Touchdown!

That's what you'll make if you take home this vintage leather football helmet from our trove.

Up through the 1890s, football players had no protection against concussions, other than growing out their hair to provide some padding against head-on collisions. Various sources credit either football player George Barclay or United States Naval Academy Midshipman Joseph M. Reeves with the creation of a leather helmet as a protective device. By the 1910s, the helmet had increased padding and holes in the earflaps to allow players to hear each other on the field.

A significant step in safety was the invention of a system of internal straps by University of Illinois football coach Robert Carl Zuppke in 1917. The straps absorbed and distributed the impact, plus allowed better ventilation. Rawlings, the manufacturer of this helmet, was one of the first companies to adopt what was known as the "ZH" or Zuppke helmet. 

Rawlings was founded in Saint Louis,Missouri in 1887 by brothers George and Alfred Rawlings. Although originally the company sold goods for a wide variety of sports, including baseball, tennis, and football, today they are mainly specialize in softball and baseball gear and equipment.

In 1939, the John T. Riddell Company, a Chicago sporting goods firm, introduced the first plastic helmet. Although the initial helmets could shatter on impact, Riddell quickly improved the design, The plastic helmets were lighter, waterproof, and allowed more padding and cushioning. A decade later the National Football League officially adopted plastic helmets (the delay was caused in part by the scarcity of plastics during WWII).

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

16816-15

All Dress(er)ed Up!

That is just what your bedroom will be with the addition of this distinguished and desirable vintage dresser. Of handsome honey-toned wood, it is an excellent example of American mid-century modern design.

Inside one of the many drawers is the mark of Link-Taylor, which specialized in fine quality bedroom and dining room furniture, beginning in 1950. 

In 1903, the Dixie- Elk Furniture Company was established in Lexington, North Carolina. Beginning in the 1950s, the company decided to divide into four companies, each with its own specialty and product lines. These companies were: Dixie, which made mid-priced bedroom and dining room furnishings; Henry Link, specializing in girls' bedroom furniture; Young Hinkle, a boys' bedroom furniture manufacturer; and Link-Taylor, which focused on luxury bedroom and dining room furniture. Link-Tayor was known for its solid wood furniture made by skilled craftsmen. In addition to traditional styles, Link-Taylor also produced lines appealing to contemporary tastes and its mid-century modern furniture is highly sought after. In 1987, Masco Corporation bought and merged the four companies into Lexington Furniture Industries. 

Solid and sturdy, this attractive vintage bureau just needs a little polish and tender loving care to bring it back to its original beauty.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly! 

16020-9

Charming Children's Chinoiserie

This fantastic set of antique faux bamboo doll furniture reflects the European fascination with the far East after trade opened with China and Japan in the 1860s. “Chinoiserie” furniture that incorporated Asian motifs became popular in Europe. However, bamboo was too fragile for heavier European furniture, so companies began creating faux bamboo furniture using hardwoods. This period also saw a shift in the attitude toward childhood. Instead of treating children as miniature adults, children (at least those fortunate enough to be born into the more affluent or rising middle class), were seen as innocent beings who must be gently guided and educated, often through play. Little girls were encouraged to play with dolls in order to learn how to sew, keep house, and prepare for motherhood. German and French companies provided these little girls not only with fine quality lady dolls of bisque and china, but also all the necessary accessories, including doll-sized furniture reflecting the popular styles of the day, such as faux bamboo. The French company Choumer and Collet began making doll furniture in 1867 and later contracted with the American toy store FAO Schwarz. Faux bamboo doll furniture was exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition. 

Toy armoires, like this one, featured mirrored doors, as well as shelves for storing doll clothing and linen.

The doll versions reproduced in miniature all the details of the full-sized furnishings, such as beveled mirrors and elaborate drawer pulls.

This diminutive dressing table features a white marble top, a swivel mirror, and even racks on the sides for holding towels. 

The night stand has a cabinet for secreting the chamberpot. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

3936-205, 206, 207

Secret Your Stash in Style!

Which is just what you can do with this vintage teak bookcase with the stylish simplicity of Danish modern design.

With a gentle tug, the bookcase swings smoothly open to reveal a second secret set of shelves. 

There is a little lock, easily hidden behind a shelf of books, so that you can secure your secret stash, be it banned books or your best booze and barware. The key has been lost to time, but your local locksmith could provide a replacement (or we might find a fit in the coffee can full of miscellaneous keys in our Estate Department). 

There is no secret where this beautiful bookcase was made, as on the back it carries a gold foil sticker declaring "Made in Denmark."

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

230-10565

 

Mid-Century Marvel from Martinsville

The epitome of America mid-century modern design, this incredible credenza or china cabinet contrasts the natural beauty of golden glowing wood with accents of white laminate. American mid-century modern was a significant design movement stretching from 1945 through the 1960s. Influenced by European movements such as the German Bauhaus school and Scandinavian design, mid-century modern is characterized by the simplicity of its style, the extensive use of natural materials, and the lack of unnecessary embellishment, with an emphasis on craftsmanship and clean, uncluttered silhouettes. The combination of natural and man-made materials is also typical of mid-century modern.  With its compact size and stylish lines, this collectable piece of fine furniture would enhance any decor. 

