(1) Quite possibly the coolest table lamp duo I've seen in ages, let alone been privileged to offer to you! The shades are hand-blown, fetchingly opalescent and in excellent condition (two inconsequential chips). These amazing beauties stand about a foot high. Molded iron bases with patina, hand-beaten wrought iron above them. Wow... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(2) Talk about "rocking my world!" This standing ashtray by the Howell company did just that when my hunter-gatherer eyeballs fell upon it. Yes, I'll shamelessly employ the now-cliched term "iconic" if you don't mind. Three easily removed ashtrays, one on each tip of the triangular tray. Use it for hors d'oeuvres and wow your guests (none of whom smoke). (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(3) These Modernist knock-outs were designed and made right here in California, and sold through (where else?) GUMP'S in San Francisco. Copper and silver-plated brass make for a delectable metals combination/contrast. The silver surfaces are hand-hammered. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(4) Standing 14 inches high and (with the handles) 21 across, this formidable, solid brass cauldron looks like it's hunkered down to stay a while. Just fabulous, I have to say... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(5) This fetching woodblock print ("Les Jades") by the French artist Jacoulet was his most popular when he produced it, nearly a hundred years ago. Who could ever tire of looking at it? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(6) Presenting this asymmetrical jewel from the earlier Art Nouveau era. Diminutive, a mere 6 inches high, but sometimes great things come in small packages, no? Sublime, I'll venture to say... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(7) Pierre Turin, master French sculptor, created this exquisite bronze "medaille." Tiny, only an inch and a half across (there's a larger bronze version on my site as well, under "odds & ends"). Note the high definition of the artwork, not to mention (and go on and on about) the artistry! And... a larger example is available! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(8) Even with all my expertise, I can't tell if this Art Nouveau "lady lamp" is "of the period" or made later (if so, it's still plenty old). The bejeweled shade with its wooden fringe are so Austrian, no? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(9) A totally FAB French Art Deco display device, with three glass shelves (adjustable up and down) measuring an ample 48 inches across; the shelves themselves vary in size, from about 8 to 11 inches deep, and are a serious 5/8 inches thick! The whole affair stands about 31 inches tall, and bolts onto a table, your floor, whatever... French Art Deco display at its finest, with chromed hardware (over solid brass, 'natch). Suitable for your most revered collection! I have another, almost identical, with just two glass shelves. Ultra-ultra rare! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(10) This MidCenturyModern desk lamp (with glass shade) sure made the design leap from everything that preceeded it! Tres cool... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(11) And here's one example of what preceeded our MCM desk lamp (by about 50-70 years), a "slag-glass" shaded, signed Bradley and Hubbard from Meridan, Connecticut. Chaque a son gout, n'est-ce pas? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(12) And speaking of Bradley and Hubbard, this table lamp is very much in that 1910 classic, formal style (and made of solid brass), but fabricated later. The shades slide up and down on the central shaft. Works nicely on a desk... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(13) Something truly "posh" -- a French decorative screen, the images hand-embroidered, thank you. The screen stands just shy of five feet tall. Gilded jesso over wood, a true chef d'oeuvre! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(14) A refined lady would have had all the accoutrements, like this beaded purse. You'll have some sewing to do, as the bag is separated from its moorings at the top, on one side. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(15) The Chinese "mirror black" glaze is by far my favorite, so elegant in its simplicity and depth of color. As shown on this rosewood stand, the entire affair is an imposing 21 inches high. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(16) Heavens to Betsy, Marge, look what Jack's unearthed this time (as though from an archaeological dig?)! Mere words barely suffice (which is why we have pictures). Run your fingers over the deeply acid-etched decorations (or the signature) and you'll know it's Le Verre Francais! About seventeen inches across, with its original hand-wrought iron mounts, chain and canopy. (See additional photos!) (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(17) What home is complete without a Chinese brass dinner bell sporting its two mythical dolphins? Pardon me while I ring for the maid... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(18) It's mysterious to me that more Italian work doesn't surface, but that's definitely the way it is. Here's that ultra-rare exception, a solid brass cocktail shaker from the Art Deco/Modernist era marked "Italy" on the bottom. Really? But when you study the design elements, you'll know you've "come to the right place." (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
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(19) Fresh off the plane and safely through the jaws of La Poste and USPS, this petite Muller bowl (12-inch diameter, ideal for a small room or entryway) has unusually beckoning warm colors. An extreme rarity: the interior is coated with a layer of opalescence, which makes the bowl positively glow when lit. The bronze and brass metalwork you see here went out the door with an alabaster bowl, but another equally gorgeous mounting is available! It hangs at about 20 inches long. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(20) Here we have a decorative bronze bowl by TINOS, a Danish design artist, in the "Reclining Nude" genre. The bowl's just over 11 inches in diameter and weighs... 7 pounds!! In near perfect condition, just a couple of small blemishes on the gorgeous verdigris patina, one at 12 and the other at 4, which you can barely see here. Signed on the back. Gone but still flesh in my mind... SOLD!!
