A Colorful Introduction To Antique Chinese Cloisonné Treasures

Many people dream of traveling to China to learn more about that country's distinctive history, culture, food, and landscape. From the art historian and collector's perspectives, China is also well known for its production of elaborately detailed household and decorative items, including bowls, vases, and statues. Due to their quality and craftsmanship, many of these pieces can be centuries old. I was recently introduced to two of these remarkable vintage Chinese treasures at a recent New England Antique Show. I was particularly drawn to them because of their elegant cloisonné details...I can only imagine the time and talent that must have been involved in bringing these items to life.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote "Never laugh at live dragons" in his beloved book, The Hobbit. Taking that advice to heart, you can certainly at least smile at our first item which is adorned with one of these mythical masterpieces! Here we have a nineteenth century cloisonné ewer with a highly detailed copper dragon handle. Ewers are elaborately decorated pitchers with handles and flaring spouts. The ewer itself is 12" tall. Except for four decorative rings around the piece, the body of the pitcher is covered in colorful cloisonné swirls and floral motifs. Cloisonné - the art of decorating an object with ground glass that has been fired in an oven - had its origins in the middle ages but became popular as an art form in China in the 1400's. The piece has a "royal" feel to it and for good reason; the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor of China and the yellow color - the prominent background hue - is historically referred to as "Imperial yellow."

In order to truly appreciate this vase, it is important to understand the role of dragons in traditional Chinese culture and art. The exact origins of dragons in Chinese culture are not certain; some scholars say they are a composite of several different ancient totems while others feel they may be modeled on an ancient breed of saltwater crocodile that once inhabited China centuries ago. Regardless of their exact history, dragons are a symbol of power, strength, and good luck in China. Chinese dragons are also very different from European dragons, which are generally considered evil and dangerous. Chinese dragons embody auspicious and positive powers, including control of water and rainfall (which might explain why there's a dragon on this vessel designed to hold water!) And unlike their European cousins - who tend to be larger, heavier, and muscular - Chinese dragons tend to be lanky, slender, scaled, and snake-like, exactly as depicted on this elegant ewer.

It is clear the dragon ewer is worthy of an empress, and here is one to fit that bill perfectly. Here we have a truly outstanding cloisonné empress figure standing on a carved wooden base from the mid 1800's. The empress is 16" and has an ivory face and hands. She is wearing a traditional, elaborate, very feminine robe with long flowing sleeves. It is interesting to note that on her shoulders are large yellow floral motifs, possibly alluding to her societal rank. She is also detailed with an intricate headpiece and necklace; both are made from gilt silver.

Like the dragon ewer, this empress figure reflects an important element of traditional Chinese culture. The empress is holding what is called a ruyi scepter in the form of a fungus. This shapely accessory is a symbol of power and good fortune. Reference to ruyi first appeared in writings of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). Over the centuries, a ruyi has been interpreted as a ceremonial scepter, a back scratcher, and a conversation starter, among other things. Historically, a ruyi is long and narrow, has a head patterned after a fist, cloud, or mushroom, and has a S-shaped handle. Ruyi can be made from just about any material; the Palace Museum in Beijing has a collection of over 3,000 ruyi that are made from - among other things - precious metals, iron, bamboo, wood, ivory, coral, rhinoceros horn, lacquer, crystal, jade, and precious gems.

I would like to thank Jim Dolph of JSD Antiques for this beautiful and colorful introduction to antique Chinese cloisonné treasures. Jim is a lifetime collector of Asian Art and has been a dealer for 15 years. JSD Antiques carries a full line of Asian antiques primarily spanning China, Japan, India and Thailand and specializes in netsukes, ivory, bronze, cloisonné, and period ceramics. He will be showing these and other collectibles at the upcoming New England Antique Show's Cape Cod event on August 28th and 29th. For more information on the dragon ewer or Empress statue, please contact Jim directly at jsdolph@comcast.net.

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Getting Right to the Point of These Remarkable Lea Stein Pins

Quick question for you:  When I say "plastics", what's the first thing that comes to mind?  A bagging option at the grocery store?  Career advice for a young Dustin Hoffman in the classic movie "The Graduate?"  How about beautiful and collectible jewelry?  Don't worry, I didn't think so either... until I came across these simply stunning treasures at New England Antique Show's recent Elm Bank event.  Take a look at these palm sized works of art and the interesting history behind them!

Ok, I'll get right to the point here.  What we have here is a colorful collection of vintage plastic pins by French designer Lea Stein.  Stein, who has been acknowledged as "the most notable and innovative designer of plastic jewelry of the 20th century" by authorities in the decorative arts field, has been creating playful plastic pins, bracelets, pendants, and button since the 1960's.  Her work has been featured at exhibitions across the world and is collected by celebrities and politicians - including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who features one of Stein's pins in her 2009 publication, "Read My Pins, Stories From a Diplomat's Jewel Box."  Her original Stein polar bear pin from the book is featured here to the left.  

