructed him to escape and head for the coast where […]
In the ancient Roman calendar, the “Ides” were the mid-point in a month—either the 13th or 15th, depending on the length of that particular month. Each month’s Ides were celebrated in honor of Rome’s top deity, Jupiter, and a “scapegoat” was paraded and sacrificed to that god. The Ides of March—15 March—was extra-special since March […]
Gouda is a small city in Holland, settled in the marshy lands east of The Hague. In the past, the area’s moist terrain was perfect for harvesting peat which was used as fuel for cooking, heating, and combustion. The area’s wetlands were also a rich source of clay. The ready supply of clay—plus fuel to […]
By the mid 1920’s, with the horrors of The War in the past, the world was ready for a new, fashionable “look.” Streamlined, modern, forward-looking, Art Deco was perfectly-suited to industrial mass production. And it was very popular. Everything from skyscrapers to toasters to automobiles were designed in the new, “machine age” fashion. Whereas Arts & Crafts […]
Yesterday we discussed the origins of the Arts & Crafts movement which flourished—in several countries, under different names—during the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. As pointed out, this period coincided with the rise (in some countries) of a new middle class who now, perhaps for the first time, had disposable income to spend on […]
Arts & Crafts—and its various sister movements: Jugendstil, Secessionism, Stile Liberty, and Art Nouveau—came upon the world at a very interesting time. For some countries (like England and the United States), it was a time of great progress in science, technology and industry. World power was shifting and empires were being built. There was a […]
There are no small number of (tedious?) “aficionados” who would gladly spend the day debating whether an item is Arts & Crafts, Secessionist, Jugendstil or Art Nouveau. I say—at the risk of heresy!—they are all the same. The “Greater Art Nouveau” movement blossomed at roughly the same time in various, mostly Western countries. In each […]
Hinamatsuri, or Girl’s Day, is celebrated in Japan every 3rd of March. Starting in February, collections of elaborately dressed dolls—representing the Emperor, Empress, and their court—are arranged on tiered, red-carpeted platforms. Special versions of popular foods are consumed, including sushi, sake, and arare crackers. Also popular is a clear, salty broth made with whole clam shells. […]
On this day in 1810, musical genius Frédéric Chopin (Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin) was born in Warsaw, Poland. His father was French, his mother Polish. A child prodigy, he had completed his musical education by 20—and, by then, had written some of his famous works. Soon he left for Paris, never to return to his homeland. […]
Amongst the new collection of matte green American Arts & Crafts pottery recently received is this ewer by Hampshire Pottery. Hampshire Pottery was founded by James Taft in Keene, New Hampshire, in 1871. He introduced the popular Matte Green color (shown above) in 1883. Hampshire was always a small producer, making quality art pottery for […]
Daumier’s The Third Class Carriage (detail) 1862-64 (MMA) On this day in 1808, French artist Honoré Daumier was born in Marseille. Daumier’s father, a working class tradesman with dreams of becoming a poet, moved his young son and family to Paris in pursuit of his goal. Young Honoré soon became interested in art and eventually […]
On this day in 1866, miners digging in Calaveras County, California, discovered a portion of a human skull, some 130 feet below the surface and beneath an ancient lava flow. Josiah Whitney, State Geologist in California (and a professor at Harvard University) studied the remnant, announcing that the skull was real and that it dated […]
The Hagia Sophia as seen from The Sea of Marmara during my visit to Istanbul On this day in 532, Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered that a new, grand cathedral was to be built in Constantinople. The previous church had been attacked and burned to the ground not two weeks before. Justinian was determined that the […]
Free Labor! Free Land! Free Men! So went the mantra of the Republican Party in 1856. On this day in 1856, the Republican National Party met in Pittsburgh to finalize plans for its first national convention, four months later. Philadelphia was selected and California senator, John C. Freemont, was nominated as the first Republican presidential […]
On this day in 1848, political theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels—Germans both—published their political proclamation, The Communist Manifesto. Lionized and demonized, the book has been used both as a rallying call and as a denouncement. Within its pages, the authors contend that “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle.” […]
I found the sculpture, above, in London last Autumn. It was in the possession of a friend, a collector of British Sculpture, and he agreed to sell it to me. This particular collector prefers bronzes and this fellow (above) is sculpted of patinated plaster. It is signed “D M Venning” and is quite handsome (more […]
Presidents’ Day—originally called Washington’s Birthday—used to be celebrated on the first president’s actual birthday, 22 February. Today, now re-named, it is celebrated on the third Monday in February. LEO Design will be open from noon until 8:00 pm. The bookends above, made in the late 1920’s or 1930’s, were modeled after the Lincoln Memorial sculpture […]
