Christmas . . . in June? A bit off-season, I know, but I have to buy these cool antiques when I find them—they may not be around later. Shown above, a wooden Christmas ornament box, from the 1940’s or 1950’s, with a printed greeting on the cover. A bit beat-up—well-loved, perhaps—but still up to the […]
More glassware from my trip to the Mid-West: a set of eight “double shots” from the 1950’s with burgundy and gold banding. Very handsome, indeed. This set—and the rest of my new-found treasures—is now in-store and ready for your perusal. Please come into the shop and see them. Additionally, please keep checking the LEO Design […]
I’m wrapping-up a buying trip in Western Pennsylvania and the (near) Mid-West. I’ve found a lot of glassware, including this set of ten cut crystal champagne stems, pictured above. The crystal has just a trace of purple, found on the best glass. It is deeply hand-cut with a stylized botanical motif on the bowls and […]
Father’s Day is one week from today. Just enough time to buy him one of our new “Outdoorsman” cards for the holiday. Printed on 100% cotton paper stock in Canada, these cards are masculine, understated, straightforward—just like Dad. $5.00 each Come into the shop to see these and our wide range of great gifts for […]
With Father’s Day just a week away, we’re thrilled with our new shipment of Dad-appropriate greeting cards—in nautical and “outdoorsy” themes. Designed and crafted in Western Canada, they are letterpress printed on a luxurious, 100% cotton paper stock. And, when Father’s Day is done, these cards will continue to be perfect for summer and early […]
Today is World Environment Day, a day dedicated to raising global awareness of (and encouraging action toward) protecting nature and planet Earth. It was first celebrated in 1973 after being declared by the United Nations the previous year. A different country hosts each year’s celebration and an annual theme is selected; this year’s host is […]
In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, the Art Nouveau Movement swept across Scandinavia, Finland and (to a lesser extent) into Western Russia (St. Petersburg, in particular). In architecture, it was called The National Romantic Style (or, sometimes, by the German name “Jugendstil”) and it sought to breathe new life into civic and domestic […]
On this day in 1926, Irwin Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, NJ. Precocious, an ideologue, and facile with words, the teenaged boy would write letters to the New York Times on the hot topics of the day: World War II and Labor issues. At Columbia University, Allen befriended a group of like-minded men—Lucien Carr, […]
On this day in 1904, Peter Johann Weißmüller was born in Freidorf, then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (and now in Romania). When he was seven months of age, his family moved to the U.S. and, after a period in Pennsylvania, settled in Chicago. At nine, young Peter contracted polio, and, at the advice […]
The month of June is endowed with three birthstones: Pearls, Alexandrite, and Moonstone. And while pearls are not true “stones,” for millennia they have been valued for their rarity, costliness, and mysterious beauty. Pearls are the “build-up” of calcium carbonate, produced by fresh- and saltwater mollusks, when a small foreign object enters (and irritates) the […]
In 1748, German businessman François Boch founded a pottery workshop in the duchy (or “dukedom”) of Lorraine, which straddled the French, German, Belgian and Luxembourg borders. His business succeeded and soon Boch opened another factory in Luxembourg, then (in 1801) another one in the Western German village of Metlach—in a former 10th Century Benedictine abbey […]
The crowd rioted—on this day in 1913—at the premier performance of Igor Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” (The Rite of Spring) performed in Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Produced by Russian “Showman Extraordinaire” Sergei Diaghilev, the music proved to be a ground-breaking (and threatening) aural sensation of unconventional rhythm, nauseating dissonance, and traditional Russian folk music. The story […]
Today, Raymor is strongly identified with Italian Mid-Century Modern ceramics. Few people realize, however, that Raymor was actually an American brand name which made products (especially ceramics) in the United States, Scandinavia, Mexico, Germany and Italy. New Yorker Irving Richards (born Rappaport), began his business life in 1926, selling used books in Manhattan. After a […]
In 1839, thirty-one year old Joachim Herman Kähler moved from Northern Germany to Nestved, Denmark where he opened a ceramics manufacturing workshop. For the next thirty-or-so years, Kähler produced practical home and kitchen items, most notably an oil lamp called “the all night burner.” In 1872, his sons, Herman August and Carl Frederick, took-over the […]
Had she lived, today would have been Queen Victoria’s 195th birthday. She still “holds the crown” for longest-reigning British monarch (until 10 September 2015 at which point Queen Elizabeth II—should she still hold the throne—will surpass Victoria). Victoria was quite far-down the line of succession but circumstances cleared a path for her—her father died when […]