Lea was always artistically focused and began her career in the textiles industry in 1957.  She soon discovered plastics and the potential they held for creating decorative objects.  With the help of her husband, the chemist Ferdinand Steinberger, the couple developed a proprietary way of layering very thin sheets of specialty plastics into "sandwiches", which were then laminated, baked, and then cut into shapes.  Over time, Stein perfected the process and developed ways to embed different colors, textures, fabrics, and objects into the plastic "sandwiches", opening the door to an infinite variety of creative options for her artwork. The picture to the left shows the same Lea Stein design produced in six different material and color combinations... as you can see, it could be possible to build a collection of Lea Stein jewelry based on one or two designs alone!

Stein's creations have several common characteristic features.  All are made from rhodoid, which is the technical name for her distinctive "plastic sandwich" material.  Her designs are upbeat, optimistic, and playful; pets, animals, luxury cars, children, and celebrities are among her most common themes.  (Even John Travolta has been captured in rhodoid by Stein... see illustration to the left!)  Each of her baubles is colorful, relatively simple in design, and relies on layering and textures to communicate their details.  Every pattern is given a name and is produced in many color palates. Finally, each Stein original has a "v" shaped silver colored clasp - engraved with "Lea Stein Paris" - securely fastened to the back of the piece. 

It is interesting to note that many people mistakenly assume Stein's jewelry is from the 1920's and made from "bakelite", a better known early plastic material.  That is understandable given that Stein's designs are plastic and have an older, "1920's art deco" feeling to them. Bakelite was invented by Dr. Leo Baekland between 1907 and 1909 and used for many purposes, including kitchenware, decorative household items, pipe stems, and telephones, among a myriad of other applications.  Bakelite was even tested as a possible new material for the penny in 1943! Relative to the fashion industry, bakelite was instrumental in making costume jewelry affordable and accessible to the mainstream consumer in the United States, and by 1936 it is estimated that two-thirds of all US manufactured costume jewelry was produced from bakelite.  Although Lea Stein's wonderful work is not from the 1920's and not made from bakelite, it is safe to say that these two relevant historical factors have been influential in her design direction.  

I don't mean to pin anyone down here, but Amy Brandow Jackson and Bob Brandow of Laurel Antiques get full credit for introducing me to the wonderful world of Lea Stein!  Laurel Antiques is based in Maine and specializes in hand painted porcelain, art pottery, costume jewelry and accessories.  They sell online at www.laurelofmaine.com and at various antique shows throughout the year, including the upcoming New England Antique Show's Cape Cod event on August 28th and 29th.  Please contact Amy or Bob at laurelofmaine@roadrunner.com for more information about their fabulous collection of Lea Stein jewelry!  

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The Arts and Crafts Version of "Heavy Metal"

As a vintage enthusiast, it is quite exciting to come across a "new" area in the "old" world of antiques.  So I couldn't help but start to meddle... oops, I mean METAL, in the details of Heintz when this beautiful arts and crafts-era art form featuring bronze and sterling silver was brought to my attention.  I learned of this distinctly American manufacturer at a recent New England Antique Shows event where a large collection of Heintz accessories and household decorative items was on display. Let's put the "pedal to the metal" and learn a bit more about this handsome and functional line of turn of last century goods.  

According to David Surgan, a Heintz expert, Heintz items were produced  by Otto Heintz, a gentleman who came from a family of jewelers based in western New York state.  At the turn of the 20th century, Mr. Heintz bought a small manufacturing company, renamed it the Art Crafts Shop, and began designing and manufacturing high quality, handsomely decorated metal goods. Over time, his product line grew to include vases and bowls, candlesticks, smoking accessories, trophies, desk accessories, picture frames, bookends and jewelry, among other items.  An attractive Heintz bowl decorated with a seed-pod motif is featured here above on the left. 

Heintz was very industrious in his designs and production processes. He was granted three patents for his distinctive style and manufacturing techniques. Early Heintz goods were copper with enamel decoration. By 1906 the company began producing bronze items with sterling silver as ornamentation; that same year the company again changed its name to the Heintz Art Metal Shop. The definitive patent for applying sterling silver to bronze without solder was granted in 1912 to Otto Heintz.  Typical Heintz silver decorations included florals, trees, grapevines, nature panoramas, and other arts and crafts motifs.  In some more "masculine" lines, such as tobacco related items, Heintz detailed pieces with spider webs, viking ships, and golfing scenes. A Heintz cigarette box with a viking theme is pictured here above on the left.