On this day in 1809, a boy was born in a one-room log cabin at Sinking Spring Farm, Hodgenville, Kentucky. From such a modest beginning arose one of America’s greatest heroes—and, possibly, history’s most-popular president. 78 years later, before a crowd of 10,000 onlookers, Abraham Lincoln’s only grandson (and namesake) helped to unveil a statue […]
On this day in 1828, French author Jules Verne was born in Nantes, France. The author of Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days, Verne is considered one of the fathers of science fiction writing. He wrote prolifically of voyages, exploration, and […]
What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? Alligators usually live in freshwater, have heavy, blunt snouts, and live up to 50 years of age. Crocodiles live in salty (or brackish) water, have longer, pointed snouts, and have been known to live 100 years. Their tanned skins, used in handbags, shoes, or photo […]
Leo Baekeland was a Belgian-born scientist and inventor living in New York City. He was attempting to find a synthetic replacement for shellac—which to that point had been derived from beetle shells. Instead of solving that problem, Baekeland inadvertently invented a synthetic plastic which he called Bakelite—and, on this day in 1909, he announced his […]
On this day in 1789, the Electoral College named George Washington the first president of the United States under its new Constitution. The actual voting took place from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789. Washington ran unopposed and won all of the Electoral votes, the only president ever to win 100% of the votes. […]
Saint Blaise was a Third Century Armenian physician and bishop, living in what is present-day Turkey. He was known as a healer—both physically and spiritually. One story tells of a desperate mother whose child was choking on a fish bone. Knowing of his reputation for miracles, she prostrated herself before him and begged that he […]
As England’s longest-reigning monarch (to date), Queen Victoria’s passing was a significant moment in that country’s history and, naturally, required a funeral befitting her legacy. As was her custom, the Queen had spent Christmas 1900 at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, just off the southern coast of England. The residence, created in the […]
Wishing you a Happy Lunar New Year and Prosperous Year of the Horse! People born in the Year of the Horse tend to be clever, kind, and communicative—perhaps a little too much so, at times. They enjoy the company of other people, the larger the crowd, the better. This year may be a bit of […]
We finish our three day detour through the lives of Tragic Monarchs with the death of a king’s would-be assassin, which happened on this day in 1606. Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic and part of a group who sought to restore the English throne to (in their view) its rightful, Catholic monarch. They also […]
The week began with piles of snow and more is forecast for this weekend. Am I alone or is anyone else asking: Can Spring be Far Off? The cufflinks, pictured above, give me a little hope with their promise of spring. Verdant green enameling—not a new spring green, but not a mature, summer green, either—tops the […]
Born on this day in 1862, Edith Wharton was born into a respectable New York society family. She was related to the Rensselaers and her father (George Frederic Jones) came from the family after which the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” reputedly was based. Having entrance to New York society, Edith proved a keen […]
Part of a large collection of American art pottery from the 1960’s and 1970’s. In the days of shag carpeting, macramé, and Harvest Gold appliances, this pottery was the height of Nixon-era chic. Come into the shop to see the full collection—plus art pottery from the 19th Century, Arts & Crafts, and Art Deco periods.
On this day in 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook sailed past the Hawaiian island of Oahu with his ships the HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery, making him the first European to lay eyes on Hawaii. Two days later he landed—this time on the island of Kauai—at Waimea. Cook made an impressive entrance, with his […]
Before World War II, art pottery mass-production was common in the U.S., England, and Western Europe. As these countries built their middle-classes, pretty consumer goods were needed to satisfy newly-found disposable incomes. When the war began, purchasing these “little luxuries” was put-off for better times down-the-road. After the war (in 1945), Americans (and their Anglo-European […]
Combining the crispness of cast glass with a mellow, almost-woodsy amber hue, these mid-century candlesticks straddle the line between wooden candle holders and more-typical glass versions. Unlike any other pair we’ve ever acquired. Come into the shop to see them—and other recent acquisitions—or click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Limoges was settled originally by the Romans just around the time of Christ and first called “Augustoritum.” Some 250 years later, it was Christianized by the Bishop (later, Saint) Martial, the city’s patron saint, and after whom the local abbey is named. Limoges is known for three types of craft: enameled copper panels (especially for […]
In turn-of-the-century Paris, electricity was rather new and inkwells were still de rigueur. And while drawn-ink is no longer mandatory, this antique French desk accessory will bring a touch of panaché to your Twenty First Century office. Come see it in-store or click on the photo above to learn more about it.
