Well Read. . . or Well Fed?

At first glance this appears to be a fine collection of beautifully bound books with marbled paper edges, held together with a leather strap. The books are all classics of literature, suggesting someone who is well read. . . .

But the books are actually a box, meant to feed the body, not the mind!

The box is a biscuit tin by the English company of Huntley & Palmers, In 1822 in Reading, Joseph Huntley opened a small bakery and confectionary. The shop was opposite a coach stop and passengers often sought biscuits (what we in the United States would call cookies) to nibble on their journey. To help the biscuits survive the rough jostling of the coaches, Huntley came up with the innovation of packaging the biscuits in a metal or tin box. Huntley passed on the business to his son, who in 1841 was joined by George Palmer. The firm thrived and by 1900 was the world's largest maker of biscuits, producing over 400 different varieties. They exported biscuits throughout the world, securely packed in decorative tins. In fact, the company's imaginative, colorful, and collectible biscuit tins significantly contributed to the firm's popularity and success. 

In 1900, Huntley & Palmers introduced "Library," a biscuit tin in the shape of eight books held together with a buckled strap. The book tin was so popular that the company created 10 versions, each with a different set of books, through 1924. We think this tin may date from 1904.

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

 

Wonderful Weaving

This charming folk tapestry has a lot of history woven into its defy and warp. It was created by a Polish artisan and sold through a famous Scandinavian design atelier.

As the first label indicates, the tapestry was sold through Broste Copenhagen of Denmark. Established in 1955, Broste is renown for its Nordic-influenced home and interior furnishings that combine Scandinavian simplicity with fine craftsmanship and materials. 

The history of the weaving begins during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Although the Germans commandeered all wool supplies, Stefan and Helena Galkowski, who had studied under Eleanors Plutynska, a skilled weaver at the Warsaw Fine Arts Academy, secretly continued their art, using thick, hand-spun yarn colored with natural plant dyes. Following the war, the Polish government created the Center of Folk and Artistic Industry (Cepelia) to preserve Polish arts and craft, encouraging artisans to create both traditional folkloric designs as well as more modern artistic interpretations. Cepelia offered these artworks through a network of retail outlets, where they were purchased not only by tourists as souvenirs, but by Polish citizens as symbols of pride in their heritage.

The second label states that this tapestry was created by "A. Lewinska."  Aleksandra Lewinska had also been a student of Plutynska at the Warsaw Arts Academy and most of her works date from the midcentury modern era. The title of the work is "Gubałówka," the name of both a mountain range and a mountain range near the Polish town of Zakopane. Gubałówka mountain has long been a popular tourist destination.

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

15518-48

Bar None. . . .

. . . this amazing art deco home bar would be the toast of any home. Its graceful curves are beautifully veneered in rich-colored woods.

Inside is ample display room for your most elegant barware, while your favorite libations are stored beneath. 

Taking its name from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, the art deco period combined geometric modernistic motifs with fine craftsmanship and materials. Throughout Europe and the United States, art deco design was reflected in everything from skyscrapers to home furnishings. By the 1930s, more streamlined curving forms inspired by aerodynamic designs became popular. The curved lines and smooth polished surfaces of this deco delight most likely date it to this period. This beautiful bar carries its original label for Supreme Furniture Works, a small furniture contractor and manufacturer located in Northampton, England. 

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

 230-8057

Artwork for Your Ears. . .

These one-of-a-kind earrings in vibrantly-colored cloisonné are the creation of master enamelist Ricky Frank. Although Frank dabbled with an simple enamel kit as a child, it wasn't until after he graduated from college with a degree in psychology that Frank became interested in creating complex cloisonné jewelry. Inspired by some beautiful cloisonné jewelry he saw at a craft show, Frank set up a studio in his parents' basement and began teaching himself how to make enamel jewelry. Not only did he have to learn the techniques, Frank said he had to learn how to express his emotions and creativity. Once a self-taught enamelist, Frank is now a renown teacher, sharing his 44 years of experience both on-line and at art schools and workshops throughout the country.

Starting with a silver or gold base, Frank must solder fine wires to create channels for the translucent powdered glass enamel. These channels form the outlines of the image. Then the powdered glass is sifted into the channels and heated until it melts. It takes skill and patience to achieve such delicate demarcation of the rich colors. The gleaming green hillsides, brilliant rainbows, and the celestial sun and moon are all images often found in Frank's creations. Frank often further enhances his jewelry with pearls and natural gemstones.

Each earring is signed on the back by Frank.

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

1-81797

 

Happy World Doll Day!

June 12th is World Doll Day. World Doll Day was established in 1986 by doll collector and artist Mildred Seeley. It was created to spread the universal message of happiness and love and it has become the tradition on that day to give the gift of a doll to a child, especially one whose family cannot afford dolls. Periodically antique or vintage dolls appear in our trove. In commemoration of World Doll Day, we present this beautiful wooden hand painted bookends featuring Japanese folk dolls called "kokeshi."

These whimsical wooden  dolls originated near the end of the Edo era (1603-1868) in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, renown for its onsen (hot spring spas). Local woodworkers began carving wooden dolls on lathes to sell to visitors at the onsen. Although the dolls from different regions had their own characteristics, they all shared the same minimalist style of round heads, limbless bodies, and simple colorful decorations. They are typically carved from cherry, dogwood, and maple. Some were created out of one piece of wood, while others had heads that wobbled or turned. The dolls were popular souvenirs and children's toys. At the end of WWII, other regions of Japan began producing their own versions of kokeshi dolls for collectors and the growing tourist trade. Known as "creative" kokeshi dolls, they come in a wide range of styles, often with more detailed decoration and added wooden hair and accessories, representing everything from traditional samurai warriors to contemporary cartoon characters.

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

10380-1505

On the Wings of an Eagle

Oh, my home is in the mountains

I am free, I am free

I am one with wind and eagles

I am free

Given wings to sail in gracefulness

The sky, the sky

Given voice to sing in breathlessness

I find that I can fly

John Denver, 1998

This majestic and massive eagle is hand carved from wood, capturing the grace and power of this magnificent bird.

This vintage sculpture was carved in the Philippines, which has a history of woodworking dating back over two millennia. Miguel López de Legazpi, who arrived in the Philippines in 1565 and established the first Spanish settlement in what was then known as the East Indies, praised the skills of the Philippine wood carvers and carpenters.

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

15456-21

Dapper Dan

Ev’ryone knew Dapper Dan

Knew him for a ladies man

Never cared to settle down

Had a girl in ev’ry town

1921, lyrics by Lew Brown, music by Albert Von Tilzer

If you are in need of an elegant instant ancestor, you cannot go wrong with this skillful and striking pencil sketch of a well-dressed gent. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "dapper" can mean neat and trim in appearance, very spruce and stylish, or alert and lively in movement and manners, and this meticulously dressed man meets all three criteria.

The drawing is by Graziella Jacoby, an artist renown for her colored pencil drawings, especially her portraits, which captured the character of her subjects. Born in Illinois on 1885, Jacoby studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as with famed art nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha in Czechoslovakia and American realist painter George Wesley Bellows in New York City. She moved to Pasadena, California in 1928, where she was active in local art circles. Jacoby passed away on July 20, 1980.

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

362-2864