Over time, the older Art Crafts Shop hammered “look” was replaced by a series of machine-shaped bodies with sophisticated patinas.  These finishes were possible due to the artisan-friendly properties of bronze.  Some of these patinas included deep chocolate brown, moss-like mottled green, iridescent red (called Royal), gold, acid-etched silver with black "highlights", and hand-stippled French Grey silver, among others.  These lovely colored Heintz items were popular wedding gifts and were sold through high-end gift shops and department stores of the time, including Macy’s, Ovington, B. Altman and Company, and Cross.  

Although Otto Heintz passed away unexpectedly in 1918, the company continued to do business through 1930, when it - and many others - fell on hard times and closed its doors in part to the Great Depression.  

Heintz collectibles are striking either displayed alone or in groups.  Here is a collection of prototypical Heintz metalware vases, bookends, and frames.  They are detailed with realistic or stylized trees, flowers, and other organic forms. Just for reference, the vases are generally priced from $250 upwards, the bookends from $175 upwards, and the frames at $500 upwards.

The Heintz Art Metal Shop also produced stunning lamps.  Here is a unique 9 inch tall square lamp with an original mica shade liner; from a collector's perspective, this piece is truly in a class by itself. It is pure Arts and Crafts in style with its Japanesque cutout shade; equally at home in a California mission interior or a "mid-century modern" setting which is quite popular today. This lamp is $7,000 while other Heintz lamps with cutout shades and mica liners start at about $1,500.

I would like to thank David Surgan for this great introduction to the "heavy metal" of Arts and Crafts collectibles.  David has been collecting, researching, lecturing, exhibiting, and writing about Otto Heintz and Heintz metalware items for more than 15 years.  He exhibits at the major Arts and Crafts period specialty shows and a few select high end general antique shows, including those produced by New England Antique Shows.  David will be attending the upcoming NEAS' Antiques on Cape Cod event, August 28-29, 2010. Check out David's website, http://www.heintzcollector.com/ for more information about Otto Heintz, the history of Heintz products, and to view a delightful range of Heintz metalcraft items for sale.  

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Whetting Your Appetite To Solve A Vintage Haviland Mystery

There's really need to butter me up to check out really beautiful and unusual antique finds!  Take a look at this "mystery" piece of china, which I discovered at a recent New England Antique Shows event.  Can you "rise to the top" and figure out its function?

First, a little bit about the item itself.  This charming, white porcelain basket-shaped treasure is made by Haviland Limoges.  It has an elegant double twisted handle and a covered, bowed hollow bottom chamber. There are drainage pores, in the shape of a flower, in the center of the main surface.  Overall, the basket measures about 7 3/4" long and about 4" high.  Its back stamp dates the piece to the late 1800's. 

Any antique enthusiast cannot help but recognize the unique beauty of this basket.  This gold-trimmed piece is part of the very hard to find Haviland "Meadow Visitors" series.  Haviland produced this labor-intensive pattern from 1876 through 1899.   Like its name implies, items in this series are covered in intricately detailed, hand painted grasses, flowers, birds and butterflies.  Each piece is truly a work of art and a one of a kind treasure; many are also uniquely highlighted with hand-detailed enamel accents.  Some pieces in the "Meadow Visitors" series feature fruits, seasonal wildflowers, and colorful backgrounds and borders.   The illustration to the left shows a close up of the hand work associated with a "Meadow Visitors" plate; note the lifelike butterflies, pears, and assorted pink field flowers. 

Haviland also produced a full spectrum of tablewear in the "Meadow Visitors" pattern.   Each nature-inspired piece was designed to surprise and delight the users, bringing them to a calm and beautiful place.  The idea of using bird and butterflies came about in the 1880's as a result of Europe's fascination with all things Asian.   The picture on the left is of a "Meadow Visitors" pattern asparagus dish; note the use of swirling textures and forms that add a peaceful and balanced feeling to the serving piece. 

So any idea of the function of this charming piece of china? Here's a hint to "grease" your thinking wheels. According to Joseph Addison, an English essayist, poet, dramatist, and statesman who lived from 1672 through 1719,  "All well-regulated families set apart an hour every morning for tea and bread and butter."  Yes, what we have here is an ingeniously designed butter basket! Chilled water was poured into the small opening on the side of the basket, and the butter was placed on the top. The cool water helped keep the the butter pieces chilled, and therefore firm, on the dining room table.  The photo above on the left shows the opening where the water entered (and exited) the basket bottom's cooling chamber. 

I hope solving this pastoral puzzler has whetted your appetite to discover your own great finds at a New England Antique Shows event!  I would like to thank Marie Maguire of Holly Lane Antiques for sharing this butter basket with us.  Holly Lane Antiques specializes in antique Haviland Limoges China. Holly Lane will be appearing at the upcoming New England Antique Show at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA on July 24th and 25th. For more information about the "Meadow Visitors" butter dish featured here, please contact Marie directly at hollyln@sprintmail.com.

What is your very favorite antiquing, vintage, or design find? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.

Learn more about New England Antique Shows and their upcoming events by clicking here!