One of the problems with the contemporary “Design” movement is that quite a lot of the pieces are seemingly extreme just for the sake of being “different”. Many designers forget that a little originality goes a long way. Also, many of the new designs are far from being actually functional. There are chairs that one cannot really sit on, tables…
After the end of WW2, jewelry design underwent a revolution. Gone were the abstract curves and polished surfaces, texture of every kind was now in fashion, and naturalism a major theme. This new jewelry was refreshing and exciting.
It is a great art to die well and to be learnt by men in health…Place your coffin in your own eye: dig your own grave. -Jeremy Taylor, 1665 Death. It is an unavoidable aspect of all human life, but in our culture it is a taboo subject – discussed only when necessary, and even then, usually in a whisper.…
André Arbus was a decorator, furniture designer, architect and sculptor. Born in Toulouse, France, he went on to work in his father’s cabinet-making firm after graduating from the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts. While Arbus was not himself a cabinet maker, he was interested in form and in good design. He believed in designing furniture that was comfortable and a…
One of the most fascinating aspects of Art Deco jewelry is the diversity of stylistic elements it encompasses. While one important aspect of Art Deco jewelry is rigorously geometric, and limited in color largely to white and black, with occasional touches of color, there is another major aspect of Art Deco jewelry that is full of curves, set with colorful…
The early 20th century was perhaps unique in art history with regard to the number of radical stylistic changes that took place in a very short space of time. By 1925, we had gone from the organic, vegetal excesses of Art Nouveau to the geometric forms, sharp angles, bold colors and smooth, polished surfaces that characterize Art Deco — from…
Jewelry of the 1930’s was different from the earlier Art Deco, although there were still some geometric elements present. Yellow gold was now in favor, and the hard geometry of Art Deco became softer and more sensual. Gold was now highly polished, and often curved and fluted. Single geometric elements, such as cubes or balls were preferred to the mix of geometric elements found in much Art Deco. Citrines became very popular, as they added texture and sparkle without adding another color.
One of the most extraordinary pieces made in Tiffany’s jewelry workshop at the turn of the 20th century is a pink tourmaline iris brooch signed by George Paulding Farnham (1859-1927). Audrey Friedman, co-founder with her husband, Haim Manishevitz, of the Primavera Gallery, bought it at Christie’s in the early 1990s for their private collection. This summer I was lucky…
We consider ourselves very fortunate to own one of Dali’s most iconic pieces of jewelry – the Ruby Lips With Teeth Like Pearls. Dali took this cliché, and created a fabulous and sexy brooch. The full, curving lips are paved with beautiful rubies. The teeth, naturally, are very fine pearls. This brooch gets lots of attention. I wore it a…
