Ring in the New Year!

If you want to start the coming year with a big bold gesture, this large and lovely antique ring is just the accessory you need.  Handcrafted in gold with a gleaming oval black onyx stone, this ring sits in its original green velvet box from Carl Mayer.  

As is often typical of artisan antique jewelry, the metal does not carry an assay mark.

Born in Prussia, Carl Mayer opened a jewelry store in 1865 at 618 Congress Street in Austin. He died in 1916 and is buried at Austin's historic Oakwood Cemetery. Carl Mayer Jewelers was a fixture in Austin for many decades. In the book, Lady Bird Johnson; An Oral History, the former first lady reminisces about how she and Lyndon Johnson selected her engagement ring and wedding band at the Carl Mayer store.

It is possible, considering the age of the ring and its style, that it is a piece of Victorian mourning jewelry.  During the Victorian period, strict rules regarding the etiquette of mourning the loss of a loved one were developed, partly influenced by Queen Victorian, who wore mourning for the rest of her life after the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861. The etiquette set wide variety of rules regarding behavior, including what one should wear and how long a person should properly mourn. Failure to comply would not only be seen as dishonoring the dead but also would reflect adversely on the violator's moral character. For example, a woman was expected to be in deep mourning for two years after her husband’s death, wearing only black garments and accessories. Mourning etiquette applied to jewelry as well. Victorian mourning jewelry used somber, dark-colored materials, such as jet, or, in this example, deep black onyx.

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6881-172

Pretty Kitty!

This big bold vintage brooch is signed by the renown Mexican jewelry designer, Margot von Voorhies Carr, also known as Margot of Taxco.   Of shining sterling silver, with glowing amethyst eyes, this fantastic feline is a purr-fect example of Margot's creative and eye-catching designs. Her jewelry is highly sought after by collectors.   Born in the United States, Margot arrived in Mexico in 1937, where she met and married Antonio Castillo.  They settled in Taxco, a center for the production of sterling silver jewelry, flatware, and objects.  There Castillo opened Los Castillo Taller, where Margot worked as the atelier's principal designer.  After the couple divorced, in 1948 Margot set up her own taller (workshop).  Her pieces incorporated designs inspired by pre-Columbian artifacts and Mexican art.  However, following a fire in 1960 that forced her to move her studio, Margot began to suffer financial difficulties, closing her workshop in 1978. 

On the back, the brooch is clearly stamped "Margot de Taxco." The eagle stamp was issued by the Mexican government and identifies either the city of assay or the manufacturer. In the piece, the eagle carries the number "16" on its chest, the assay number registered to Margot. Other marks are "Sterling," and "5220," with is the production number.

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15145-49

Of Biblical Proportions

This weighty tome is a deluxe beautiful limited edition of the New Revised Standard Version Bible, lavishly decorated with masterpieces of illuminated art from the Vatican Library,  published by Turner Publishing--Oxford University Press in 1995.  It is bound in cloth with intricate gold stamped decorations and gilt edges.  

This volume is a first edition.

The bible is illustrated throughout with richly-colored reproductions of historic illuminations.  The brilliant pictures were produced with a six-color printing process, including a special metallic gold ink.

In addition, there are ornately decorated pages for recording family history, including marriages, births, deaths, baptism, and confirmations.  The pages are all blank, ready to record your family's  important events for passing down through the generations.  This is truly a good book and would be a wonderful gift for a religious scholar, an art historian, or the family genealogist.

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14091-67

Not the Same Old Grind

This antique hand-cranked coffee grinder was made by the German company of Stahl-Mahlwerk CA Lehnartz.  It is of warm honey-colored wood and carries the company's red rooster logo.  Founded in 1925 by Omar Lehnartz, by the 1930s, this company was producing up to 100,000 coffee grinders a year.  However, with the advent of electric coffee grinders, the company discontinued its coffee grinder production and today produces painting equipment.

Some coffee connoisseurs assert that these hand-cranked vintage coffee grinders can create a finer and more uniform grind than many modern electric grinders.  They certainly are far less noisy and far more environmentally friendly.  Plus this handsome beautifully-crafted piece would be a delightful adornment for any kitchen or coffee shop. 

