Lend Us Your Ears. . .

. . . and we will adorn them with these beautiful vintage clip earrings made by the Schreiner Jewelry Company, considered by collectors to be one of the top American creators of high-end costume jewelry, with innovative handcrafted designs and creative combinations of stones, often in vibrant colors. Henry Schreiner, trained as a blacksmith, immigrated to New York City from Germany in 1923. He began working for a shoe buckle company, where he learned how to solder and set stones. Schreiner later purchased the company and began manufacturing decorative buckles and buttons, as well as jewelry in the popular Art Deco design. However, he did not officially transact business under the Schreiner Jewelry Company name until a decade later. Before WWII, Schreiner acquired a stockpile of fine art glass stones and metal settings from Europe, allowing the company to continue production during WWII. After the war, Schneider expanded its costume jewelry lines, creating pieces for many designers of the day. The settings were handcrafted, rather than cast, allowing for more complex, yet lighter, designs. Following Henry's death in 1954, his son-in-law Ambros and daughter Terry took over the company. Trained as an engineer, Ambros stepped into design and production. He is considered responsible for many of the innovations that make Schreiner's jewelry so collectible, including the use of inverted stones and custom-made settings, as well as incorporating the stockpiles of pre-WWII Czechslovakian stones. In addition to creating pieces for designers, the company sold jewelry under its own name at high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Ambros retired in 1974 due to declining health and the company closed the following year,

The ornate prongs framing the lustrous faux pearls are typical of this company's detailed designs.

The back of the clips are signed "Schreiner." The clip also features round tip with an open center. This "donut" design was thought to make clip earrings more comfortable to wear and is characteristic of Schreiner earrings. You can also see the soldering, indicating that this piece was hand-built, not cast. 

You can read more about this important innovative American jewelry company in Schreiner: Masters of Twentieth-Century Costume Jewelry by Carole Tanenbaum and Eve Townsend.

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

14862-449

 

A Touch of Spring

Spring is rapidly approaching and this big, bold, and beautiful limited edition artwork featuring a lovely lady carrying an enormous colorful bouquet of full festive flowers certainly speaks of the coming season.  

 Entitled "Laura's Bouquet," this impressive piece is signed in pencil by the artist Barbara A. Wood and is numbered 58 out of a limited edition of 250. 

Born in 1926 in Ohio, Barbara A. Wood studied at the Art Students’ League in New York. After she married and moved to California, she enrolled in the postgraduate studies at the Otis Art Institute and the Pasadena School of Fine Arts. Wood is known for her modernist portraits, typically of women. Her stylized figures and bold use of colors recall artists such as Matisse and Marc Chagall. Wood's work has been shown worldwide and is part of many private collections. Her art is found among the collections of many famous figures, including George H. W. Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Seymour, Ron Howard, Dick Van Dyke, Dennis Weaver, Art Linkletter, and Jerry Lewis.

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

15706-3

Extraordinary Umlauf

This large and striking signed lithograph is by Charles Umlauf (1911-1994), the renown American artist and sculptor and University of Texas at Austin art professor. Although best known for his sculptural works, which grace museums, churches, institutions, and private collections throughout the world, Umlauf did create a limited number of works on paper as well during his long artistic career. 

Born Karl Umlauf to a German immigrant family on a Michigan farm, his first name was Americanized to "Charles" in response to anti-German sentiment during WWI. In 1918, the family moved to Chicago. At the age of eleven, Charles began attending weekend classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. His talented was quickly recognized and he received a scholarship to continue his studies. Umlauf created several sculptures while employed by the WPA Federal Art Project during the Great Depression. A 1939 work in cast stone entitled "War Mother" resulted in Umlauf being offered a position as Professor of Life Drawing and Sculpture at the Art Department at the University of Texas. Umlauf taught the the University for 40 years, retiring as as Professor Emeritus in 1981. In 1985, the Umlaufs gifted the City of Austin with their Austin home, his studio, and 168 sculptures, which were the foundation of the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum.

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

428-1299

 

Send in the Clowns

This is drawing on linen is by famed actor and comedian Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997). Skelton began performing at the age of 10 in a traveling medicine show and over an entertainment career of some 70 years, Skelton was featured on stage, screen, and radio. He is probably best known for his variety television show, The Red Skelton Show, which premiered in 1951. The following year Skelton introduced one of his most beloved and recognized characters, "Freddie the Freeloader," an easy-going and gentle hobo clown. In the 1940s, Skelton had begun sketching and painting clowns as a hobby, but it did not publicly exhibit his artwork until 1964, when his wife persuaded him to display his art at the Las Vegas Sands Hotel, where he was performing. The exhibit was a success and Skelton began selling his original works, as well as prints and lithographs. 

However, this is no mere print, but an original one-of-a-kind artwork by Skelton. It is also beautifully framed.

The sketch is signed by Skelton and dated 1982.

As an added bonus there is a signed personal note from Skelton on the back with a small drawing of another clown.

It is said that Skelton loved clowns because he felt that they brought needed joy and laughter into the world. This charming and cheerful original artwork certainly should bring joy to its next lucky owner.

All posted items are for sale, but things can sell quickly!

15396-52

Authentic Alvar

This lusciously-colored lithograph is by Spanish artist Sunol Alvar, considered one of the last living Modernists. Alvar is a master of many artistic mediums, including painting, lithography, and sculpture. 

Born in 1935 in a Catalan fishing village on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain, he attended the Sant Jordi Art School in Barcelona at age 16.  Two years later, Alvar was awarded a summer scholarship that allowed him to travel and paint throughout Spain. He returned home to compete in the Young Painter’s Prize sponsored by the City of Barcelona.  His painting won the Grand Prize and was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona for its permanent collection.

Beginning in 1957, Alvar began to exhibit his works with great acclaim and success. After winning the Grand Prize in the annual painting competition at the French Institute of Barcelona, Alvar traveled to Paris in 1959 to study and paint. He briefly returned to Barcelona in 1960 to marry his childhood sweetheart, but couple then moved back to Paris. Alvar produced his first lithographs in 1963 and would focus on this medium through 1990. In 1970, he and his family moved back to Spain. At the age of 70, Alvar returned to painting.  He has been commissioned to design a number of public art installations, including a mural in a suburb of Barcelona and a sculpture of cellist Pablo Casals in Paris. Alvar has been exhibited throughout the world and his works are in the collections of over 40 museums.   

The lithograph is both signed and numbered.

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

4061-518