As the weather warms and outdoor activities become more appealing, perhaps you’ll endeavor a countryside cycle trek? If not, there’s always this card, now in-stock at LEO Design. Adapted from a 1946 English graphic, this card was letterpress printed in a small workshop on Swan’s Island, Maine. With great economy—and just three colors—it captures beautifully […]
As we approach Saint Patrick’s Day, we’re featuring some of our favorite green items currently in-shop. Pictured above, a pair of American Art Deco sterling silver cufflinks, enameled in emerald green over radiant guilloché work. A very handsome, understated pair of cufflinks, these could be worn on St. Paddy’s Day—or any time of the year. […]
As we count-down to Saint Paddy’s Day—three days to go—we’ll take a look at some of our favorite green items, from emerald to mint. Shown above, a set of six Mid-Century Modern emerald green crystal champagne coupes. Though West German, not Irish, they would still be perfect for your March 17th toast. They are featured center […]
Here in New York City the Winter White has finally melted—revealing mysterious brown layers of indeterminate origin (buried since the first snowfall weeks ago). Though that image is distasteful, I thought the Bode Willumsen vessel, pictured above, also captured the notion of a Mud Season—albeit in a natural, graceful, and more romantic manner. Made for […]
With two months of snow and freeze behind us—hopefully!—it’s worth looking-back on the poor NYC denizens of 1888. On this day of that year, after a period of unseasonably warm weather, “The Great Blizzard of 1888” struck the East Coast, dumping 50+ inches of snow on parts of the Eastern Seaboard over a three day […]
Just in: a handsome pair of Art Deco cufflinks from the 1920’s or 1930’s. Cobalt blue enameling surrounds an underlying pattern of metalwork—evocative of a musical staff or the fretwork on the neck of a guitar. This is but one pair of the more than 800 pairs of cufflinks in-store at LEO Design—many just received […]
We end our little tour of antique mirrors with this handsome English Arts & Crafts offering. Copper is hammered with a meandering poppy decoration resulting in a mirror that is functional as well as artful. Poppies—wild flowers from which one can extract a narcotic sedative—are associated with rest or sleep. In some places, the poppy […]
From 1920’s France, an iron-framed Art Deco mirror. The mirror has a crisp, machine-inspired angularity, with just a little spray of flowers at the top—a small nod to the previous Art Nouveau or Secessionist schools. Imagine this over an Art Deco sideboard, laden with crystal decanters, awaiting Nick and Nora Charles! Please come by the […]
Like yesterday’s mirror, this one also was made in Victorian England. It “reflects” a more-formal, more-refined English Arts & Crafts aesthetic. The brass surround is hand-hammered with a lush floral repoussé treatment—the result of hours of a craftsman’s labor. Perfect for a powder room, in a dining room, or beside the front door (for a […]
What a dreary winter we’ve had! It makes sense that cooped-up New Yorkers would seek to bring more light into their apartments. For this reason, we sell a lot of lighting fixtures and mirrors—which produce and reflect light—during the Winter and early Spring. Shown above, a hand-carved oak-framed bevelled mirror, crafted in Victorian England. Made […]
After a week of visiting my family on Kauai, I head back to New York today. I’ve had a brief reprieve from single-digit temperatures and a chance to “stretch the legs” of my camera—which is so used to tight, up-close merchandise shots. Above, a photo of Makaleha, visible from my father’s front deck. Roughly translated […]
Another of our new Japanese brass creatures is this Happy Hippo. She stands on four pointed feet, contemplating her good fortune. She joins her other Japanese brass mates—Rabbit, Pig, and Kitty. $165 each.