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Christmas in July?

Nutcrackers, thanks to the popularity of the seasonal performance of the The Nutcracker, the 1892 ballet set to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, have become a symbol of the Christmas season.  However, this nutcracker is not your typical solider or Santa, but instead represents Uncle Sam resplendent in red, white, and blue.  So instead of Christmas in July, he will put a little Fourth of July in your Christmas.

Instead of a Christmas carol, Uncle Sam will serenade you with "America the Beautiful" from the music box concealed in his kettle drum.  

Turned from wood and hand painted, Uncle Sam is by the German company of Steinbach. In Germany, there is a long history of wood carving and for centuries wooden nutcrackers in the shape of soldiers have been standing sentry in German households. The stern-looking carvings are thought to bring good luck and are prominent offerings in German Christmas markets. After WWII, American soldiers stationed in Germany often brought these brightly painted nutcrackers home as gifts. Then, in 1944, the San Francisco Ballet company performed the first complete version of The Nutcracker in the United States. Soon ballet companies throughout the country began producing their own holiday versions of the ballet and nutcrackers became synonymous with the Christmas season. Steinbach, which has been producing fine wood products since 1832, innovated and renovated the nutcracker tradition by producing nutcrackers in novel forms, including figures from fairy tales or history or representing occupations or sports endeavors. The hand-crafted nutcrackers were often in limited editions and and soon collectors all over the world were clamoring for them. Although Uncle Sam's jaw opens and closes with a lever in his back like a traditional nutcracker, he is ornamental, not utilitarian. He premiered in 2001and was a limited edition of 5,000 worldwide.

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15168-1

Extraordinary Eisenberg

The holidays are a time to shimmer and shine, and is big, bold, and beautiful brooch certainly does that!  This vintage brooch is by Eisenberg Jewelry, one of the most respected producers of fine quality high-hind costume gems.  Eisenberg and Sons started in 1914 as a clothing company, but began to create costume jewelry to complement its clothing displays.  However the finely-crafted jewelry was so popular, retailers and customers began to clamor more for the adornments than the outfits.  Eisenberg took the hint and began to sell its jewelry.  Although the earliest pieces are unmarked, beginning in 1935 the company stamped its creations "Eisenger Original," using this mark through the late 1940s.  These early Eisenberg pieces used fine crystals from Austria and Czechoslovakia and catered to an upscale audience, with some pieces selling for almost $100!  Eisenberg is still a renown name in costume jewelry today, but its vintage pieces, like this large and lovely pin, are highly sought after by collectors.

The brooch is stamped "Eisenberg Original," dating it from the mid-1930s through the 1940s.

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1993-843

Ring in the Holidays!

Who needs five golden rings when you have one as beautiful and elegant as this?  Cast in gleaming 18 karat gold, with a center band of sparkling diamond baguettes, this shimmering ring resembles a bow, making it the perfect holiday gift.

It is stamped inside both "18K"and "750" (this number indicates that the metal is 75 percent pure gold, another way of denoting 18 karat gold), as well as a maker's mark.

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1-74738

Raise a Glass!

These glorious glasses in glowing autumnal golden orange would be perfect for quaffing any fall beverage, from apple cider to mulled wine.

From Jeannette Glass Company, these vintage glasses first date around 1927.  Founded in 1899 as a bottle works, Jeanette began producing tableware items in the 1920s.  The colorful glassware from this period is known as Depression Glass.  As the country tumbled into an economic crisis, affordable Depression glass was made in a wide variety of colors and patterns, adding inexpensive elegance to many American homes.  However, with the return of prosperity, many Depression glass pieces were discarded.  Today collectors have come to appreciate the striking coloring and creative modeling of this historic glassware.

The detailed pattern of these iridescent tumblers is called “Crackle” and the warm orange color is named marigold.  The pattern takes its inspiration from crackle glass, first created in the 16th century, when the molten hot glass was immersed in cold water, resulting in a fine sparkling spiderweb of crackling through the glass.  Jeannette obtained a similar effect by modeling the intertwined lines in the mold.  The company closed in 1983.

