Decorative Arts – Page 3 – High End Weekly™

Objects of Desire

Large sculptural vase,
circa 1963, stoneware
31″H x 15″W x 5.5″D”

“The shapes are very organic and sensual with surfaces that are rough, tactile and reflectthe nature of the clay itself in both color and texture.”

Hurricane Sandy has been pretty tough on us New Yorkers, but nothing can and will keep us away from some of the most outstanding art exhibitions going on in this city. One such showing is from Magen H. The gallery will debut a small, but ambitious show of La Borne 1940-1980: A Post War Movement of Ceramic Expression on Thursday, November 8th from 6:00 – 8:00PM. The show’s official dates are Friday, November 9th until Saturday, December 15th.

La Borne 1940-1980 is an an exhibition and sale of post-war French ceramics from the La Borne, a dynamic movement of avant garde artists who were at the forefront of transforming ceramics and pottery from the purely decorative into an art form … sculpture. The movement was parallel to Abstract Expressionism of the 1940s through 1960s.

This is the very first time that these modern and desirable pieces, over 100 museum-quality ceramics and sculptures from artists who worked in the remote town of La Borne in western France including Jean and Jacqueline Lerat (founders of the movement), Elisabeth Jouilia, Vassil Ivanoff, Pierre Digan, and Hildegund Schlichenmaier among others, will be available for purchase here in the United States. This exposition is a fine opportunity for collectors to discover these sculptural ceramics that have never been seen altogether and never before exhibited in this country.

Gustave Tiffoche Vase circa 1960, stoneware

26″ H x 20.5″ W

Long dish/plate, c. 1958, stoneware

4″H x 34″W x 8″D

“There is an unexpected beauty to these pieces that are the opposite of one-dimensional pottery such as Sèvres and Vallauris pottery- they open a dialogue with the viewer, alluring, they make you want to interact with them are best appreciated up close and from all angles.”

Left: Monique Lacroix-Mohy, Sculptural bowl, circa 1960, stoneware.

Right: Remi Bonhert large vase circa 1960, stoneware

These pieces are so rare that they can only be found in private collections in France as well as at the Musée des Art Décoratifs, The Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Musée Nationale de Céramique de Sèvres. The relevance of these artists is already being recognized; Musée Nationale de Céramique de Sèvres has just opened a retrospective of Jacqueline Lerat. Interestingly the movement attracted a large number of female artists and the show represents a good cross section of their work.

Joelle Deroubaix

Large Stone Ware Vase ca 1970

Yves Mohy

Sculpture vase c 1960-62 stoneware, signed

Hugues Magen

Images courtesy Magen H

Designer’s Top Picks

Maison Gerard

Dahling, You Look Marvelous: Etoile de Mer mirror by Thomas Boog

Ready when you are Mr Demille… Movie Star by Gloria Vanderbilt, 1stDibs

Photo courtesy High End Weekly™

Chaotic poetry: Geometric wonders: Herve Van Der Straeten Sconces

Maison Gerard

Iconic Gio Ponti Candelabra from Christofle

Christofle

All laced up: The Hello Gorgeous rug is ubber chic and glamor personified

Rug Art

Power to the people: Fernand Leger, Le Cirque Tapestry

Jane Kahan Gallery

Domestic Bliss: German Engineering: The world’s most expensive and luxurious vacuum cleaner. Artists in Berlin, Germany have taken

over 100 hours to hand-encrust the HYLA GST with 32,000 genuine Swarovski Elements

Hyla-usa.com

NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.

Defining Art & Substance

Florence Vacher, Bangwa, 2012, Fabric

Tambaran Gallery

Photo courtesy High End Weekly™

Much of the art that I deeply appreciated at this year’s International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show had a strong masculine feel to them. And that’s a good thing, I think. Frou-frou interiors have never been my thing, so I am a big advocate for adorning my clients’ homes with various pieces of art that make a bold statement and continue to enrich their imaginations as the years go by. So this much anticipated fair met my expectations with its extraordinary attention to detail, breathtaking variety and exacting standards.

The grande dame fair brought together works of art that spanned continents and millennia — among them many of museum quality, furniture, paintings, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, glass, clocks, watches, arms, armour, rare books, manuscripts, jewelry, objets de vertu, Fabergé, silver, antiquities and ethnographic art, are among the many different categories exhibited and for sale. Prices start from as little as a few hundred dollars but rise into the millions. With that much said, here are some of the most desirable and interesting pieces that I liked.

