Glamor Puss

Cast in crystal that seems to glow from within, this beautiful brooch features a fancy feline.

On the back it carries the name of its maker, the famed French firm of Lalique.

 Lalique, renown today for its fine crystal and jewelry, as well as other luxury goods, was founded by René Lalique in the 1888, who began his career as a jeweler creating delicate and striking art nouveau designs. In 1905, he opened a new shop that offered not only jewelry, but elegant glass objects as well. Lalique soon began producing elaborate perfume bottles for makers such as Coty and by the 1920s, Lalique glass was considered some of the finest in the world. After René's death in 1945, the company passed on to his son, Marc, who began manufacturing Lalique's glass designs in fine lead crystal, as well creating new jewelry designs. This pretty kitty is a retired design and is no longer available from Lalique.

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

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You Scream, I Scream. . .

 We all scream for ICE CREAM!

And what could be better than ice cream?  How about ice cream molded in festive forms? Our trove currently has a collection of antique pewter ice cream molds.

With the invention of the hand-cranked ice cream maker in the 1840s, homemade ice cream became a popular treat. The Victorians, who apparently could not leave anything unadorned, began serving ice cream that had been frozen in decorative molds. From the mid-1800s through the 1950s, individual servings of ice cream molded in a variety of inventive shapes appeared at everything from holiday feasts to birthday parties to weddings. To support this craze for decorative desserts, a number of companies turned out pewter ice cream molds in thousands of shapes. In the United States, Schall and Company was established in 1854, soon followed by their major competitor, the Eppelsheimer Company. However, the introduction of packaged ice cream and commercial ice cream novelties, plus concerns about the lead content in the pewter molds, saw the demand for these molds dwindle.

These lovely lovebirds would be the perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day, or for an engagement, wedding, or anniversary celebration.  This one is marked "S& Co" for Schall and Company. As is typical of these molds, the outside is rather plain. . . 

. . .but the inside is beautifully detailed.

This chubby cherub could play Cupid for Valentine's Day.

For Halloween parties, there is this scaredy cat.

This turkey would be an appropriate ending to any Thanksgiving feast.

And for Easter luncheons, there is this little lamb.

This perky pig maybe from the European tradition that a pig is a sign of good luck and prosperity. In Germany, glücksschweinchen (good luck pigs) in the form of candy or other treats were given as gifts during Christmas and New Year's.

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

Terrific Trifari

This pretty pussycat pin with gleaming green eyes is a very collectible piece from Trifari, an American company renown for its beautifully crafted costume jewelry. 

As big as it is beautiful, this vintage brooch displays the solid construction, meticulous detail, and creative craftsmanship that Trifari was famous for. This fascinating feline would enhance any outfit.

Trifari was founded in 1919 by Gustavo Trifari, who came from an Italian family of goldsmiths. Collectors agree that the force behind Trifari's quality and creative designs was designer Alfred Philippe, who joined Trifari in 1930. Philippe had previously worked for high-end fine jewelry companies Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels and he applied the same craftsmanship,  fabrication techniques, and quality control to Trifari's pieces. Philippe remained with Trifari as the lead designer until he retired in 1968, and collectors consider the pieces produced during Philippe's tenure among some of the finest and most desirable pieces of collectible costume jewelry.  Trifari designed custom pieces for Broadway and Hollywood stars and Mamie Eisenhower even wore Trifari to her husband's inauguration. 

Philippe introduced the famous Trifari crown brooches, enhanced by shimmering stones, and the pins were so popular that Trifari added a crown to its signature mark around 1937. This classy cat carries the Crown Trifari mark with a copyright symbol, dating it from 1955 to 1969. 

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

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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.

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

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