We’ve just received a small collection—a menagerie—of handsome and stylish Japanese brass animals. First they are cast in heavy brass, then laboriously hand-finished, resulting in sleek lines and a mirror finish. Perfect as a paperweight, a shelf decoration, or just a nice thing to pick-up and handle, any one of the four animals would make […]
And, lest you think only the Germans made beautiful coupes, please behold the champagne stem above, made in France in the 1930’s. Hand-etched with a simple, stylized floral motif, the bowl sits above a most unusual stem: an undulating—almost “tufted”—shaft. The set consists of eight stems. Please come into the shop to see them in-person […]
We end our parade of smoked crystal glassware with this high-style Modernist champagne coupe, made in West Germany in the 1960’s. Blown in a “soft square” form, the coupe evokes the early days of The Jet Age—when the globe could (at last) be traversed quickly and travel to distant planets began to color our imaginations. […]
Here’s a wine glass—sized perfectly for white wine or a hearty post-prandial tipple—with a more assertive Modernist aesthetic. Its “soft square” form was blown in Mid-Century West Germany of lightly-smoked crystal, creating a glass which is crisp and efficient, yet friendly. It comes as a set of eight, part of a collection of crystal glasses […]
Sometimes the classic form is perfect just the way it is—no further improvement is required. Such is the case with this set of eight West German Modernist crystal wine stems. Blown in a lightly-tinted “smoked” crystal, they enjoy just a whisper of a Modernist aesthetic—without abandoning the timeless, traditional and perfect design of their forebears. […]
Begin the Beguine—or anything else Cole Porter wishes to start! Shown above, from our trove of recently-acquired West German Modernist crystalware, a particularly voluptuous champagne coupe of lightly smoked crystal. You may see the piece in-store—along with its crystal brethren—or click on the photo above to learn more about this set of eight. Even Mr. […]
Another offering amongst our recently-acquired collection of West German crystal, now in-store: a large goblet-form red wine or water glass. Blown in the 1960’s of smoked crystal, it has the clean lines of its Modernist period and the classic aesthetic of an earlier time. Part of a set of eight, it is now available for […]
We’ve just acquired a group of Mid-Century German stemware, beautifully designed and crafted in a lightly smoked crystal: wine stems, water glasses, champagne coupes. Shown above, a wine glass blown in a crisp, Modernist, soft-square form. Generously sized, it’s perfect for red wine or water and is part of a set of eight. Please click […]
Gung Hay Fat Choy! A happy and prosperous new year to all—especially to all those born in the year of the goat! The Chinese zodiac is comprised of twelve “signs”—each lasting approximately one year—each represented by a different animal. People born under a particular sign are thought to share certain characteristics and personality traits with […]
Is there any number more-eagerly looked-forward to? In some ways, a perfect number: twice 9, half 36. And what young person doesn’t dream of someday reaching this milestone? A few “highlights” of the eighteenth number: • Civil War victor general, Ulysses S. Grant, was the 18th U.S. president. • In ancient Rome, 18 represented a blood […]
A satisfying voluptuousness is blown into this Art Deco amber glass decanter by Kosta. Made in Sweden, it also exhibits a trace of Northern European Bauhaus simplicity and captures perfectly a very specific aesthetic time period. You may see it in-person in the shop or click on the photo above to learn more about it.
An understated—yet handsome—decanter for wine or alcohol, made in Sweden by Stromberg. Softly-faceted panels compose this bottle-form vessel, blown of amber-tinted glass and topped with a substantial glass stopper. Please venture into the shop to see the decanter in-person or click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Treat your guests to a post-prandial nip with this handsome Swedish Modernist drinks service by Bergdala Glasbruk. Designer Bengt Orup (1916 – 1996) has crafted a clean and timeless design for this set of six glasses with complementing decanter and stopper. A light, radiant etched pattern is applied to the bottoms of the glasses, the […]
We’ve just received a collection of Scandinavian Modernist glass decanters, now in-store. Over the next few days, I’ll share a few select pieces with you here in the Journal. Some pieces will also be featured in our on-line shop. Please come to the shop to see the full new collection. Shown above, two Danish Modern […]
Soft squares of white mother-of-pearl are fashioned into a five-piece dress set, finished with 12 karat gold-plated settings. Worn complete as a set or worn as cufflinks alone, either way, these are a classic and classy way to finish your dressing. Please click on the photo above to learn more about this set or come […]
“Handsome Gifts” is our mission and Saint Valentine’s Day is a brisk season for us. Since Christmas, I have been aggressively re-building my cufflinks collection just for this purpose. Shown above, a pair of sterling silver Krementz cufflinks, enameled in white, edged in a fresh, light green. Please come into the shop to see them […]
A pair of pampered Pekingese pooches (perched on pillows) pose playfully in this pair of cast iron bookends from the 1920’s or 1930’s. Just received, these hard-to-find bookends have joined our collection of handsome dog bookends. Please come visit them in the shop; they’re eagerly awaiting adoption. Or click on the photo above to learn […]
Another interesting Mid-Century find: a seven piece cocktail service—complete with glass stirring-stick—banded with platinum rims. Enchant your guests with a round of mixed drinks, expertly prepared, in this handsome and stylish drinks set. Please come into the shop to see it—and the rest of our large vintage glassware collection.