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12389-278

What a Doll!

This darling little doll is a Nancy Ann Storybook doll.  These endearing dolls came in a vast variety of elaborate outfits, many inspired by storybook tales and nursery rhymes. Of painted bisque, this charming child represents the old counting nursery rhyme "One two, buckle my shoe."  She is nearly pristine in her original polka dot adorned box. 

In 1936,  Nancy Ann Abbott began dressing small all-bisque baby dolls she purchased from Japan in elaborate layettes.   The dolls were so popular that the next year Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls was incorporated in San Francisco, California.  The company's name was changed to Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls Incorporated in 1945. Although originally the dolls were made in Japan, by 1939 they were being manufactured in California.  In the 1950s, the company was producing up to 12,000 dolls per day. The dolls were very popular with little girls to collect and display.  At one point the company boasted 125 different characters with outfits that were redesigned from year to year.  After 1948, the dolls began to be produced in plastic.  However, the popularity of the dolls began to fade and after Abbott's death in 1964, the company filed for bankruptcy.  

Polka-dotted boxes are standard for Nancy Ann Storybook dolls and a silver sticker describes the doll within.

Beginning in 1941, gold identification wrist tags were placed on the dolls.  This helps date this little miss somewhere between 1941 and 1947.

Most Nancy Ann Storybook dolls have painted slippers.  This little doll instead wears painted black boots with three white buttons.  This uncommon footwear is found only on three characters produced by Nancy Ann, One-Two Button my Shoe and the company's early Topsy and Mammy dolls.

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10238-10885

Stirring Symbolism in Sterling

This superbly crafted and complex crucifix was created by renown Texas jeweler James Avery. Called the Creation Cross, this powerful pendant incorporates important symbols of Christian iconography surrounding the crucifix. At the base is the serpent, signifying the fall of man and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The clusters of grapes and winding vines recall John 15:1–17, in which Christ describes himself as the true vine and his disciples and followers as the fruit. Continuing up, there are candles, representing spiritual light, and doves, which embody both peace and the Holy Spirit. At the top of the cross is the eye of the ever-present God, flanked by angels, who are his messengers. Nearly three inches long, this devotional design was retired by Avery in 2011.

On the back is James Avery's mark and "STER."  

Born in Wisconsin and raised Illinois, James Avery attended the University of Illinois, where he received a degree in Industrial Design. He then taught at the University of Colorado, where he first began experimenting with jewelry making.   In 1954, Avery and his wife visited Kerrville, Texas, and it was there Avery decided to begin designing jewelry. By 1957, he mailed out his first catalog and in 1965 the company was incorporated as James Avery Craftsman, Inc.  Many of Avery's designs were inspired by his deep Christian faith.  Demand for Avery's handcrafted jewelry grew and two years later the company built its headquarters on 20 acres of land in Kerrville. Avery passed away in 2018 and his family continues the jeweler's dynasty, with 83 James Avery stores in five states. Today, James Avery jewelry continues to be crafted Texas.

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7499-185

Roses in Repoussé

This superb sterling silver compote is from the Maciel Silver Factory, which was based in Mexico City from 1930 through 1970.  The company was renown for its high quality hand hammered sterling  tableware, flatware, and jewelry. 

The floral pattern is known as Aztec rose.  The roses are in repoussé, meaning that they were hammered into relief from the reverse side.

Underneath the compote carries the Marciel mark.

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15008-56

The Big Six-Oh!!!

Ulrike and Resident Pomeranian Cha-Cha remind everyone to come by and help Next-to-Next celebrate its 60th Anniversary on Saturday, October 19th, from 10 AM to 2 PM.  There will be prizes, coffee and treats from St. David's Holy Grounds Coffee Shop, live music (of course, this being Austin), a volunteer photo booth, and information about volunteering.  As always, all profits will be given back to the community!  Cha-cha promises that everyone will have a doggone good time!

Traditional, Yet Timeless. . .

. . . is how one could described this stunning pendant signed by Navajo artist Artie Yellowhorse.  Sculpted in shining sterling silver, this dazzling dogwood flower dangles from a red leather cord.