In Italy, La Bella Figura—the art and ideal of making a beautiful impression—is a way of life. And this Italian Modernist vase plays its part well. Crafted after World War II, during Italy’s modern renaissance, this vase continues to turn heads as it still cuts a beautiful figure. Come into the shop to see it, […]
Last night I saw the wonderful Broadway production of “Twelfe Night” starring the always-perfect Mark Rylance (who is not just an amazing artist but a one-time recipient of a LEO Design gift!). As timing would have it, I’ve just acquired the bronze-clad bookends shown above. Click on the photo to learn more about them. And […]
Another recent acquisition is this pair of handsome, Art Deco Horse Head bookends. Cast of heavy, solid glass, they really provide a stately end-cap to your library collection. Keep them on desk, bookshelf, or credenza—or, place them atop your mantle piece. Please stop-by the shop to see them in person—along with a lot more newly-acquired […]
I’ve also found some interesting bookends on this most-recent trip. Shown here, a pair of cast spelter elephants, contentedly reading “The Times.” Come into the shop to see them in person—and the rest of our recent acquisitions.
Another set of emerald green glassware, these with a soft, diamond-shaped quilting pressed into the glass. Absinthe, anyone? See these and much more newly-acquired glassware in the shop. Or, click on the photo above to learn more about this set of stems.
Also Modernist, these American Mid-Century cordials are tinted an icy blue. The little square “ice cube,” suspended within the stem, adds to their forward-looking, post-war sensibility. Come into the shop to see the whole collection of new (after Christmas) acquisitions, which includes a lot of glassware. Or, click on the photo above to learn more […]
Though my heart lies (aesthetically) in the turn-of-the-century, I could not pass-up these Scandinavian Modernist smoked glass wine stems. They were purchased alongside two other sizes in the same design: whisky “double shots” and impressively large martini cocktail glasses. Come into the shop to see them (plus other recent acquisitions) or click on the photo […]
Now back from a post-Christmas buying trip, I’d like to share with you some of the new items I’ve found this week. Glassware—for cordials, champagne, wine, or whiskey—is the most-heavily represented category of new merchandise. Fortunately, we sell a lot of glassware. Shown above, a set of eight emerald green sherry stems. Please click on […]
Happy New Year”s Day! LEO Design is open today from Noon to 6:00 pm. Please visit, call, or shop in our on-line store. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2014!
Maybe it’s just too early in the game. Ah, but I thought I’d ask you, just the same. What are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve? Frank Loesser’s song, “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” is probably my favorite end-of-the-year song—elegant, simple, to-the-point. Perfect. Likewise, these crystal Champagne Coupes, shown above, are perfectly […]
A pair of bronze-clad Shakespeare bookends are amongst my recent acquisitions this week. Made in New York in the 1920’s, they are a handsome representation of England’s most famous wordsmith. Please come into the shop to see them. They should be ready-for-sale by New Year’s Eve. Of course, many other newly-purchased treasures will be available, […]
A quick snap of more glassware, a part of my newest acquisitions while traveling. This photo shows a portion of three sets of Smoked-Glass Modernist glasses: liquor, wine, and champagne “stems.” See these—and other newly-acquired pieces—in-shop starting New Year’s Eve. Selected items will be added to the on-line shop as quickly as possible.
These two elephant chaps, sit reading The Times. Are they horrified or amused by what they read? They are part of my latest acquisitions, found while traveling in “The Near Mid-West.” Come into the shop to see them—they should be ready for sale New Year’s Eve—or find them in the on-line shop in a week […]
I’m out on-the-road, seeking to replenish the shop after a busy Holiday season. In Western Pennsylvania—where I am now—plus nearby West Virginia and Ohio, much of America’s Twentieth Century glassware was crafted. It seems many Eastern Europeans alighted in this region after their Atlantic crossings—and they brought their glassmaking skills with them from the old […]
Today is “Boxing Day,” the day in England (and other Commonwealth Countries) when the staff are given their gifts and given the day off. It is a public holiday in most of the British former-colonial countries. As LEO Design staff had yesterday off, we are open today: Noon ’till 6:00 pm. As for me, I […]
A Merry Christmas to you and a grateful Thank-you, as well. LEO Design will be closed today. Please visit us tomorrow; we will be open from Noon until 6:00 pm everyday through (and including) New Year’s Day. And—if you cannot help yourself—our on-line shop is always open. Thanks again.