Today we install our festive Valentine’s Day window: pewter frames, red art pottery, and platinum-banded crystalware. Shown above, a Mid-Century crystal champagne coupe—part of a set of eight—which you’ll find featured in the window, front-and-center. Made in Germany in the 1960’s, this set is but one of several sets of platinum-banded glasses for champagne, mixed […]
Need a patient (and quiet) fellow to hold your books? Perhaps these cast iron Japanese owl bookends will fit the task. Designed in an elegant Modernist manner, the metal is finished with a rustic brown patina. Click on the photo above to learn more about them or visit the shop in-person and see them “in-the-flesh.” […]
I, for one, have already had enough of The Winter Blues. The cold, the wind, the slush—I’m looking forward to some precious moments on the beach! Until such time, I’ll have to try a little harder to re-associate the season in a more positive direction. These Art Deco cufflinks, made in Newark, NJ in the […]
Domes of amethyst enameling cover an oval of radiant guilloché work on this pair of stately Art Deco era cufflinks—which is appropriate today, the first day of February, a month represented by the birthstone amethyst. After selling dozens of pairs of cufflinks during the Holiday season, I’ve been busy re-stocing before the next big “Cufflinks […]
Yesterday we looked-at a set of silver-plated cocktail stems, delicately hammered. Today it’s a copper tray, hammered a bit more rustically. A hammered surface on metal adds the warming touch of human craftsmanship and allows the artisan’s handwork to provide all the necessary decoration. Please click on the photo above to learn more about this […]
“In the old days” a silversmith never left hammering marks on a piece of wrought silver—it would be considered a crude indicator of poor craftsmanship. Instead, a metal smith would laboriously hammer-away at the piece, using increasingly smaller hammer “peens,” until a smooth, mirror-like surface remained. Think of Copley’s portrait of Paul Revere, inspecting his […]
Notre-Dame de Reims, or “Our Lady of Reims” (90 miles East of Paris), is amongst the most important cathedrals in Europe. Built on the site of an ancient Roman baths, it replaces an earlier basilica (built around 400 AD) which was destroyed by fire in 1211. Rebuilding of the “new” cathedral—that which we see today—began […]
Batik is a folk craft method of decorating textiles using a wax resist process. Fabrics are dyed, dried, then painted or printed with wax—which forms a resistant barrier for future dyings. When the fabric is dyed a second time, the new dye saturates all of the fabric except for where the painted wax has formed […]
Truly an American Renaissance Man, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1809. A precocious boy, he was educated at Phillips Academy, Harvard College and (after studying law for a time) received his medical training in Paris. Back in the States, he taught in the medical schools of Dartmouth and Harvard, eventually […]
Just in: a nice collection of Swedish Mid-Century crystal perfume bottles. Made by Orrefors or Kosta Boda in the 1950’s or 1960’s, each piece is a rather remarkable work of craftsmanship. Shown front-and-center, a pear-shaped bottle, whose stem has become the perfectly-fit bottle stopper. Other shapes exhibit various degrees of glass cutting and geometry. A […]
Jules Verne meets German Modernism in this “Space Aged” ceramic pitcher by Carstens (West Germany). Made in the 1960’s, it is finished with a crystalline, metallic glaze—both matte and lustrous at once. Please come into the shop to see this new piece—another one of our post-Holiday acquisitions—or click on the photo above to learn more […]
To cleanse the palate after days of highly-decorated objets, let’s look at a simple and useful item: an Arts & Crafts hand-hammered, silver-plated serving tray. Finding them pragmatic, I buy (and sell) as many nice trays as I can find. This one, made in the 1910’s, is quite handy being long yet narrow. Please click […]
