Antique Brazier: Warm up the winter…

By: Carly Hill, staff writer

Our country has started its gradual cool down – each day feeling closer and closer to twinkly lights and the smell of pine.  I’m seeing less straw hats and more mittens.  It’s a time when visits to the pumpkin patch are on our to-do lists and getting our heater working is top priority.  Today’s featured piece is this 19^th century Italian bronze brazier, available here from The McNally Company Antiques, Inc.

A brazier is a container for fire.  Think of it as a portable fireplace.  Dating back to Bible times, you can find braziers mentioned in the book Jeremiah 36:22-23 –  “Now the king was sitting in the winter-house in the ninth month: and there was a fire in the brazier burning before him. And it came to pass; when Jehudi had read three or four leaves that the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.”

Braziers come in all different forms – some standing upright, like the one pictured here – others are hanging boxes or bowls.  Some are very small and others are large.  Their purpose is to provide heat and light, but they are also sometimes used for cooking or other cultural rituals.

Some Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches light a fire on a brazier and use the fire to light the Paschal candle during Easter Vigil.

In 20^th century Spain, a brazier would be placed under the dinner table to keep legs and feet warm during suppertime.

If you’ve ever eaten at a Japanese Hibachi grill, you have seen a brazier.  The hibachi is a type of brazier used for cooking.

Now that the weather is cool, it might be fun to bundle up and eat outdoors.  Warm up some comfort food, bring it outdoors, and set it up around this unique brazier.  It will keep you toasty, provide some beautiful, dim dinner lighting, and give you something to talk about!

View more antiques right here at Latique… 

 

Georg Jensen’s Take on Silver: Part One

By: Carly Hill, Staff Writer

Combining functionality and beauty was his philosophy, and he nailed it.  Even today, almost 80 years after his death, his style continues to hold its own and be emulated by artists all over the world and his company continues to flourish.

Jensen took the whiplash lines of the Art Nouveau style (which you can read about in last week’s blog) and “injected them with a distinctive vigour.”  It’s hard to describe his style because while it fits the description of art nouveau, his pieces were unique; his actual name became a descriptive word in the art world.  People began referring to different pieces as being “Georg Jensen style.”

Jensen was a Danish silversmith born in Radvaad, Denmark in 1866 – the seventh of eight children.  Growing up in such a large family, it would be easy to get lost in the crowd, but Jensen sure made a name for himself.  Radvaad was a beautiful countryside just north of Copenhagen.  Jensen’s life work reflected his childhood surroundings as his work was always themed in nature and reflecting natural forms.

His father was a knife grinder and his mother a housewife.  Jensen worked with his father in the factory and was always making things.  His family recognized his artistic talent and moved to Copenhagen when Jensen was 14 so he could be a goldsmith’s apprentice.

He worked long hours and attended a technical school, but in his spare time, he would work with modeling clay.  Sculpting was his greatest passion. After some time, he became a sculpting student at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen.  Although never incredibly successful as a sculptor, his training greatly influenced his work with silver.

In 1891, he got married and had two children.  Professionally, Jensen was having a hard time because he wasn’t able to make a living doing what he was most passionate about – sculpting, so he went into the pottery business.  Then, he went through a very dark period in his life.  His wife died suddenly of kidney disease after only six years of marriage.  Jensen was left with his two sons – Vidar and Jorgen, no money, no work, and another rejected sculpture.

Eventually, the darkness lifted.  Jensen made some positive, professional relationships.  He spent a few years touring France and Italy – studying different types of art – particularly, the art nouveau style which would become his trademark.  This time of traveling and experiencing all different types of art caused Jensen to let go of his tunnel vision view of himself as a sculptor and open his mind to becoming more.

Pictured above are Georg Jensen acorn sterling salt cellars available right here from The McNally Company Antiques Inc.

Check back for Thursday’s blog to learn how Jenson’s business blossomed into what it is today and to learn more about his fascinating personal life.  Don’t forget to browse our silver collection at Latique!

 

Art Nouveau Silver: All Sorts of Whimsy…

By: Carly Hill, latiqueantiques.com Staff Writer

This week, Latique Antique’s blog is dipped in silver.  We’ve recently welcomed The McNally Company Antiques Inc. folks into our community and couldn’t have asked for a better source on silver.  Take a look at Wednesday’s blog to learn about Connie McNally’s journey – 11 years of which she spent running the show at Silver Magazine. 