A band of gold surrounds the rim and “shoulder” of this eight-piece tumbler set, made in the 1940’s or 1950’s—and just received in the shop. A taller, narrower set of eight was also just received. Lovely for juice or water and perfect for wine—red or white. Please come into the shop to see them—and the […]
A blush of rose infuses the bowls of these Modernist crystal champagne coupes, made in the 1950’s. This set of ten is a part of a new shipment of glassware just-received in the last few days—tumblers, cordials, and lots of coupes. Please come into the shop to see the rest of the new assortment or […]
We finish our exhibition of newly-acquired cufflinks with a simple, elegant, and classic mother-of-pearl pair. A little “seed pearl” sits atop its lustrous bed, and the backings are nicely gold-plated. Please come into the shop and see the rest of the new collection—most of which we do not have on-line. Or, click on the photo […]
More from our collection of newly-acquired cufflinks: a sterling silver pair, possibly English, decorated with an impressed, coffered grid design. Please come into the shop to see them—and the rest of our new cufflinks—or click on the photo to learn more about this pair. More cufflinks tomorrow.
These cufflinks, made in the early Twentieth Century, are made of cut, sapphire blue crystal and are set into pierced sterling silver mountings. They are also “convertible” which means one can remove the “heads” from the center link and use the four separate pieces as shirt buttons (like studs). These are part of our new […]
The Scots are understandably proud of their native stones and use them liberally in their jewelry, crafts and other decorative objets. The pair of cufflinks, pictured above, are part of our newest delivery of handsome, vintage cufflinks. Made in Edwardian Scotland (c. 1905), these cufflinks proudly showcase the simple yet handsome stone—with its ancient and […]
Our newest cufflink shipment, now in store, includes this pair of American Arts & Crafts hammered sterling ovals. Decorated with a crisp Greek Key border, their hand-hammered silver centers gleam with a softly-diffused reflection. These are part of a larger offering of hammered silver Arts & Crafts cufflinks. Please come into the store or peruse […]
We continue our introduction of newly-acquired cufflinks; now showing a pair of English mid-century turquoise set in sterling silver. The black veining provides a handsome contrast against the saturated, otherworldly blue stones. Please come into the shop to see the full range of cufflinks—including the new shipment—or click on the photo above to learn more […]
On this day in 1905, Las Vegas was officially founded as a city. But its history began long before this date. In pre-historic times, what we now call Las Vegas (Spanish for “The Meadows”) was a verdant marshland, replete with vegetation and animal life (including mammoths, whose remains were found in the 1990’s). In time, […]
Here is another offering from our recent acquisition of handsome cufflinks, now in-store. The pair above was made at the turn of the Twentieth Century by Marius Hammer in Bergen, Norway. Mr. Hammer made jewelry for both women and men as well as decorated boxes, spoons, and other personal accessories (like card holders, thimbles, and […]
A new collection of cufflinks has just flown-in, including these sterling silver owls with gemstone eyes. Although this pair is not old—which the rest of my cufflink assortment is—I could not resist buying them! Come into the shop to see them or call to find-out more about them. You may also click on the photo […]
On this day in 1828, Anglo-Italian painter and poet Gabriel Dante Rossetti was born in London to a Sicilian father and half-Italian mother. As a young man, enchanted with the literature, art and culture of Medieval Italy, he rearranged the order of his name to Dante Gabriel Rossetti—an homage to the towering 13th Century poet. […]
Sculptor extraordinaire, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, was born on this day in 1827, in the little French village of Valenciennes, near the Belgian border. His father was a stone mason and the boy inherited his father’s talent for working with stone. Carpeaux is among the greatest sculptors of the Nineteenth Century, much-commissioned for Emperor Napoleon III and […]
I’ve just received a collection of new (vintage) bookends: elephants, horses, and dogs—like the cast iron Terriers, pictured above. Made in the late 1920’s, they capture nicely the square muzzle, wiry coat, and the alert stance of the popular sporting dog. They stand atop an Art Deco base and stand ready to hold-up your collection […]
Is it just me or is it getting warm around here? It seems a few minutes ago we were complaining about the endless winter! Above, a newly-acquired piece: a bronze Modernist sculpture of a male nude, pulling his shirt over his head. One can see (faintly) the impression of his face as his knitted tee […]
We’ve just received a large shipment—dozens of styles—of new Spring and Summer greeting cards from England, New England, and California. Please visit the shop to see all the new styles: flora and fauna, offset and letterpress. We have cards perfect for Mother’s Day, Weddings, and warm-weather birthdays.