It’s Christmas Eve and the season will be over in a few hours. LEO Design will be closing at 8:00 pm this evening. Until then, we’re ready and happy to help you in-shop, by-phone, or on-line. Please visit, call, or view the on-line shop. Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
In this season of candy canes, sugar plums, and gingerbread men, why not a handsome place to store them? This English Arts & Crafts biscuit barrel is made of blown, softly-ribbed glass, silver-plated mountings, and a little bone finial. This piece is a part of recent acquisitions from England, now in-store and ready for your […]
Like Impressionist painting of a century ago, this vase is decorated in the spontaneous, textured, and liberated manner of 1890’s France. This Art Nouveau piece diverges wildly from its (same age) English Arts & Crafts cousin across the channel. This vase, purchased from a London collector, is part of a large shipment of pottery, boxes, […]
Refreshingly aquatic, this vase would bring a bit of the Mediterranean to your Christmas tree. Made in Italy, it is decidedly Modernist—and yet, thanks to its cuneiform-like hand-impressions, also has an ancient, timeless appeal. See this piece, and many more new acquisitions, in the shop or check-out our on-line store. Click on the picture above […]
West German Modernist ceramicist, Rudi Stahl, crafted this glazed stoneware piece—more sculpture than vessel. Six little “stovepipes,” like a field of mushrooms, reach heavenward and provide a classic, Mid-Century Modern look. Glazed in variegated buff and carmel. Come into the shop and see more of our recently-collected pieces—pottery, cufflinks, boxes, and more—or click on the […]
More recent acquisitions include the Emerald Green Enameled Art Deco cufflinks, shown above. See these and all of our newest arrivals—cufflinks, pottery, desk accessories, picture frames, candlesticks, and more—in-store or click on the photo above to learn more about this pair.
On my most recent European buying trip, I bought a very large collection of red West German art pottery—enough to fill a 48″ table! Come into the shop to see the new collection. One piece makes a wonderful gift. Several pieces make a bold decorating statement. Besides red pottery, I’ve also bought a lot of […]
While “on expedition” in the UK, I came across these British Boy Scouts cufflinks, enameled in yellow, green, and black. They are part of a large collection of new cufflinks now in-store. Come into the shop to see them (and my latest shipment of new goods), or check-out the on-line shop. I am adding new […]
Another pair of cufflinks, just purchased in England. From the British Royal Navy, these cufflinks would look equally good with dress whites or jeans and an oxford. See these—and a lot more newly-acquired merchandise—in the shop or click on the photo above to learn more about this particular pair.
Let’s continue our parade of new merchandise, lately-acquired in England and here in the States. Shown above, a pair of sterling silver, American Art Deco, white-enameled cufflinks. They provide crisp punctuation to a sleeve of any color. Click on the photo above to learn more about them, or pop-into the shop to see them in […]
Amongst the cache of ceramics—purchased on my most recent buying trip—is this collection of cobalt blue West German pottery. Made by Hoy, Scheurich, and others, they make a lovely arrangement of bold, stately color. See these and a lot more pottery in-shop now, or in the on-line store in days to come.
And another pair of newly-acquired cufflinks—English Art Deco circa 1930. This example is just one pair of a large collection (numbering several dozen) that I assembled on my most recent buying trip. In the days to come, I’ll show you more of our newest cufflinks and other items, all now on-view in the shop. Some […]
More cufflinks from a recent buying trip. These are 10 karat gold, in the form of a stylized cross, edged with navy enameling, and finished with radiant machine-turning. See the full collection of new arrivals in-shop or a selection of them in the on-line store. More cufflinks—and many other recent acquisitions—to come in the following […]
Now back from England, I’m hurriedly processing a mountain of in-bound merchandise—cleaning, pricing, arranging, photographing, and posting to the LEO Design on-line shop. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll share with you some of our new arrivals, as they’re ready for sale. As quickly as possible, I’ll also post them to the on-line shop. […]
I wrap-up my London buying trip with this handsome Victorian English oval ceramic platter. Made in the 1880’s -1890’s, it is decorated with an Orientalist Aesthetic Movement transfer design. It captures perfectly the British fascination with all things Japanese—in the days of Arthur Liberty and The Mikado. Lovely to use, worthy of display, this platter […]
By ceramicist Rudi Stahl, a piece of West German Modernist ceramics. More sculptural than functional, it would look good in any setting—Modern or Woody. Like a field of mushrooms, six little chimneys emerge from the heavy, stoneware base. See this piece and other new items in-shop from 13 December. This piece should be posted to […]