Axel Verdoordt Gallery

Douglas Dawson Gallery

Bernd Goeckler Antiques

Maison Gerard

Tomasso Brothers Fine Art

Michael Goedhuis Gallery

Phoenix Ancient Art

Whitford Art

Tambaran Gallery

Trinity House

Martin du Louvre

My friend Cole Harrell admiring the art, but also stopped to “smell” these gorgeous orchards.

The International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show opened on Friday, October 19th until Thursday, October 25th, 2012.

Images courtesy High End Weekly™

Discarded treasures from HERMES

Lesailes Hermès

le petit h by HERMES

Another Hermès post by another blogger? Not exactly. This one is a bit different, and let me tell you why. The Internet is loaded with countless of images and posts about Hermes, the French luxury-goods house, but when it comes to Le Petit h, surprisingly enough, there simply isn’t enough said about the subject.

What exactly is Le Petit h? Simply put, it is a variety of discarded and excess materials from Hermès’ workshop. Since the end product didn’t meet Hermès rigorous standards, these pieces aren’t cast off, but have been given a second life, sort of speak, as various artists create a series of one-of-a-kind handcrafted accessories and toys ranging from leather stuffed animals, ready to wear, furniture, porcelain bracelets, bamboo and crocodile swing… Get the picture?

Hermès Fall/Winter Collection for Women

Do you see yourself lounging on this chaise? I do. I do.

If your creative mind can visualize it, most likely Hermès’ team of artists can as well

Visit their website and capture this fun and hypnotic screen saver. We just did today!

Iconic: The luxury brand’s bright orange boxes are often used in decoration. Have you seen their

latest ad in Marie Claire?

At work with Hermès

All images via Hermes

NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.

The Weekender: French by Design

“Every man has two nations, and one of them is France.” – Benjamin Franklin

ARTISTIC LIFESTYLES

Knowing how the French usually do things with great panache, one might get the impression that they approve of nearly anything as long as it is done with style, but I don’t believe that is the case. Style is great but savoir faire is so much better. And thankfully, French design carries both elements. To me, it reveals the secrets of fierce creativity illustrated with a futuristic point of view on design at its best!

Above Images: Didier Krzentowski’s Parisian Home

Photo via Dwell Magazine

Marc Newson

Marc Newson’s classic ride-on horesy designed for Magis

Paradise Found: Marc Newson Qantas Lounge And Spa Room Interior

HOTEL KEPPLER

Hôtel Keppler: 10 rue Kepler, 75016 Paris

Conceptual Designs by Joe Cesare Colombo

“I don’t think of myself as an artist nor as a technician, but as an epistemologiest… A designer is the creator of the environment of the future” – Joe Colombo

The Milanese organic designer Joe Colombo who passed away the same year I was born, firmly believed in creating an integral habitat where the aesthetics of a home developed out of the way it was meant to be used as environment for living.

Thoroughly Modern: Multi chair by Joe Colombo

He originally started his career as a painter and sculptor, and you can see evidence of this on the lurid colors, as well as the technological and functional innovation he used in his furniture design.

The famous KD27, circa 1970, in my favorite color, Orange!

These designs are in great demand at auctions houses throughout the world. In the 1960s Joe Colombo created the 4801 chair – an authentic symbol of the design world at that time. That famous chair, which has since been licensed to Kartell was produced entirely of wood. Nowadays, technology enables the manufacture to produce them in PMMA, a process which emphasises their rounded, smooth shapes.

From Left: Continental, 1965, and Combi Center, 1963, by Joe Colombo

The 4801 Chair

The 4801 chairs by Joe Colombo now produced by Kartell

Aesthetically Speaking

Ralph Lauren Modern Art Deco Fine Jewelry Collection features bold geometric pieces made from 18-karat white and rose gold with diamonds, emeralds, green agate and black onyx. Designed to represent the distinctive simplicity of the 1930s Art Deco era. Right: Salvador Dali Spanish, Fish Service, marked by Pierre Hugo, Paris, circa 1957, Silver gilt and sapphire. Twelve forks and twelve knives from Doyle New York October 2012 Design Auction.

Left: From Waterworks‘ latest collaboration with Roman and Williams Atlas: An elegant Metal Two Leg Single Washstand. Right: Crinkle bag vase from the Fall Collection at MOMA Store.