Inside one of the drawer, this striking piece carries the mark of American of Martinsville. 

The back of the piece carries the model number and the designation "China," no doubt meaning it was intended as a hutch or cabinet to display your fine china or treasured trinkets.

American of Martinsville was founded in Martinsville, Virginia by former tobacco producers Ancil Witten and Charles Keesee in 1906. Sensing that the tobacco market was changing as large concerns such as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company were expanding across the country, the two men turned manufacturing bedroom furniture under the name the American Furniture Company. By the 1920s, the company was offering a wider range of furniture, In the 1950s, now operating as American of Martinsville, it offered a variety of furniture styles, hiring in-house designers to keep up with current trends. The company gained a reputation for fine craftsmanship and sophisticated design.  It also began producing furniture for the hospitality market. 

In 2000, American of Martinsville was purchased by La-Z-Boy Incorporated, which sold it six years later. Today, the company is belongs to the Akin Furniture Group, a family-owned business in Arkansas that specializes in furniture for the hospitality and healthcare industries.  

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

3-18688

What a Gem!

 Is what you'll say when you see this joyous, jewel-encrusted purse from Texas designer Enid Collins.

The terrific tote also has a sturdy wood bottom. 

Born in 1918 and growing up in San Antonio, Enid majored in fashion design at Texas Woman’s University. She married Frederic Collins, a sculptor, in 1941. After World War II, they purchased a ranch near Medina, Texas. The first purses Enid designed were leather and brass creations made as gifts for friends or as souvenirs for local dude ranches. In 1946, Neiman Marcus began to carry the bags. Two years later, the company "Collins of Texas" was incorporated. The all-leather bags were pricey, so Enid also began producing more affordable canvas totes trimmed in leather. As orders poured in, in 1959, the Collins opened a factory in Medina. In the early sixties, Enid introduced a unique purse made from a wooden box. Her whimsical designs featured bright silkscreened images garnished with glittering jewels, golden coins, and gleaming brass. 

All of the purses designed by Enid feature her name or her initials, "EC," as found on this bag.

 

In 1970, the Collins divorced and Enid sold her copyrighted designs to the leather company, Tandy. Although Tandy continued to make bags through the 1970s, the company used only the "Collins" name or "C."

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

57-1875

Golden Glow

This handblown art glass vase seems to glow with a golden light. This type of iridescent glass is called favrile glass and it is created by adding metal oxides to molten glass. The process was patented by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1894. Unlike other iridescent glass of the time, the glowing colors were incorporated in the glass and the piece would not lose its luster. Tiffany won a grand prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition for his favrile glass.

The unusual undulating shape is called jack-in-the-pulpit, because it resembles a flower of the same name. Although Tiffany did not create the shape, he called it jack-in-the-pulpit in his catalogs and the name came to be used for all similarly-shaped vases.

This piece is not by Tiffany, but modern American artist Steven V. Correia. Born in 1949 in San Diego, Correia has been an important figure in contemporary American art glass. In 1973, he founded Correia Art, a family-owned studio renown for using traditional glass-making techniques to create new innovative designs. In addition to his handblown glass pieces, Correia also has experimented with large-scale environmental kinetic light sculptures combining laser light, movement, and illusion. His art glass works are found in private and public collections throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Corning Museum, the Smithsonian Institution,  and the Chrysler Museum of Art. In 1984, he was honored for his extraordinary accomplishments as an artist with the naming of Steven V. Correia Junior High School in San Diego. 

Under the vase's base is Correia's round paper label, as well as his etched signature. Some earlier owner also added a handwritten note "Correia Vase."

All posted items are for sale as Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

16883-3

An Artistic Encounter

This signed and numbered golden brass plaque is entitled "Encuentro," or, in English, "meeting." It is mounted on an easel of gray velvet, which is impressed with both the title of the work and the name of the artist, Lorraine Pinto.

 

The bas relief abstract image shifts and changes with the light.

The plaque is not only signed by Pinto, but is also dated "2002."

It is furthered numbered, indicating that it is the 65th of a limited edition of 100.

Lorraine Pinto was born in New York in 1933, moving to Mexico City twenty years later. There she became a figure in an artistic movement experimenting with technology and incorporating light, sound, and movement. Pinto organized the Experimental Kinetic Art Laboratory (Laboratorio Experimental de Arte Cinético) in 1964, a workspace for artists to explore technical innovations. She was a pioneer in the use of unconventional materials, such as acrylic, plastic, and neon lights. Her 1968 artwork entitled "The Fifth Dimension," which consisted of two acrylic bubbles housing multicolored acrylic blocks that pulsated with light in response to a musical composition, won the National Sculpture Award. In the 1980s, Pinto moved her focus to sculpture, drawing, and painting. She taught design at the Faculty of Architecture of UNAM and mentored students at her workshop in Mexico City.

