Posts Tagged ‘art deco designs’

French Art Deco Furniture: SOLID ROSEWOOD OFFICE CHAIR, MACASSAR CHAIR, DEMI-LUNE SIDE TABLE, CENTRE TABLE.

FRANCE, ESPECIALLY PARIS, was the hub
of the lavish, or “high-style”, strain of Art Deco. The sumptuous, graceful furniture that was created in the 1920s by Emile Jacques Ruhlmann (see p.393) set the tone for this version of the style.
DUAL INSPIRATION
Using a host of exotic woods for decorative veneers, and embellishments made of colourful and expensive materials, ranging from ivory to lacquer and from leather to sharkskin, Ruhlmann and his colleagues – who included Paul Follot, Andre Groult, Jules Leleu, Leon-Albert Jallot, and Louis Sue and Andre Mare at the
Compagnic des Arts Francais – sought inspiration from the opulent furniture crafted by the fine cabinet-makers of the 18th century, such as Jean-Henri Riesener and Adam Weisweiler.
Ruhlmann and his associates
were also influenced by Art Nouveau (1880-1910). They took the sinuous lines, organic forms, and naturalistic motifs of that movement and restrained and stylized them, giving their pieces a more geometric form. Their exquisitely crafted Art Deco cabinets, tables, and writing desks were much coveted by an exclusive and wealthy clientele who sought status. Their
work was extensively displayed at the 1925 Paris Exhibition (see pp.392-93), bringing it to the attention of a much wider public.
LUXURIOUS MATERIALS
Jailor – who worked with his son Maurice – and Leleu favoured a rich palette of warm woods, such as walnut, palisander, and amboyna, enhanced With understated marquetry created with ivory, eggshell, shagreen, or mother-of-pearl. This often featured
signature Art Deco motifs, such as stylized garlands or baskets of flowers. Sue and Mare created luxurious, theatrical furniture in the Louis-Philippe style, and the decorating firm of Dominique produced stylish and sophisticated furniture in woods such as ebony and sycamore, upholstered in colourful silks, leather, and velvet.
The most exotic form of French Art Deco was realized in the innovative furniture created by Eileen Gray, Dunand, and Pierre Legrain. Both Gray and Dunand exploited the popularity of Oriental art by creating distinctive lacquered screens, tables, cabinets, and chairs, in which the lacquer was
often combined with other luxurious materials, such as tortoiseshell, eggshell, animal skins, and metal, to create a rather dramatic impression. Legrain was one of several designers inspired by African art.
TOWARDS MODERNISM
After 1925, some of the most committed French traditionalists, such as the
jallots, slowly began to adapt to the changes brought about by both the machine age and the introduction to furniture design of new materials, such as metal and glass. As a result, their later Art Deco designs are distinctly more Modernist in appearance They set the stage for the Modernist furniture created by designers such as Pierre Chareau and Francis Jourdain
Wrought-iron gates designed by Edgar Brandt
The stylized water fountain of these fine gates has swirling stems of leaves and pierced flowers, and vines run along the bottom. c.1924.

CENTRE TABLE
This centre table, designed by Maurice Dufrene, has a veneered table top supported by ornately moulded S-scroll legs. The table top is made from several different pieces of wood, which meet at the centre of the table. The contrasting patterns and textures of the woods used form the main decorative feature of the table
as, seen from above, they create a subtle, radiating geometric pattern. The moulded block feet are carved and support a small circular level with a carved rope design around the outer edge. A centre table was designed to be primarily ornamental rather than functional – to furnish the space in the middle of the room where it would also be the centre of attention. c.1925.
DEMI-LUNE SIDE “TABLE
This Louis Sue and Andre Mare bird’s-eye maple and mahogany demi-lune table has a broad crossbanded top above a thumb-moulded edge and a single frieze drawer. The table is supported on cabriole legs.
AMBOYNA CABINET
This amboyna cabinet has two central doors flanked by five small drawers on each side, each of which is decorated with ivory handles and inlay. The cabinet was designed and stamped by Paul Follot, and its symmetry and restrained style typify the elegant French Art Deco style. c.1925.