From Top Right: Rare English Regency papier mâché tray, circa 1820, on later stand. A capriccio view painted on a green ground – from Patrick Bavasi. Whimsical Duck Feet Lamp by Porta Romana. Available in gold and silver finishes.

The Stately Home of Brooke Astor

“Brooke Astor’s enthusiasm for every detail pertaining to the furnishing and decorating of her rooms is charmingly effective. No one can equal her gaiety of spirit, her joyous laughter, and her keen wit.”

Albert Hadley, famed decorator who designed rooms for both Holly Hill and the Astors’ Park Avenue apartment

Brooke Astor’s property revealed a woman who was well travelled and had a keen eye for English and French pieces from both the 18th and early-19th centuries, as well as Chinese lacquer furniture primarily dating to the Qing dynasty. The beloved philanthropist and legendary figure in New York society also had a penchant for both Old Master drawings – including works by

Riches: Holly Hill, Staircase, The main staircase at Holly Hill, showing a selection of dog pictures. Courtesy Sotheby’s

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Canaletto and Nicolas Lancret – and Chinese export reverse-painted glass pieces. I must have looked at the Sotheby’s catalogue at least half a dozen times before I was able to choose a few items which I thought would be quite fitting for a “modern” interior.

The Park Avenue duplex apartment of Brooke Astor in the Rosario Candela designed building is on 73rd street. It is one of New York City’s most famous residences, and housed the iconic library that is one of the most photographed rooms in the history of American interior design

EDITOR’S TOP PICKS

Portrait of Brooke Astor by Sir Cecil Beaton, signed Beaton lower right, watercolor over pencil on paper

In The Mix: Louis XV style ormolu-mounted Chinese blue-glazed porcelain clock, 19th Century, The Dial

signed Balthazar A Paris

Mid 20th Century Art: James Montgomery Flagg, I Like It This Way, signed James Montgomery Flagg lower right

A pair of Louis XV/XVI transitional style carved beechwood

Bergères en gondole, 20th Century

For a completely different look, I would have these chairs upholstered in a Shagreen – pebbled surface cowhide (see below)

Image Courtesy Kick Shaw Productions

A George III style mahogany etagere

One is not enough. Etageres should come in twos, so I would have Rosini & Sons, my furniture maker,

duplicate this snazzy piece of furniture.

A pair of Chinese Cizhou-type baluster vases, mounted as lamps from the Qing Dynasty,

from the 19/20th Century

A pair of Chinese carved celadon-glazed brushpots from the Kangxi period (1662-1722)

The muted celadon is spot on for a modern look.

1 of 2 polychrome-painted and carved figures of sheep, Dan Falt, northeast harbor,

Maine 20th Century

There’s no rule that says you cannot bring these painted sheep into your indoor space. I personally like a whimsical element in my decor, because it invigorates an interior and makes it that much more interesting

The Dog Show by Vicente Viudes, signed Vicente Viudes lower right (signed again and inscribed Madrid)

Mrs. Astor surrounded herself with objects she loved, and her gardens reflected her life and passions. Although the dogs were the center piece for this painting, the outdoors reference was a singular reminder. BTW: A multitude of her beloved dogs will form a significant selection in the September auction.

A view of the famed library at Mrs. Astor’s duplex Manhattan apartment

Mughal-style “chrysanthemum” gem-inlaid jade hand mirror from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Every room should have a mirror, even if it is just a small one

Bon Voyage: A sixteen-piece T.Anthony red canvas luggage set comprised of thirteen suitcases and three handbags. Together with two similar handbags, All initialed B.R.A.

A modern, neoclassical style cream and green painted low table

One of the very few pieces from the sale which is estimated below $2,000. Sometimes you just have to mix the highs with the lows. And this lovely piece fits the bill

Three gold photo frames, Cartier, New York and another maker, Mid-20th Century

The September auction will include property from the Holly Hill, Westchester mansion. The estate was designed in 1927 by architect Paul William Delano

According to Sotheby’s “The sale will comprise fine and decorative art from Mrs. Astor’s Park Avenue apartment in New York City and her Westchester County estate, Holly Hill, as well as a selection of jewelry from her personal collection. The approximately 900 items in the sale will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 17 September.”