(21) Marquetry was in vogue about 150 years ago, thanks to masters of the craft like Gallé. This doubtless Mediterranean scene has been "painted with wood," a masterpiece on so many levels. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(22) Another Art Nouveau beauty, this one in sterling silver, by Horton and Allday, a prominent fabricator of these high-end picture frames. The silver "ear" is missing from the top right -- I've silver-colored it so its loss is not so obvious. The original beveled glass has survived, but the stand allowing it to be used on a table is missing, something for your woodworker to deal with. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(23) A bronze plaque about 12 inches wide, "Reclining Nude." Initialed on the lower right and possibly dated "80." (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(24) An "au natural" burlwood bowl, perfect for display by itself or ... put it to work holding fruit! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(25) With its various parallel lines and sleek form, this Art Deco coffee table informs us of the on-its-way Modernist movement. Meanwhile, isn't it "quaint?" (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(26) Arrived! The master designer, Gilbert Rohde, is attributed to be the genius behind this glass-topped coffee table. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(27) These handsome tables by Modernage clearly have waltzed into the Modernist realm, as they're devoid of the ornamentation so often associated with Art Deco. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(28) Yes, I'll employ the "imposing" word again to describe these solid brass andirons. Equally comfortable in an Arts & Crafts home or... your Art Deco palace. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(29) Lyre, lyre, candles on fire. In top-notch condition, and clearly designed by a top talent. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(30) Heat wave after heat wave, the "new normal," makes fans indispensable. The beauty of a floor fan: it circulates the air in the room without blowing your papers off the whatever. Three speeds along with design bling! And, depending on your weight, you can sit on it! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(31) I've never offered this for sale before, but HELLO, I finally have to admit that I can't take it with me! Glass rods, chrome-plated brass, cobalt glass. Sooo gorgeous! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(32) Yet another "iconic" Art Deco - Modernist trophy, this one crafted of aluminum (that all-modern metal ignored for so long) and Lucite (or plexiglass?). The design speaks(shouts) for itself, no? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(33) I'm endlessly intrigued by good design and lighting in particular, if you hadn't noticed! This cleverly designed lamp is fitted with a plastic shade. How cool is that? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(34) Some company's fun design project, this copper torchiere table lamp and flower/plant holder likely hails from the 1940s. Note the two planters behind the cockatiels, just awaiting your choice of cacti! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(35) A Czech, triangular, acid cut-back glass perfume bottle with its original fittings. Wow. Yes, it has a few small chips along one edge or another, yeah, yeah, and I have a dental appointment this week. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(36) Bellova all-glass lamps, yet another testimony to the brilliant design and craftsmanship of the Czechs, belong where the cat can't get to them. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(37) All brass, gold-patinated, this French screen is in impeccable condition, just right for your "Petit Trianon" castle in San Francisco. Or... your modest Midwest home? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(38) The French love affair with the rose manifests here as in so many wrought iron pieces from the Art Deco period. At nearly 37 inches wide, this festival of geometry is suitable anywhere you can profit from a "bit of sculpture." (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(39) This museum-worthy Japanese coffee service (probably of porcelain) will wow any design aficianado. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(40) Sublime in its simplicity, this rosewood tray speaks to the "new design aesthetic" where less is more. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(41) Lift the top half of the globe and a least a dozen holes for cigarettes (or "whatever") are revealed! It's a music box, too, playing what else but "Around the World in 80 days." The mechanism is supposed the wind up when you turn the globe to the right. Alas, the winding mechanism is on the fritz. It's still a fun thing to have around, and maybe you can find someone to fix it. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(42) This starkly Modernist, all metal rolling cart folds up quite easily and neatly for moments when it's not in use. "Got patina?" Yep, it was very useful to its previous owners! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(43) This Chinese-red Mah Jongg set also folds up easily and neatly, and is in very good condition for being nearly a hundred years old! Terrific for any card game as well... At the moment, somewhere in a UPS truck in flyover country... SOLD!!