TABLE BAR
GILT-METAL TABLE
This table by Rene Prou is rectangular in shape and has elegant cabriole legs reminiscent of the early 18th-century Rococo style. The table is made of gilt metal and has a decorative pierced frieze of linked circles below the table top. c.1937.
MACASSAR CHAIR
This luxurious ebony and rosewood macassar chair, designed by Paul Follot, is one of a set of four. Each chair has a stylized acorn back within a “theatre drape curtain” arched back, carved by Laurent Malcles.
SOLID ROSEWOOD OFFICE CHAIR
This rare Edgar Brandt chair was one of a set designed for Brandt’s own offices. The arched high back extends above boldly scrolling T-shaped arms. The tapering legs terminate in gilt sabots. c.1932.
This Jules Leleu sycamore and mahogany table bar has a rectangular top above a rectangular section column. The fall front encloses a bar compartment with a single drawer below, located in the column. Its interior is veneered in contrasting mahogany.
This low stool is made of rosewood embellished with zebrano banding. The seat cushion is upholstered in a fabric that is typical of an Art Deco printed pattern, with overlapping geometric shapes, inspired by abstract art. c.1928.
LOW ROSEWOOD STOOL
BUTTON-BACKED CHAIR
One of a pair of square button-backed chairs by Marc du Plantier, this chair has square-section legs at the front and sabre legs at the back. The legs are made from painted wood and terminate in parchment sabots. The chair is newly upholstered in calfskin. c.1935.