Today, we’ll be delving specifically into the brief time period that we call Art Nouveau as it applies to Silver.  The reason we’re featuring this topic is that McNally’s gallery currently has the largest private collection of Art Nouveau silver in the United States.  They recently obtained a private collection which hadn’t been seen in 40 years, outside of a private home.  Of the 67 pieces they began with, McNally still has over 60 of these priceless pieces up for grabs.  Even more exciting, these aren’t 67 spoons we’re talking about.  These are large pieces – centerpieces, candelabras, trays, and more.

Art Nouveau was only briefly popular.  It was made between the years of 1890 – 1910 – only a 20 year fad, but a fad that took over the world and influenced all types of art.

“It was a period when not only silver but all types of art embraced beautiful forms – it did include flowery, beautiful women, waves, fish, butterflies, etc.  It included, in many ways, aspects from earlier periods all incorporated into one with a lot of [Asian] influence,” said Phil Dreis in a video interview.  Dreis owns The Antique Cupboard and is the author of the book “The Warman’s Sterling Silver Flatware: Value and Identification Guide.”

McNally carries a number of Gorham silver pieces as well.  Gorham revolutionized silver in his time.  He took machinery that was being used to make silver pieces and threw it out.  In 1896, Martele became popular.  Silversmith’s started making pieces by hand again – primitively – hand carved.  They used 950 sterling instead of 925 sterling which created a softer look.  A lot of man hours went into this new endeavor, but about 8600 Martele pieces came from it.

You’ll hear people use the word “whiplash” when describing the art nouveau style.  This came from a quote in Pan Magazine in 1894, describing Hermann Orbist’s wall hanging “Cyclamen.”  The piece was described as having, “sudden violent curves generated by the crack of a whip.”    The characteristic curves of art nouveau pieces are often called whiplash.

This extravagant, flowery style led to a style that went entirely the other direction – plain and stark.  Art Nouveau Silver is so collectible because of its uniqueness and rarity.  Silver of all sorts, at this time, had motifs of women with the long, flowing hair, angels, cherubs, fairies, sprites, animals, flowers, and all sorts of other whimsy.  Whether your home is a whimsical wonderland or in need of some more frills, art nouveau silver is an elegant way to add some spice.

The magnificent figural oval centerpiece pictured above is available from The McNally Company Antiques Inc. right here.  There’s plenty more where that came from.  Check out their extensive inventory of art nouveau silver.  Happy Latiquing!

 

Silver: “…bright and beautiful…”

By: Carly Hill, latiqueantiques.com Staff Writer

Assigned chores are not what get most kids bouncing off the walls with excitement.  For almost all, doing chores is a CHORE.  But, young Connie McNally loved her chores growing up because she got to polish the family silver collection.  “I have a love of silver that started when I was very young and it’s continued throughout my life.  I find it gratifying when it’s a dark piece and you clean it and it becomes bright and beautiful,” says McNally, describing the act of polishing silver with the excitement of a child.

Connie McNally of The McNally Company Antiques Inc. has a staggering list of accomplishments.  She opened her first antique shop in 1976, purchased Silver Magazine and took over as editor and publisher for 11 years.   Connie and Bill McNally have over 33 years of experience in the Antique Industry, so when you buy from McNally, you’re buying from dealers who know what they’re selling.  Connie walked me through the different pieces that they are featuring in their shop.  Not only does McNally find treasures, but they research the origins of their pieces as well.

When I asked Connie what the highlight of her career was, she didn’t miss a beat before gushing over her “labor of love” – Silver Magazine.  Connie loved working with authors and historians, but one of the most rewarding aspects of running the magazine was helping people find out the true origins of the silver pieces they owned.  Working with experts in the field, she was often able to uncover mistakes and reveal the true origin and history of the silver pieces.

The McNally Company Antiques Inc., located in Rancho Santa Fe, California, carries more than just silver.  You can find jewelry, mirrors, furniture, glass, rugs, etc.  However, since Connie’s “thing is silver,” if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.  McNally currently carries the largest private collection of art nouveau silver in the United States.  “It was 40 years in the collecting and has not been seen in 40 years outside of a private home, so we’re very happy to have it.”  They started out with 67 pieces and still have over 60 pieces left.  “We’re very excited because these are large pieces – centerpieces, candelabra, there are trays and you can see as time progressed where the art nouveau, the flowers, the mermaids with the flowing hair started going into whiplashes and started going into more arts and crafts and then into the deco.”

The piece pictured above is an exquisite art nouveau silver oval figural centerpiece and is available right here.

McNally also carries flatware, Georg Jenson, Trophies, Hollowware, and Gorham.  Check back, right here, on Saturday to learn specifically about Art Nouveau Silver.  In the mean time, scroll through Latique’s collection of sparkling silver!