Her works are in numerous private and public collections. Among her best known public works are her bust of diplomat and museum director Fernando Gamboa in front of the Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum in Mexico City and her 1994 "Caribbean Fantasy," a fountain featuring giant seashells and starfish in the center of Cancun. Pinto has received the Elías Sourasky Award, which is given annually to recognize persons who have made outstanding achievements in Mexican sciences, arts. and letters.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

516-4109

Spaghetti Western

"Spaghetti Western" generally refers to a genre of films featuring a mythical American Old West filmed in Italy during the 1960s and 70s. But here in our trove, we have  our own version of the Spaghetti Western, a pair  of beautiful vintage chairs by the famed Italian furniture design company Potocco recently re-upholstered with vivid images of cowboys and cattle. And, this being Next-to-New, you won't need  "A Fistful of Dollars" to purchase them!

Of beautiful wood tinted in warm tones, the clean lines and graceful curves of these chairs will suit every decor from contemporary minimalist to mid-century modern.

Founded in 1919 by Domenico Potocco, Potocco is still a family-owned business, now in the fifth generation.  Located in Manzano,  Potocco manages all stages of production at its Italian facilities, from the weaving of the fabrics to the selection and shaping of the wood. Renown for its award-winning designs featuring undulating lines and soft colors, Potocco continues its legacy of producing fine indoor and outdoor furnishings.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

9138-502

Rara Avis

This streamlined and stylized blown-glass bird with bold green stripes is a rare bird indeed.  

This little bird was made by the Finnish design company of Iittala. Iittala was founded in 1881 as a glassworks in Iittalain, Finland by Peter Magnus Abrahamson, who brought glassblowers with him from Sweden. By the late 1800s the company came under Finnish control and hired its first in-house designer in 1903. Iittala, which would later expand into ceramic and metal creations, became known for its innovative glass designs emphasizing the beauty of form and color over ornamentation.

Under its breast, the bird is etched "O. Toikka" and "Nuutajärvi." The signature is that of Oiva Toikka (1931-2019), considered one of the masters of Finnish glass design, who created his Birds by Toikka for Iittala. Today Iittala continues his legacy, its skilled artisans crafting each Toikka bird by hand. This whimsical bird represents a whip-poor-will or willow duck (in Finnish, the bird is called pajusotka, paju being the Finnish word for willow and sotka meaning a type of duck), and was created for the Birds of Passage collection from 1991 through 1997. Nuutajärvi is the Finnish city where the Iittala glassworks are located.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

5258-12089

A Fine Mess!

 We really do have a fine mess here in our trove, an authentic WWII portable mess kit set in its original olive green wooden trunk. The remains of "US" in black can be discerned on its front. Battered, but unbowed, imagine what stories this historic example of military memorabilia could tell!

Inside, neatly stored in various niches are an assortment of enamel plates, bowls, cups, a coffee pot, and a sugar bowl. 

The upper compartment, secured with a sturdy leather strap, opens to reveal not only forks, spoons, and knives, but also a can opener and potato peeler.

The flatware carries the mark of Wallace Brothers, an American company founded better known for its sterling and silver plated flatware.

The table is set. Some of the enamel pieces, like the trunk, have taken a few hits during their long military career.

The top of the trunk carries a metal label indicating the stock number and military depot of the set. Dated August 17, 1944, the trunk holding this portable mess set was made by Wheary, Incorporated. Founded in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1922, Wheary produced trunks and luggage, including footlockers, fitted trunks, and other gear for the military during WWII. The company was sold to the Hartmann Trunk Company in 1955 and closed in 1962.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

16151-1921

Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright. . .

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

The Tyger, William Blake, 1794

We know who framed the fearful symmetry of this majestic tiger, famed Texas artist William Kelly Fearing (1918-2011). These photographs do not capture the beauty and power of this great cat in captured by Kelly in alert response. 

Titled "Tiger Day and Night," 

. . . the piece is signed and dated by Fearing.

It is numbered "24/32," indicating that this work is the twenty-fourth print from a limited edition of thirty-two.

Fearing studied art at Louisiana Tech University, subsequently earning his a master’s degree at Columbia University in New York City. In 1943, he moved to Fort Worth, where he joined the "Fort Worth Circle," a group of artists who experimented with contemporary art concepts, such as surrealism and modernism. During this period, Fearing became interested in metaphysics and his works often have a mystical or spiritual feel. He taught art at Texas Wesleyan University, but in 1947 moved to the University of Texas art department in Austin, where he joined artists such as Charles Umlauf in defining Texas mid-century modernism. Fearing retired in 1987 as professor emeritus, but continued to create art. Throughout  his long career, Fearing experimented with a wide variety of media, from print making to found-object collages. 

Fearing was a major influence in introducing modern art concepts in Texas. Not only did he mentor his students during his decades as an art professor, Fearing inspired future generations by founding The University of Texas Junior Art Project, a visual arts program offering children free, university-based instruction and exposure to the arts.  His artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States and is included in many private and public collections including the Blanton Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.  In 2007, Fearing received the prestigious E. William Doty Award from the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin, recognizing his extraordinary professional achievement and dedication to the College of Fine Arts.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

14951-64