The little hamlet of Sarreguemines has an interesting background—both historically and as a center of fine porcelain and art pottery production. A one time Roman stronghold, Sarreguemines lies at a strategic point on the River Saar. This made it an important location for controlling commerce on the river as well as an ideal place from […]
A rising sun—crowned with a floral wreath—radiates guilloché beams on this pair of Art Deco cufflinks from the 1920’s. The enameling, best described as “wine-tinted,” is not quite burgundy, not quite copper, not quite brown. A handsome and unusual addition to the seasoned cufflink collector’s cache. This pair of cufflinks is part of a newly-received collection […]
A handsome combination of sky blue enameling, black strapping and glints of silver tone really make these Art Deco cufflinks pop. Guilloché palmettes complete the effect. These are but one pair of cufflinks recently purchased for the popular pre-Valentine’s Day sales period. Perhaps a nice pair for your beau? Please come into the shop to […]
Spring begins two months from today—so today I thought I’d share this rather springlike pair of cufflinks. And what a handsome pair of cufflinks, indeed. These 1930’s sterling silver beauties are enameled in a pale pistachio, which surrounds the elements of a bold Art Deco silver graphic. Fine guilloché engraving adds a subtle touch beneath […]
Like a specimen frozen-in-time, the guilloché flower on this pair of cufflinks is embedded in emerald enamel. A ring of amber enamel frames the whole, resulting in a handsome and unusual pair of cufflinks from the early Twentieth Century. After selling many pairs of cufflinks during the Holiday season, I’ve kept busy acquiring new (vintage) […]
The British Georgian period—during the reigns of Kings George I, II, III and IV (and sometimes extended to William the IV)—covered the years 1714 to 1837, a broad period of formal, classical British style. It includes the period known as The Regency (1811-1820), when George III’s mental deterioration prevented him from holding his throne—so his […]
While New York City’s temperature has been in the twenties, I’m always keen to see a little promise of the Spring to come. And these cufflinks have done the trick! Made in the 1920’s or 1930’s, they are finished with two colors of enamel—white and celadon green—over a radiant, floral guilloché design. These cufflinks are […]
After selling dozens of pairs of cufflinks in December, I’ve been vigorously re-building my collection in time for the next big occasion: Valentine’s Day. Cufflinks make a wonderful gift for a man—and are perfect for the 14th of February. With a month to go before Valentine’s Day, I’d like to share some examples from my […]
We sell a lot of glassware—especially around the Holidays and Wedding Season—and are always adding more options to our store shelves. While most of our selection is quite chic, we occasionally find things that are simply “fun.” Shown above, a case in point: a set of four “Buckaroo Cowboy” tumblers. Decorated with a band of […]
Some folk craft is rustic and “naive.” Other pieces, like the wooden box above, displays a more refined aim and ability. Bold stripes create a striking effect and the original finish is curdled in a way that only the passage of time can deliver. We have a large collection of vintage boxes in-store and have […]
Another pair, this time European and of carved wood, have joined us. Made in post-War Switzerland or Alpine Germany, they have an appealing, intelligent and inquisitive disposition. They are part of our most recent, post-Holiday shipment, now in-store. Click on the photo to learn more about them or come into the shop to see the […]
Along with our recent, post-Christmas acquisitions this little fellow has just flown in. Bronze-clad and finished with an aged-brass patina, this pair of bookends also has touches of polychrome painting. Please come into the shop to see all of our newest receipts—or click on the photo above to learn more about this particular item. More […]
From yesterday’s Wint’try Bamboo-Etched glassware to today’s verdant, summery offering: a set of eight highball tumblers decorated with a sunny golf theme. Let them take you back to fond memories on the links—no matter the day’s weather outside! More newly-acquired merchandise tomorrow.
