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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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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A Sterling Example

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, "sterling" can mean "having a fixed standard of purity usually defined legally as represented by an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper" or "conforming to the highest standard." This stunning tea set is certainly sterling in both senses of the word!

Of shimmering sterling silver, this beautiful vintage tea set has subtle swirling curves that catch both  the light and the eye.  The design is both classic without being fussy and modern without being stark.

Each piece is clearly hallmarked.  The crescent and crown are the national silver marks for Germany.  Instituted in 1886, and compulsory by 1888, the "halbmond und krone" mark is accompanied by marks designating the purity of the silver and the maker.  In this case, each piece proudly proclaims that it is of sterling silver.  The goblet mark is attributed to Otto Wolter, a German silver company that operated from 1875 to 1991 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, a city long renown for its gold and silver crafts.

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Crowning Glory

Thise vividly-beaded conical crown is known as an ade and traditionally would have been worn by a ruler or oba of the Yoruba people of Nigeria in Africa.  The bead-embellished ade designates the ruler's status and divine sanction and is worn on state occasions and other public functions.  Among the Yoruba, only kings and priests have the authority and power to wear beaded objects, which are considered sacred.  The crowns often feature stylized faces representing honored ancestors, confirming the king's hereditary power and authority.   Creating these elaborate crowns requires great skill and must follow certain ritual protocols.  A frame, often of wickerwork, is covered with canvas and then adorned with thousands of beads.  The base may be built up in places, giving the beadwork a three dimensional quality.  In modern Nigeria, these elaborate headdresses are still created by hand according to tradition, but the popularity of the beautiful beadwork has resulted in replicas being made for sale to collectors.

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A Zinger of a Singer!

As pretty as it is practical, this antique sewing machine was made by the Singer Manufacturing Company (now the Singer Company) between the late 1890s to the early 1900s. Although there were earlier patents for sewing machines, the 1851 patent by Isaac Merritt Singer is accredited with creating the first practical sewing machine for domestic use. That same year Singer and his partner Edward Clark established I. M. Singer and Company. By 1860, the company was the largest manufacturer of sewing machines in the world. The sewing machine quickly became a fixture in American homes, and throughout the world. At a time when many women were expected to sew some or all of the family wardrobe, Singer dubbed its machine "the woman's faithful friend the world over".

Its all steel design made it a sturdy and substantial machine, but it is lavished with elaborate adornment.  The machine itself is detailed with golden Egyptian-inspired decals, known to collectors as "Sphinx" or "Memphis."  The oak base, with its handy drawers for holding sewing supplies, rests on an intricate cast-iron base.  Singer was not only a successful businessman, but a master of marketing and this machine proudly displays the Singer brand on every visible surface.

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Purple Mountain Majesties

This impressionistic painting of lilac-tinted mountains framed by tall trees and green pines is by a well-known Texas artist, Thelma Travland Cardwell-Cale.  You may already be familiar with this artist's work, even if you have never entered an art gallery.  In 2011, Cardwell's painting of a field of vividly-colored wildflowers was chosen by H-E-B to appear on the store's reusable tote bag. The original printing of 98,000 soon sold out. In 2014, then 81-year-one Cardwell's colorful Texas-themed work was again selected by H-E-B to appear on a tote bag, as well as items from the chain's Cocinaware, including mugs, trays, and cutting boards.  

This oil painting on board is signed by Cardwell on the front and has extensive provenance on the back.  Although the painting is undated, there may have a clue from the artist's personal life.  In 2004, Cardwell, who had been widowed for 16 years, married Charles Cale and began signing her paintings as "Cardwell-Cale."

Cardwell graduated from Corpus Christi High School in 1949 and majored in fine arts at Southwestern University. A resident of Pleasanton, Texas, where she has lived since the 1950s, this 1997 winner of the city's Senior Citizen of the Year is a regular contributor at the Pleasanton Express and has taught art as a volunteer at the Larry Brown Alternative School. Active in both local artistic circles and her community, in 2005, Cardwell organized a group of artists to decorate the new Atascosa Health Center and in 2014 she donated artwork to the new Pleasanton Civic Center.  In September of last year, Cardwell donated artwork featuring dogs, cats, and horses to the Atascosa County Animal control for display in their lobby.  She has participated in numerous exhibitions and her work can be found in collections throughout the state, including in the homes of two former presidents and two Texas governors.  

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Paris. . . When it Drizzles

Every time I look down on this timeless town,

Whether blue or gray be her skies,

Whether loud be her cheers, 

Or whether soft be her tears,

More and more do I realize that...

I love Paris in the spring time,

I love Paris in the fall,

I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,

I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles,

I love Paris every moment

Every moment of the year

I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris

Because my love is near.

Cole Porter, 1953

This brilliantly colored impressionist scene of rain-slicked city streets may remind you of a winter day in Paris (the building in the misty background certainly resembles the Paris Opera House), but it comes from the brush of an Italian painter, Antonio DeVity (1901-1993). 

 Born Umberto Marone in southern Italy, DeVity studied art in Naples and Rome. His grandmother's family was from Paris and DeVity traveled to the French capital to study painting, falling in love with the city. It was there that he began using the name "Antonio de Vity." He painted many Parisian scenes, often incorporating important landmarks in the background. Returning to Naples, DeVity founded an art studio, which became an important school for Neapolitan painters. In the late 1960s, his son took over direction of the studio and also painted under the name of Antonio DeVity. His paintings have been exhibited throughout the world and are widely collected.  The use of bold bright colors, reflective streets, and soft lighting are typical of DeVity's works.

Howdy Comrade!

This unusual and unique poster is an extraordinary Austin artifact.  It commemorates the 1987 Texas–U.S.S.R. Musicians' Exchange, a cultural exchange tour of the Soviet Union featuring a group of Texas musicians, including Butch Hancock, Bobby Bridger, and Bobby Mack.  The Texans performed with local musicians and met with artists and audiences in Leningrad, Moscow, and Kiev.

This poster was designed by Nels "Jagmo" Jacobson, who also helped organize the tour, and was printed by Bee-Bop Printing.  The silk-screened posters were printed in a limited number series of 100 and were used to publicize the tour or were given away during the exchange.  Jagmo, who moved to Austin in 1978, has been an important figure in the Austin art and music scene, designing posters for live-music venues such as Liberty Lunch and for performers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Ramones, Willie Nelson, and Jerry Jeff Walker. He was the original art director for South by Southwest, a founding director of the American Poster Institute and the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture, and is a board member of The Rock Poster Society. The Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion by Paul Grushkin and Dennis King pictures the 1987 exchange poster and includes a short biography of Jagmo.  This poster is numbered in pencil 34 out of 100.

It also appears to have been signed by Jagmo in pencil.

This poster is the perfect confluence of history (both local and international), art, and music, capturing in striking graphics a specific period of Austin's past.  If you are a fan of the Austin music scene, a local history buff, or a collector of contemporary posters (or especially all three) this poster awaits you at Next-to-New.

Just My Type

If you want to write that great American novel, what better instrument than this solid and substantial Remington No. 11 manual typewriter dating from the 1930s?  By American company Remington Typewriter Company, you can channel your inner Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

E. Remington and Sons began in the 1830s by manufacturing firearms, producing its first typewriter in 1873.  In 1886, the company sold its typewriter business to the Standard Typewriter Manufacturing Company, including the rights to the Remington name.  

Once considered the most modern office innovation, the typewriter has since been replaced by the computer.   In 2011, Godrej and Boyce, the last company in the world manufacturing typewriters, closed its plant in Mumbai, India.