Rare and important pair of Japanese export black and gilt lacquer covered jars circa 1680-1700

La Sortie Des Six Metegrave; Tres from Raoul Dufy, circa 1935

Sir Cecil Beaton, Lilac, signed Beaton (twice)

An English or Dutch chinoiserie painted and embossed leather eight-panel screen mid 18th century

Images Courtesy Sotheby’s

Going for Gold

A touch of gold adds that elevated glamour to any interiors. Noticed I said a touch, and not the over the top gilded furniture that sometimes rear its ugly heads at those beautiful homes and hotels that we’re all too familiar with. Christie’s recently had their Interiors Sale where several decorative items came with that golden touch. The one I liked best was a late 20th century four panel floor screen. At a recent visit to Joan Collin’s apartment decorated by John Lyle for Core Real Estates, I became quite smitten by the designer’s signature pieces, especially his Gold Turtle Side Table. By the way, stay tuned for my interview with Mr. Lyle.

Exquisite 24K Gold Turtle Side Table

John Lyle

Michael Aram Sona Vessel

The Sona Vessels, designed by Michael Aram, are both handmade from burnished copper with gold cladding and a blackened aluminum ring

Pair of Black-Lacquered and Gilt-Decorated Four-Panel Floor Screen

Late 20th Century from Christie’s

Biennale des Antiquaires – Part 1 of 3

The fêted Biennale des Antiquaires was announced last March at the French Consultat General de France. Looking back, the actual fair seemed so far away…. Nowadays I’m reminded that it is just about a little over a month away. This grande dame of antique fairs will take place at the Grand Palais in Paris from September 14th through the 23rd.

Galerie Jousse, 2008

FINE ARTS

Etienne Dinet (1861-1929), “La Lutte Des Fillettes” (“Young girls fighting”), Oil On Canvas, Signed on the left flower side

(Chadelaud)

The idea of an “antique dealer fair” first appeared in the 1950s and more precisely in 1956 under the aegis of the new chairman of the SNA (National Union of Antiques Dealers), Pierre Vandermeersch. The dream was to create an event where the beauty of the objects on show could compete with that of the women who come visit the exhibition, a venue where elegance, prestige and celebration would await a host of art lovers and collectors. – SNA-France. The 26th Biennale des Antiquaires will feature an unprecedented 120 leading international art, antiquities and fine jewelry dealers representing over $50 billion worth of Archaeological treasures, arms and armor, furniture, paintings, drawings, graphic works, sculpture, books and illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, rugs, objects d’art, coins and medals, stamps, ceramics and jewelry.

Jean Raoux, (Montpellier 1677 – Paris 1734), “Portrait of a woman slightly undressed”, Oil on canvas

(Alexis Bordes)

FUN FACTS: Key People from BDA: Karl Lagerfeld, Scenographer Christian Deydier, President of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires. Sample List of Exhibitors: Wallace Chan, Chaumet, Bulgari and Boucheron, Piaget, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Cartier, Christian Dior.

Johann-Ernst Heinsius, (Thuringe 1731 – Erfurt 1794), “Portrait de Pierre-Simon de Laplace, mathématicien” Oil on original canvas. Inscription ” N. Largillière” On the book, bottom right

Elizabeth Taylor by Andy Warhol, silkscreen ink and acrylic on linen

(L& M Arts)

FINE JEWELRY

Chanel Necklace

FUN FACTS: Did you know that it was André Malraux who opened the path to the Grand Palais, a legendary Parisian landmark built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900? Yes, the first International Biennale, in its present form, was held in 1962. It was a focal gathering of the greatest French and foreign antique dealers, decorators, jewellers and book store owners under the famous glass roof in a magic setting made up of pavilions, gardens and fountains.

Bague (ring) Piaget

DECORATIVE ARTS

Eugène Printz (1889-1948) , Jean Dunand (1877-1942)

Galerie Marcihac

Art & Décoration 1933, modèle similaire avec un décor différent reproduit page 297. Guy Bujon et Jean-Jacques Dutko, E. Printz, éditions du Regard, Paris, 1986, modèle reproduit page 278

Paul Evans Sideboard in structure in bronze, wood and covered with weld steel plates. Bronze low relief in front, like patchwork, circa 1970

(Galerie Yves et Victor Gastou)

Marcel Coard (1889-1974)

Galerie Marcihac

Provenance : Ancient collection of Monsieur E. , collaborator at La maison Jansen Décoration.