Fresh from a Western Pennsylvania estate, a very large assortment of Japanese Mid-Century glassware: rocks glasses (shown above), martinis, high-balls, juice tumblers and water goblets as well as sherry, port, aperitif, and wine stems. Hand-etched with an elegant (and difficult to execute) stylized bamboo motif, they will help make your drinks a little crisper, […]
Lest you worry that all the fun of the Holiday Season is now over, here’s a little pick-me-up: a turned wooden “Skittles” set, beautifully aged over the last 90 years. Played in living rooms and back yards, it’s bound to turn your next gathering into a jolly evening, indeed. This set of ten painted pins […]
From Medieval times, the stylized lily—the fleur de lys—has played an important role in Christian iconography: first as a symbol of Christ, later a symbol associated with the Virgin Mary. In paintings and other artworks, Mary can sometimes be seen holding lilies in her right hand, especially in depictions of The Annunciation. The lily has […]
Though Winter has only just begun, can one be blamed for looking-forward to Spring? And, to help us, a French Art Nouveau pewter dresser box with a repoussé spray of carnation blossoms. Made in the early Twentieth Century, it is signed E. Mérey and was likely used on a period dressing table. It’s the perfect […]
Classic heraldry gets a Mad Men makeover in this drinks service for four from the 1960’s. Highball tumblers are decorated with mirror-finish crests and sit upon gunmetal-glazed ceramic coasters. The entire set can be stored in its chromed wire carrying caddy. Click on the photo above to learn more about it. And please come into […]
Fine, hand-etched crystal champagne coupes are decorated with stylized botanical emblems. This generous set of ten glasses is fashioned with tapered, faceted stems. Please come into the shop to appreciate for yourself the exceptional quality of these glasses—and see the rest of our newly-received items, now in-store. You may also click on the photo above […]
For the past week, I’ve been traveling through Pennsylvania and the Near Midwest, hunting for cool new things to replenish the shop after the Christmas rush. Over the next few days, I’ll share with you some of my newly-found treasures. Pictured above, a set of six nice, not-too-tall crystal champagne flutes. Tinged icy blue, they […]
Shop dog extraordinaire, Benji—and the rest of the LEO Design staff—wish you a Happy New Year and look-forward to seeing you in the shop in 2015. From 26 December through New Year’s Day, LEO Design is open from noon to 6:00 pm daily.
A set of hammered, silver-plated stems—made in Meriden, Connecticut in the teens or twenties—will provide just the right “clink” at midnight. They are part of a large selection of champagne coupes, cocktail stems, and wine glasses now in-store at LEO Design. Please come into the shop to see the full assortment—including newly-acquired examples collected on […]
Let’s end this run of newly-acquired cufflinks with this particularly “ship shape” pair. Made in Art Deco England in the 1930’s, they are cut into twelve-sided “clipped rectangles” and decorated with two parallel bars of royal blue enameling. Between the enameled bars lies their most interesting decorative element: a face of wavy, “machine-turned” lines. Engraving […]
As we move through “the purple dusk” of the year’s twilight time, these violet Art Deco cufflinks provide an appropriately dignified reflection. They are part of a recent collection—acquired just as Christmas arrived—which is replacing the many pairs of cufflinks sold in the last few weeks. Please come into the shop to see them (and […]
Show a flash of winter’s chill on your sleeve cuff with these triangular Art Deco cufflinks. Enameled in white and a steely winter blue, these 1930’s beauties will help you face the winter in style. Part of a recently-received shipment of vintage cufflinks, you can find out more about them by clicking on the photo […]
The New Year will soon be upon us—time for a fresh, clean start. Perhaps a new pair of cufflinks? This pair, finished in a light blue enamel, will provide just such a bright start to the New Year. After selling many pair of cufflinks over the Holiday season, I’ve been busy re-stocking my jewelry case. […]
In times past, English servants were required to work on Christmas—serving the family for the holiday. Their special day was 26 December—Boxing Day—when they would receive their presents and have a day of ease. For me, I begin my next buying trip today. As you read this, I am headed to Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, […]
A Merry Christmas to all—and a happy, healthy New Year, too. I’d like to thank all of my LEO Design customers for supporting the shop, especially during this—our twentieth!—Christmas season. Without wonderful and loyal customers like you, we would not have made it this far. Here’s to the next twenty Christmases! LEO Design is closed […]
