(A) What self-respecting oenophile (aficionado) could be without this gem on his dining table? Silver-plated and in excellent condition, just rarin' to hold a bottle of something a lot better than my model! (e-mail Jack for a price)
(B) Should be (C) for Coiffeur, but here we are... And what a gem, double-sided for maximum impact on passers-by. Speaking of impact... how rowdy French school boys were to be pelting signs like this one with, what, stale baguettes?! In any case, it's far from "mint," but for antiques dealers, that just separates it from the tasteless reproductions. Coiffeur measures about 16 long (plus a few inches for the mounting apparatus, which handily pulls out from its holder on the side, so you can use it or not), 6 inches top to bottom. (e-mail Jack for a price)
(E) One of the cooler things I've dragged, kicking and screaming, out of la belle France. It's either a jewelry box, a cigarette box, or a "stash" box, your lifestyle choice! Perch it next to your modernist chair, on your Hoffman chromed table, and watch your friends' eyes pop! It's about 4x4x4. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(G) I'm told that the French word for this item is "necessaire." What could be more obvious to a lady of high standing and sophistication? The finest materials have been brought into play here, chrome or nickel-plated brass and yes, that would be Macassar ebony, aka "zebra wood." There are a two empty holes where ?? used to reside, but the visual impact of this testament to the "swell life" remains entirely intact. I suspect some movie scout will find this and you'll see it in the remake of a Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers film. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(H) Excalibur!! Yes, I'll send you the foam, then you can pretend it's stone and impress your date. The dagger/letter opener is just over 11 inches long, all together, and has a very sharp point. Great for opening letters, especially if you're hostile to what arrives in your mailbox. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(I) This exemplary bronze by Pierre Turin -- France's premier bronze medal artist -- typifies the sensuous quality of France's contributions to the Art Deco movement. It measures 2 3/4 across and is signed on the lower right. The edge under that bottom of the hexagon has "bronze" stamped in it. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(I-A) Yes, this medal's a bit smaller than her mother above, measuring just an inch and a half across. Curiously, the word METAL is stamped where BRONZE is on Mama. Being non-ferrous, it must be mere brass. Whatever! It's in near-mint condition and has definition even superior to Mama's. I guess that's really just the story of life itself, huh? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(J) Nothing particularly French about these stunners, they're by REBAJES, no news to you "in the know." The set of three smaller "plates" are 5 1/2 inches square. All are signed. Where else to find treasures like this but...(ta-da)... DECORUM! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(O) Guess what's signed "Austria?" Another exquisite bronze by the master Austrians, this one a highly stylized Modernist lady worthy of a magazine cover. The onyx base is suitable as a vide poche or ring tray, whatever your delight! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(Q) Shagreen (sharkskin), so esteemed amongst the purveyors of the finest accessories. There's a beveled mirror inside the gold-washed powder; and really, what lady could venture outside without it? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(R) Our gentleman needs his toys as well, and what better symbol of his masculinity and power than this ashtray and pipe tamp? Could that be golfing attire that our hero wears so proudly? The wood is probably Carpathian Elm, a rarity; the burl evident to reinforce that "rough-tough" image of The Man. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
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