I’ve just purchased this set of six French Art Deco wine glasses. Blown with a horizontally-ribbed bottom half, lightly banded with gold, and decorated with hand-painted enamel flowers on the top half. They are a cheerful and casual way to enjoy wine—or your beverage of choice. Vist the shop to see them and the rest […]
From Holland, circa 1920, this little Gouda bowl. Perfect as a wine coaster or bedside “pin tray,” it is decorated with hand-painted flowers and a scrolling wave border. A lovely combination of color and design. Come into the shop to see this, and other recent acquisitions, after 13 December. More new items tomorrow and in […]
I buy a lot of brass trays—but never before one quite like this. I believe it’s from the Near East, probably Byzantine Turkish, and likely from the early Twentieth Century. It is at once Oriental and Gothic Revival Occidental, and most certainly intended for export or tourist purchase. The border is formed of an incredibly […]
I’m in London at the moment, my last buying trip before Christmas. Over the next several days, I’ll share some “quick shots” of pieces I’ve acquired. Shown above, a (small) portion of a large collection of Modernist ceramics—mostly West German and Italian. Many reds, some matte cobalt blue, and a few green pieces round out […]
For those who know me, I was amongst the last of the Luddites. I had to be dragged (kicking and screaming) into the on-line world. Two things precipitated my capitulation. First, I moved my shop—two blocks and a world away—and wanted my established customers to be able to find me. Web Genius Brad Soucy and […]
Today is “Black Friday” and we’d like to report: . LEO Design is not opening early. . LEO Design will not manufacture any “Door Buster” stampede. . LEO Design will be here—as always—to serve its customers (old and new). As a concession to the season, perhaps […]
I am thankful for the good things in my life. My customers, my employees, and my shop certainly are amongst these blessings. Happy Thanksgiving! LEO Design is closed today as we complete our Holiday decorating. We will reopen tomorrow at noon. Here’s wishing you a Happy Holiday Season.
Crafted of turned English oak, these candlesticks will add a bit of casual—but handsome—elegance to your holiday table. Come into the shop to see our wide range of candlesticks or visit our "Candlestick Department" in our on-line store.
With the Holidays comes entertaining, and with entertaining comes table-setting. A classic and handsome pair of candlesticks will punctuate your well-laid table beautifully. Candlesticks also make a wonderful gift for the special host or hostess. Come-in and see our collection of candlesticks—brass, wood, pewter, and bronze—or click on the photo, above, to learn more about […]
A flock of little, red Holiday owls has landed at LEO Design, here to remind us: “Only one month ’till Christmas Eve!” Another reminder, this time from our ornithologist friends: a group of owls is called “a parliament.” Click on the photo, above, to learn more about these Peruvian, hand-made ornaments.
In the Hawaiian Islands, one finds an exotic and precious hardwood called Koa. In the time of the Ali’i (the Chief), Koa was plentiful—large trunks were hollowed-out for canoes, others were planed into surfboards, and smaller pieces were hand-fashioned into bowls, ukuleles, furniture, even flooring. Today the wood is protected; one must have a permit […]
Though it’s not English, I bought the piece, shown above, from a British collector (a long-time source for goodies in my shop). It is made by Ipsen, the Danish ceramics workshop, and is dated 1911. It has the gentle, feminine curves of the Art Nouveau, but is energized with a dripping metallic over-glaze of silver […]
Cookie jars commonly were found in American kitchens and old ones can be quite collectable. In Britain, “biscuits” is the preferred term and they are served at tea—and with a good deal more elegance than in America. The Biscuit Barrel, shown above, is just-received from my most recent English buying trip. It dates from the […]
I just loved this little fellow and am happy to have him in my shop. He is Edwardian English, of cast brass, and sculpted to convey nice detail and character. He is amongst the new arrivals, just landed after my recent trip to England. Click on the photo to learn more about him. More […]
Another new find: this pair of French Art Deco spelter squirrel bookends. I found them in the south of England, perched atop their marble plinths, just as you see them here. Click on the photo above to learn more about them. More new items in days to come…
I’m just back from the UK where I spent ten days hunting treasures for the shop. It was exhausting, yet fruitful; nevertheless, I’m glad to be back. I’m also glad to report that all merchandise has arrived—no worse for wear—and is cleaned-up, priced, and sitting on the shop floor. Awaiting your visit! The piece above, […]
We’ve just received another beautiful menorah—this one finely-cast in bronze. The exceptional detail is rendered using the “lost wax method” whereby molten bronze is poured into a mold formed around a detailed wax version of the same menorah. It is then finished by hand and patinated. The lost wax method is the traditional means of […]