The Holiday Season draws to an end—there are just eight days ’till the New Year. Tonight we celebrate a LEO Design Holiday tradition as we have for nineteen Christmas Eves past: the procession and installation of our Italian terracotta angels into the shop window. I bought the angels in 1995, fully-intending to sell them. I […]
Like the Magi bearing gifts, use this English Gothic Revival box to store some of the things you treasure. Made of English quarter-sawn oak during the British Arts & Crafts period, this cassone—or “casket” or trunk—bears a hand-carved 16th Century aesthetic. It is part of the most recent English shipment now in-store at LEO Design. […]
Perhaps it’s a bit too late to store your outgoing Christmas cards here—but this would be a beautiful place to keep the cards you’ve received! This English Arts & Crafts letter rack, made of oak and decorated with hand-tooled brass panels, depicts a fire-breathing, winged dragon and a spray of stylized flowers and foliage. A […]
Today is the first day of Winter. And this Christmas is our Twentieth in the neighborhood. Each year, I select one great Teddy Bear to be our Holiday Mascot—and he awaits adoption in a pickle crock at the shop’s front door. This year, I’ve decided to celebrate our twenty year milestone with a lion, instead. […]
In this season of Red and Green, how about a little look forward—to the promise Spring. Shown above, a pair of American Art Deco cufflinks from the 1930’s. A radiant guilloché design sits beneath fresh peachy-salmon enameling. Certainly Spring—but a wonderful foretaste any time of year. Recently acquired, they are now in-store, awaiting your inspection. […]
While many people are still bustling through their pre-Christmas duties, these cufflinks prefer a more leisurely pace. A “Greek Key” design meanders casually through the centers of these enameled English Art Deco cufflinks. Made in Birmingham in the 1930’s, they’ll bring a calming sprig of green to your shirtsleeve. Never let them see you sweat! […]
If smart dress is part of your Holiday itinerary, perhaps these Art Deco beauties could lend a hand. From 1930’s England, they are but one pair of newly-received cufflinks, now in-store at LEO Design. Please come into the shop to see them in-person (or click on the photo above to learn more them). And, while […]
Wishing you a Happy Hanukkah—and a wonderful Holiday Season. Thank you for letting LEO Design play a role in your Holiday celebration. Shown above, a finely-cast bronze menorah. Please come see it in the shop or click on the photo above to learn more about it. For the Holidays, LEO Design is now open from […]
A bold and graphic enameled pattern in red and black makes a strong statement on this pair of English Art Deco cufflinks—just received from my most recent buying trip. Please come into the shop to see the full assortment of newly-acquired Handsome Gifts now in-store. Or click on the photo above to learn more about this […]
Several years ago, I met a fellow—a craftsman/collector/vintage dealer. His primary interest is finding, restoring and selling vintage alligator and crocodile handbags. In his pursuit, he’ll often come across a bag which is beyond restoration. In such cases, he uses the old skins to make handsome photo frames, such as you see in the photo […]
With ten shopping days ’till Christmas, I thought a little encouragement might be in order. This little frog, on a mid-century West German plaque by Ruscha, struggles to climb ever higher—struggling for a better view. Spare a thought for our poor amphibious friend as you slog, seemingly endlessly, from store to store. Better yet, you […]
I always feel a bit like Santa Claus when I get back to the shop from an overseas buying trip. Laden with too many, heavy bags, it’s always a comfort to put them down on my familiar shop floor. The staff enjoys unpacking and inspecting what I’ve found—often making note of which LEO Design customer […]
Well, my trunks are packed and my last-minute buying trip to England is coming to an end. I’ve found a lot of nice, Handsome Gifts on this trip including the English Arts & Crafts carved oak trunk, shown above. Throughout the worldwide Art Nouveau Movement, designers and craftsmen often revived earlier cultural themes or design […]
All right, so they aren’t the jolliest of Handsome Gifts, but they would be welcomed—and useful!—in your home during the Holidays. I’ve bought a handful of trays on this trip, two of them shown in the photo above. The first, on top, is hammered from a single sheet of copper. Sensuous corners lead to rolled […]
Here you’ll see a downward shot of and English bowl, handmade and decorated around 1939, by Royal Doulton. Perhaps a Western interpretation of Middle Eastern design, it is glazed in a soothing combination of aqua and rich navy blue. Please come by the shop to see it in person; the piece should be in-shop (with […]