Artie Yellowhorse is a third-generation Navajo silversmith, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather.  She combines traditional Navajo silverwork and contemporary design, creating gleaming pieces that are truly wearable art.  Her shimmering stylized dogwood blossoms are one of her signature designs.     

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5402-1747

Piety in Porcelain

In Christian iconography, a pietà (the pity) depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the the body of her son, Jesus following his crucifixion.  This solemn and moving interpretation is by the famed Spanish porcelain company, Lladró.  Designed by Sculptor Salvador Furiã and entitled "Piedad" (Piety), this poignant porcelain figurine (model number 5541) was issued in a limited edition of 1,000 in 1989 and retired in 1991.  It sits on its original wooden base and carries the company's mark. 

A closeup of the exquisitely modeled and expressive faces.

Lladró was founded in 1953 by three brothers, Juán, José, and Vicente Lladró.  Encouraged by their mother, the brothers were educated at the Valencia School of Arts and Crafts, where they studied sculpture and painting. They first began with a kiln they built at their parents' home, producing ceramic flowers and decorative items for sale in the local market and by 1956 the brothers began creating the sculptural figurines for which Lladró  has become world famous.  After expanding their workshop several times to meet growing demand for their porcelains, the brothers in 1958 relocated to a factory in Tavernes Blanques, where Lladró still resides today.

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15004-47

Majesty in Metal

The Edo people of Nigeria have had a long tradition of metal casting and this compelling portrait is an extraordinary example of their artistry. When European explorers first saw the metal works created by artisans in the Benin Kingdom, they refused to believe such sophisticated creations could be the work of Africans, but the art of casting metal existed in African long before European contact. The most famous examples are called the Benin bronzes, a collection over thousand metal sculptures and plaques looted from the Benin royal palace by British troops in 1897. Although referred to as bronzes, the pieces are a mixture of brass and other metals. The sculptures were cast using what is known as the lost-wax technique. A detailed wax sculpture was carved and then encased in layers of clay. The clay was baked, melting the wax and leaving behind a hardened mold into which the molten metal was poured. 

The tradition of metal casting continues in Nigeria today, artists often reinterpreting traditional Benin bronzes, such as in this superb sculpture. This head represents a queen mother wearing an ukpe-okhue, a high pointed crown covered with a lattice of bead work. Above each eyebrow are ceremonial cicatrices. The sculpture may depict the 16th-century Queen Idia, the mother of Oba Esigie, considered to be one of the Benin Kingdom’s greatest rulers.

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13581-8

Making a Good Impression(ist)

This extraordinary original etching is "Les Faneuses" (The Haymakers) by Camille Pissarro, an important figure in  the French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist movements.  The etching is from a rare limited edition of Theodore Duret's "Histoire des Peintres Impressionnistes," published in Paris. Theodore Duret was an author and art critic and one of the early supporters of the Impressionists.   

Warm-hearted and gentle natured, Pissarro was not only a talented and creative artist throughout his life, he was a fatherly figure and beloved teacher to many major artists. Born in 1830 on the island of St.Thomas, Pissarro arrived in Paris in 1855 to study art. There he befriended several younger artists, such as Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne. All were dissatisfied with the strictures of the Paris Salon regarding art, preferring to paint outdoors and capturing people in natural settings and poses, portraying the world around them without artifice. Pissarro was one of the founding figures in establishing an alternate to the Paris Salon, joining with other Impressionist artist in 1873 to establish the "Société Anonyme des Artistes, Peintres, Sculpteurs et Graveurs."  He was a vital figure in the Impressionist movement, not only for his own artistry and teaching, but also for his ability to sooth over disputes among the younger members that threatened to fracture the group.   Later, Pissarro would briefly join the Neo-Impressionist movement, working with artists such as Georges Seurat. He befriended and mentored both Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh. Throughout his long artistic career, Pissarro painted preferred to paint people in realistic settings, often portraying laborers in their humble homes or toiling in the fields with dignity and humanity, yet not idealizing them or sentimentalizing them. This etching of women working in a hayfield is such an example.

On the back the frame is a certificate of authenticity. 

The etching is beautifully matted and framed.

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