When I was a boy, growing-up in Hawaii, my father would commemorate Boys’ Day each 5 May by running two Japanese carp flags up the flagpole—a big red and white one (for me) and a smaller black and white one (for my younger brother). Boys’ Day! It made me feel so important! I am (a […]
We’ve just received a new collection of vintage glassware including the dozen lustrous crystal champagne coupes, pictured above. They were made in the 1930’s or 1940’s and could add an extra splash of color to your next affair. Please come see them in the shop or call us to learn more about them.
On this day in 1751, the first reported cricket match was played in America. Both the New York Gazette and the Weekly Post Boy report the match between the London and New York “sides.” (New York won.) Three years later, Ben Franklin picked-up a copy of the rules book in London, helping to regularize the […]
On this day in 1789, at about noon, a spiffy George Washington emerged from his New York City home. He lived at One Cherry Street, near the East River. He was dressed in a dark brown (American made!) wool suit, white silk stockings, and a dark red overcoat. Light glinted off the shiney silver buckles […]
“The bird,” in French, is “l’oiseau”—and that is what this French Art Nouveau wine jug is sometimes called in its home country. Made by Pierrefonds in the early Twentieth Century, it possesses the heavily-encrusted crystallization for which this ceramics workshop is well-known. Many a French household would have served table wine in a jug like […]
Gilbert Méténier was a man of artistry and principle. He was born 30 September 1876 and worked in his father, Louis’s, stoneware workshop which had been founded in the 1880’s. These early works were rarely (if ever) marked and not much is known about their production. In the 1920’s—probably around the time of Louis’s death—Gilbert […]
We’ve just received a new collection of French Art Nouveau art pottery, including the piece shown above. Made by Poterie Renault in Argent-sur-Sauldre, France, this piece perfectly captures the contradiction of the best Art Nouveau pottery—a controlled, fulsome form finished with random, dripping abandon. Poterie Renault was founded in 1847 and continues to produce pottery […]
On this day in 1785, Jean Rabin Audubon was born on the French colony of Saint-Domingue—now called Haiti. His father was a French naval officer who owned a sugar plantation there; his mother was the man’s mistress. The senior Audubon was an “active man”; the young Audubon grew-up amongst a number of half siblings of […]
On this day in 1917, the world was graced with the incomparably-talented Ella Fitzgerald, America’s “First Lady of Song.” A difficult childhood (and challenging final years) could not suppress Ella’s talents—or her legacy as one of the world’s greatest vocalists. Ella was born in Newport News, Virginia but soon was moved to Yonkers, New York […]
On this evening in 1913, President Woodrow Wilson flipped an electrical switch in Washington, DC, thus lighting-up the Woolworth Building in New York City. The world’s tallest skyscraper—dubbed “The Cathedral of Commerce—was officially opened! Begun in 1910, the building was originally conceived as a 20-story office building to headquarter the F. W. Woolworth Corporation. Three […]
In the winter of 1969, Denis Hayes gave a lecture at Columbia University, seeking to establish and promote the celebration of a new “holiday,” Earth Day. A small group of local attendees took-up his challenge and agreed to organize and lead the New York City activities. And what a good job they did! On this […]
Happy Easter from LEO Design! The shop will be open today from Noon ’till 6:00 pm. Come in to visit our collection of sculpted bunnies and cast bronze nest of eggs.
The date 19 April 1775 marks the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the first two armed conflicts which began the American Revolutionary War. And, since 1894, Massachusetts has commemorated the day as Patriots’ Day. Costumed re-enactments are staged at Lexington Green and Concord’s Old North Bridge. And, naturally, a mounted horseman re-traces the route of Paul […]
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.