While not outrightly “Christmassy,” I thought these cufflinks—which I’ve just purchased from a Belgian collector in London—might bring a certain “Secessionist Cheer” to someone’s shirtcuffs. Certainly, the spruce green. Perhaps the round shape. Could it be a downward view of a Modernist Christmas tree? This pair is but one of many new sets of […]
Art Deco—unlike Arts & Crafts—lent itself to modern manufacturing techniques and new, industrial materials. Thus, Art Deco thrived in the post World War I decades and scratched the “aesthetic itch” of a growing middle class. Shown above, a (really cool!) pair of salt and pepper shakers made of the useful industrial plastic, Bakelite. Depress the […]
Today I am in London, making a last-minute push to find more Handsome Gifts for your Holiday giving. Over the past twenty years, I have befriended many collectors of the kinds of things I love. Interestingly, many of these relationships began when these people were customers in my shop; today, I am more likely to […]
In yesterday’s journal entry, I crept-out onto a limb with my theory of Native American design inspiration. Today I’ll inch-out a bit further: I believe the piece above, made by Carstens in post-war West Germany, references ancient Etruscan design. But the Germans weren’t simply imitating the ceramics of ancient Central Italy. It seems they were […]
From the first moment I laid eyes on this piece, it reminded me of a piece of Native American art pottery. The shape is classic, not unlike an Indian ceramic vessel. But it is the mantle of glaze-painted “feathers,” draped around the shoulder of the piece, which leads me to my conclusion. Did North American […]
Today is the fourth of December (three weeks ’till Christmas!). May we present an impressive piece made by Fohr? This classic, two-handled urn-form vessel has a softly dappled surface treatment—only just visible below the crusty red and black pumice glazes. Made in post-war West Germany, it is thoroughly Modernist and, yet, it has the attitude […]
Over the next few days, I’ll share with you some of the newly-received pieces, now featured front-and-center at LEO Design. And we’re off to a big start! At 19+ inches tall, the piece above—made by Jopeko in West Germany in the 1960’s or 1970’s—would make a monumental vase, with plenty of stand-alone presence. It is […]
Over the past several weeks, I’ve worked overtime to re-build LEO Design’s collection of Modernist red art pottery. The photo above shows the fruits of my labors. Mostly made in the 1960’s and 1970’s and mostly made in Italy and Germany, the collection is featured on the shop’s front table—and will provide a cheery, Holiday […]
December is endowed with not one, not two, but three beautiful blue birthstones: turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon. What a beautiful and refreshing hue, well-suited to the chilly, long nights of December. And what could look better against a snowy-white landscape than a variety of bright, clean blues? We end our recent run of newly-acquired cufflinks—now in-store—with this […]
Amongst the nicest photo frames I’ve ever had, this English Arts & Crafts beauty is crafted of a heavy piece of hand-hammered copper mounted to a thick piece of quarter-sawn oak. A pair of willowy repoussé tulips frame the central photo. Truly a terrific piece of Arts & Crafts decorative objets—it surely won’t be in-store […]
By now the turkey is consumed, the guests are gone, and the need for a big, groaning butler’s tray is over. Perfect timing for this smallish brass tray. Made in Secessionist Vienna, it is a “soft-rectangle,” gently hand-hammered, and decorated with a linear graphic design. Perfectly-sized for a few drinks or to stage the bottles […]
A lively black bird has just alighted to tell us: The Holiday Shopping Season is off and running! Happy Black Friday! Carved by a Florida sculptor and embellished with antique “findings” these feathered friends straddle the aesthetics of folk art, Futurism, and The Edwardian. They’d be right at home hopping-around in a Terry Gilliam film. […]
A sense of gratitude can contribute to a life of happiness. I have many things to be grateful for—amongst them, my shop, my staff, and my customers. Thank you all! Service to others can be fulfilling and rejuvenating. On Thanksgiving, service may take the form of feeding friends and loved ones—or, perhaps, strangers or the […]
At the end of the upcoming Holiday season—after Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and Christmas—comes the New Year. End the season in high style with this handsome American Art Deco dress set. Black mother-of-pearl is shaped into convex octagons which serves to increase the material’s natural luminescence. Make a splash at your New Year’s Eve soirée with […]
With Christmas a month from today, the carol “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” is fitting. And so would be the cufflinks pictured above. Made by Krementz in Newark, New Jersey in the 1930’s, they feature a soft rose enamel over radiant guilloché work and are finished with gold-plated backs. This pair—and many more recently-acquired […]