(44) High-quality crystal lamps with brass/bronze mountings, marked France on the bottom. Excellent for the lady's vanity or powder room... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(45) Here we have a reproduction acid-cutback "Gallé" lamp base with a 1920s (or earlier) American hand-painted shade. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(46) This winged, hand-hammered pewter vase is marked "Delavan," the foremost French designer and craftsman of pewter, well known for his superior Art Deco designs. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(47) Its base bespeaks the Machine Age esthetic, its decoration the French reverence of the natural world. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(45) This chandelier marks a high point in my career insofar as this type of fixture goes. The Muller-signed shades have a most unusual and attactive shape, and the exquisite nickel-plated apparatus features the most fetching leaf and berry design imaginable! It hangs about 29 inches long and has a diameter about the same. Simply stellar! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(48) Here's an extraordinarily rare bird -- a large, 20-inch (across, hanging 23 long as shown) early American cast glass lighting bowl all gussied up to look like a carved alabaster shade! It's got all four of its original 1910-era sockets, and the chain is one-of-a-kind, with little decorative marks all over it. The canopy is bronze-patinated and absolutely in "good as it gets" territory! In 1910 this fixture was probably the result of a company policy: "Thems Europeans got nothin' on us." (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(49) Here's a glowingly warm, mica shade perched atop its esteemed Rembrandt company lamp base, two jewels if ever there were. Most miraculously, the pull-chain candles work "just like yesterday," which was around a hundred years ago! A wonderful reading lamp when positioned next to an armchair or couch. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(50) Czech artists probably made this mirrored glass ball (the opening on top allows it to be used as a vase), which stands about 5 1/2 inches high. Truly a "thing of beauty!" (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(51) Three vibrant, colorful engravings from the famed N. Poilly's Parisian print shop "La Belle Image," Circa 1650. 1650??! Yes. Not that these three prints are (quite) that old. I have no idea how old they are, as a matter of fact. But... they're way beyond gorgeous and super high quality. They're newly framed in silver and gold frames, double-matted. Add more than a touch of French elegance to your home! They're about 14 x 17. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(52) This pair of likely MCM-era (50s to 70s) torchiere floor lamps will brighten your evenings -- guaranteed, as each lamp can deliver 300 watts of reflected light. The sockets are of the "mogul" type, with four positions: off, 1/3 power, 2/3, full on. Alas, the nickel plating on the bases was compromised to the degree that I had to paint them (waaay too expensive to re-plate!). No matter, hide them behind a piece of furniture or a potted plant! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(53) Yet another spell-binder from moi to toi, this one a signed Muller with rich, sunset colors and an exceptional "vineyard" motif in hand-wrought iron. This highest quality hand-blown glass and forged iron (all hand-made over a hundred years ago) is all but "introuvable" (unfindable) in France, thanks to scavengers like me! It hangs long, about 35 inches, with a diameter of about 27, lending lots of presence to a room with a high-ceiling. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(54) As you can see in the second picture, the etched, colorful Bellova shade doesn't "white out" when it's lit (except when I'm photographing it!). What a terrific "bridge lamp" -- perfect next to your favorite armchair (or your bridge table). The shade swivels. The lamp's mega-heavy, quite likely not to be knocked over when your cat shows her appreciation for that marvelously ornate base, all in the "chinoiserie" fashion of 1915 or so, complete with pagoda finial...(e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(55) Another stellar example of American design and craftsmanship, this 1920 (or so) signed Hubley 2-light floor lamp with mica shade. It has its original nickel finish, mostly in excellent condition, as is that rarest of birds, the mica shade. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(56) These sconces sport frosted and clear (for sparkle) Muller shades, probably Muller's most "classically" Art Deco offering, with abundant Art Deco motifs and geometrics. Compact, they're about 9 inches top to bottom, 3 across (the shade). Spare but elegant! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(57) Over a hundred years o-l-d, these all-brass beauties will add serious atmo to your home if you use them to hold candles! Or... have your electrician electrify them (they were once upon a time electrified so much of the work has been done). (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(58) This guy galloped into my life and just plain "rocked" it! Beautifully polychromed (that's "painted" in high language), expertly carved wood, and all that attitude! Forty-four inches high to the tip of his perky ears, and 36 front to back. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(59) This fab Italian coffee table (37 across, 17 high) belongs in one of those splashy L.A. homes, no? Or, Danville? (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(60) Oh, my, look what Jack's landed this time! French, of course, and can you perhaps imagine (or try to, anyway) how many hours the ferronnier spent fashioning these beauties, not to mention the heat of the forge!! They're substantial, about 15 inches high. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
(61) My favorite part of this 1920s desk lamp is, of course, the bakelite switch in the middle of the little hill on the front of the base. Alas, I worked for 3 hours trying to revive the inner works and ultimately had to bypass the switch, which is now located on the wire, a simple on-off, in-line switch just outside the frame on the right, as you see it here. The arts and crafts hammered shade has no less than four glass jewels, how cool. A desk lamp for all time, time gone by... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
More photos of any/all of the above are available, just ask! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)
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