An iconic design for Salvador Teran, the "moon and star" looks as if it floated out of our childhood dreams, out of that world where there are no sharp edges and everything has a reassuring face. Yet it is also one of the most recognizable creations in Taxco's modernist design index. I love the cartoonish cut-outs, the darkness of the nocturnal sky, the way the moon curves over the little star as if to tuck it in for the night...
An incredible carved bamboo vase of warriors making their way through forested crags whipped by roiling mist cut from a single piece of bamboo and signed on the base Omikuni Sakata Shiori Yamaguchi Moritsugu Saku :Made by Yamaguchi Moritsugu of Shiori, Sakata, Omi Province (Modern day Maibara Shiga Prefecture on the North-Eastern shore of Lake Biwa). It is 35.5 cm (14 inches) tall and in overall excellent condition, enclosed in an old wooden box...
Very beautiful and rare enfantine poupee by Simon & Halbig special produced for the french market about around 1875 .....
I look at this Sigi Pineda brooch and I see pine trees frosted with snow, dancing to the tunes of cold winter winds in a Nordic forest. I am sure that others out there will see something else - and this is the magic of minimalist, abstract design; the magic of Sigi when he is truly inspired. I will not say much more hoping that my photos will help illustrate your dreamscapes but will add that the brooch is 2" tall by 1 1/8" at its widest and weighs 8.5 grams...
Zodiac jewelry is not uncommon in the field of vintage Mexican silver yet it is mostly bracelets (charm or link), pins and combination pin/pendants that one finds...
Eagle 22, one of the assay marks used by Fred Davis, is stamped on the bracelet at hand and its design combined with the fact that Davis was not at all meticulous at signing his pieces makes me believe that we might as well be dealing here with one of this creations. The carved amethyst "masks" are rendered in the most minimalist manner, a classic Abraham Paz / Fred Davis characteristic...
Probably my favorite among the Taxco modernists, Salvador Teran has that magic touch which allows him to draw a perfectly "readable" picture with the least amount of strokes. His work is inspired and his ability to deal with different materials and always create wearable pieces of art is simply unbelievable. In this set of abstract earrings my eyes see the figures of two birds...
A rare pair Japanese plates showing a dragon among textile-weave patterns worked in dull colored enamels, the brass or copper rims and wires showing partially remnants of gilding. The reverse decorated with further floral motifs, the base with green contre-émail. The enamel showing concavities and pits. Condition: fine, only wear to gilding. Dimension: diameter: 24.9 cm, 4.2 cm high, weight: 1400 g.
Very nice antique all hand sewn fashion dress with bustle skirt for French poupee
around 17" / 18" ( 44-46 cm )
Two piece gown with jacket of soft light blue , cream and red wool with lace edged decoartion , has hand ruffled under front and back with bow decoration back part and fine button decoration.
Small long inset sleeves and hand made button loop closure.
Pretty matching two piece bustle skirt with ruffled and pleated decoration at upper part skirt , pleats all aro...
Most beautiful original antique French summer Poupee gown of delicate white muslin with fine hand embroidery and lace decoration
at one piece fitted bustle costume ...
An evocative image of a bear hunkered down and looking a bit befuddled, perhaps awaking from winter slumber, in un-glazed white porcelain from the Tatsuno kilns of Banko in Mie Prefecture. It is sealed on the base with two stamps, one reading Banko, the other Tatsuno. The image is 23 x 20 x 16.5 cm (9 x 8 x 6-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition, enclosed in a period collectors kiri-wood box. Imagery of animals such as this were very popular in the Taisho (1911-1925) to early Showa era...
A Tamasudare-ami Hanakago Basket by Yamamoto Chikuryusai I of round bamboo strands enclosed in the original signed wooden box lacquered in translucent red. The basket exudes a deep respect for the tradition, every knot perfect, the proportions exquisite. It is 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter, 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Yamamoto Chikuryusai I (1868-1945) was a bamboo artist of the early modern era in Osaka...
A very rare Japanese Ballot Box of hinoki wood bound in decorative iron dating from the later 19th to early 20th century. This year the ballot is on everyone’s mind, and this is an exceptional example of both traditional Japanese decoration and cabinetry. It has locks on both sides of the lid, which can be removed to reveal an inner lid with hinged iron cover over a slot for dropping in the ballots. This inner lid as well is locked...
Navajo Kenneth Begay has been called the "father of modern Navajo jewelry". From 1946-1964, he worked as a benchsmith at the White Hogan Shop in Scottsdale, Az.
This elegant, precise bracelet measures 5 1/2" around in the inside plus an additional 1 1/4" opening. It is 1/4" wide and weighs 30 grams. All original, fine condition and signed as shown in the photos. Gorgeous alone or perfect for stacking.
Here is a splendid locket depicting some sort of creature: zephyr? Lion? Or some other mythological critter? He has a diamond in his mouth, and his eyes are red stones (too small to ID). Measuring 1-1/8”, weighing 9.5g, and marked 10k, he is set up for 2 photographs with both celluloid and photo rings. He's a somewhat rosy gold (NOTE that it was really hard to capture the color of the gold in the photographs), and has the maker’s mark for Kroll. In excellent condition and circa 1900...
A lovely genuine full sized Bunraku theater puppet of a mature female character dressed in a blue silk kimono with elagent head dress. The doll is fully mobile, controlled from within by switches on her neck and poles extending from her arms. The hands are flexible as seen in the photos. She stands almost 4 feet (117 cm) tall, and comes complete with a bamboo display stand as pictured...
The links in this Deco Mexican silver necklace by Victoria , to the world Ana Maria Nunez de Brilanti, are inspired by cactus flowers and hand-wrought in sterling silver sheet with good thickness. One of my favorite designs by her, it was available in at least two different widths and the example at hand is the narrower, easier to wear version no matter what the occasion or the ... weather is. Deeply chased and oxidized lines form the stylized petals and each flower is centered by five tiny litt...
It's almost the middle of August but this vintage Antonio Pineda brooch makes me think of leaves twirling in the wind filling the world with the fiery golds and reds of Fall. It is characteristic of the design genius inherent in some maestros that they can take a simple, familiar form and put such a twist to it (in our case literally), the form turns into a little work of art. This is a very sculptural brooch, the sense of motion it holds within it strong, its patina to die for. Real beauty does...