Art Deco Glass
After a decline at the end of the Art Nouveau period, art glass became popular once again during the inter-war years. France was the leader in design and innovation, with the prolific Rene Lalique being the foremost glassmaker in the Art Deco style. Functional pieces were very often turned to purely decorative purposes, and Lalique’s moulded, opalescent, or frosted glass,
ranging from vases to architectural panels, spawned a gre many imitators. In the USA the Steuben Glass Works produce fine engraved stemware. Moulded glass was usually max produced and sometimes hand-finished; makers also used such techniques as enamelling and engraving to embellish glass -will the fashionable stylized motifs of the era.
Lalique, Daum, and Marinot Glass
European industrial decorative-glass manufacturers of the Art Deco period, most of which operated in France or Bohemia, were primarily influenced by the work of Rene Lalique ( 1860-1945). Many chose to copy his style and techniques, making clear or opalescent glass vessels and statuary with a frosted finish. The wealth of output provides a wide range of choice for collectors, and many focus on only one category, or even on one colour or motif. The present-day market is similarly led by Lalique prices, and most glass by other manufacturers, found throughout Europe, North America, and beyond, rarely rises above decorative value.
RENE LALIQUE Glass
Lalique began glassmaking in 1910, having already established a successful career as the leading jeweller of the Art Nouveau period, and in 1921 took over a large glassworks at Wingen-sur-Moder in Alsace to produce his designs. He was a prolific designer, and made an enormous variety of items, ranging from , and tablewares to clocks, lighting, and architectural panels. Most of his work was machine-made to a high standard. Lalique relied on metal moulds for casting or mould-blowing glass, and many items, particularly panels and larger vessels, show evidence of “chill marks”, or ripples, on the surface. Mould seams were often left, or only partially polished off. Certain objects, including vases, were made by Lalique himself (rather than by the workshop) using the cire perdue (lost-wax) technique. Since the mould has to be broken in order to retrieve the glass, each cire perdue cast is unique, and such items are highly collectable.
The majority of Lalique wares, and virtually all architectural panels, lighting, and table glass, are clear with a frosted or partially frosted surface. Opalescent glass was also used. Some vases were produced in colours, including amber, electric blue, and black, and these command
premium prices. Lalique created various forms of lighting, often in inventive shapes or containing geometric or figural decoration. Clear or opalescent light bowls are generally more desirable than those of a Yellow colour. Lalique designed several hundred perfume bottles, the rarest and best of which are as valuable as some coloured vases. Other categories of collectable interest include the range of 27 automobile-hood ornaments (car mascots), made from 1925 to 1932, boxes, inkwells, ashtrays, and letter seals.
THE INFLUENCE OF LALIQUE GLASS
Marius-Ernest Sabino (1878-1961) produced a wide range of vases, statuary, and lighting from c.1923 until the closure of his glassworks in 1939. Much of his work clearl displays the influence of Lalique; however, few examples are as finely executed as Lalique wares, nor were Sabino’s designs as imaginative. The best examples are in deep, opalescent glass of milky blue. Most popular are the highly stylized figures of women, while coloured vases, mostly black or smoky topaz, have a limited following. Sabino also
produced car mascots, often copies of designs by Lalique. Reproductions of Sabino’s wares using the Original moulds have been made since the 1960x.
Edmond Etling &- Cie (active 1920x-1930x) commissioned moulded opalescent glass, comparable in standards of design and manufacture to Sabino. Figures of draped female nudes produced during the mid-1920s, often in a pale-bluish tint, are especially collectable, with values rivalling Sabino and lesser Lalique. Other typical subjects were animals and ships, and some vases were also produced.
Other French glassmakers in Lalique style include the firm of Verlys, which operated in France and the USA; Andre Hunebelle, who specialized in lighting and frosted vases of geometric design; and the firm of Genet & Michon, makers of innovative lighting, frosted architectural panels, and vases. A large variety of frosted glass, geometric-patterned
glass geometric-patte lampshades, and hanging lights is reproduced today and can be found at reasonable cost.
DAUM GLASS
The factory operated by the Daum family in Nancy from 1875 to the present day produced some of the best and most distinctive French Art Deco glass of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Daum Specialized in artistic Art Nouveau overlay and etched glass until the
1920s, but introduced new lines in the Art Deco style before 1930, mostly under the direction of Paul Daum. The two most characteristic types of Art Deco Daum glass are the mottled and the acid-etched lines.
Mottled glass was usually of amber colour, often with golden metallic inclusions, and was used for vases and some lamps (which are far more desirable than vessels), blown into heavy metal armatures. The typical wrought-iron metalwork may be signed “Edgar Brandt” or attributable to the firm of Louis Majorelle 1859-1926) in Nancy. Daum glass of this type is relatively low in value as pieces tend to be cumbersome and a little sombre.
Vases, bowls, and table-lamps in heavy, thick-walled, vividly coloured glass with deeply acid-etched decoration are the most collectable Art Deco Daum. Colours include green, amethyst, amber, turquoise, and grey; monumental vases in “electric” colours, particularly bright blue and vibrant yellow, are highly sought after. Matt and polished surfaces were sometimes combined. Value is directly in proportion to the depth and complexity of the etched decoration; vessels with shallow, sparse decoration tend to be of later origin and are relatively inexpensive. Pale colours and a smoky grey arc also indicative of late origin (possibly post-World War II). Table-lamps are usually in thick, clear glass with a frosted or grainy surface texture and vertically etched grooves forming a geometric, abstract pattern. Lampshades are bullet-shaped (the more popular) or mushroom-shaped. Any authentic Daum etched table-lamp is of considerable value, particularly if it is of large scale. A few- shades of similar style were also made, but are generally less popular than lamps.
MAURICE MARINOT GLASS
Maurice Marinot (1882-1960) was a painter and glass artist who worked largely independently from c.1911. This glass was not mass-produced and is rarely found on the market; however, it is easily identifiable and widely collected, particularly in Europe. Marinot created mostly functional pieces such as vases, jugs, and bowls, often of abstract, sculptural form, and experimented with decorative techniques such as trapping bubbles or metal foil within thick, heavy walls of glass. Between c.1915 and 1918 Marinot made enamelled glass, which is somewhat less collectable than his later work and consists mainly of pale-coloured or bubbly vases and decanters painted with Art Deco-style flora, fauna, or figures in bright polychrome enamel. Later, internally decorated pieces are often in the form of stoppered bottles (the stopper may be a glass sphere), free-blown in thick, clear glass decorated with bubbling, inclusions, and streaks of colour, and sometimes deeply etched with geometric or figural patterns.
Rene Lalique
• TYPES before 1930: clear glass with partially frosted finish is most common; after 1930: almost all frosted and clear; some pale opalescent and pale yellow/amber colour; designs remained in production after Lalique’s death, when a new crystal glass N as used
• ALTERATIONS authentic but altered pieces of Lalique include vases with ground necks, perfume bottles with “married” stoppers, and opaque vases with “plugged” bases; all designs are recorded in a catalogue raisonne
• FAKES mostly inferior and of poor quality with signatures added; beware of post-war Lalique with the pre-war signature added
Marius-Ernst Sabino
• TYPES opalescent glass using typical Art Deco motifs
• REPRODUCTIONS since the 1960s old moulds have been used to make certain items; the opalescence is more intense than on the originals and map appear “oily-
• COLLECTING large, stylized female figures are the most popular
Etling & Cie
• TYPES most pieces are in opalescent glass, comparable in standard to Sabino
• COLLECTING figures of draped female nudes produced during the mid-1920s 920s are especially collectable; values rival Sabino and lesser Lalique; reproductions in frosted glass were made in France in the 1970s
Marks
Opalescent glass is marked with the name, usually with “France” or “Paris” added
Daum
• TYPES most characteristic are mottled and acid-etched
• FAKES these exist as similar but ulterior pieces, including table-lamps, that appear to be acid-etched hut can be identified as moulded on close inspection
• COLLECTING monumental vases in “electric” colours
with deeply acid-etched decoration are preferred; metal armatures are often cracked and should be inspected
carefully;depth, quality,and complexity of decoration Lire vital for determining value – vessels with shallow, sparse decoration tend to be of later origin and have little value; pale colours and a smoky grey are indicative of later origin (possibly post-World War II)
Maurice Marinot
• TYPES handmade, small-scale items with heavy, thick-walled glass arc most typical; much of Marinot’s work is internally decorated or enamelled
• COLLECTING work is rare and consequently expensive
Marks
All pieces are engraved with the Marinot signature
Other French makers
ARGY-ROUSSEAU AND DECORCHEMONT
The style of the pate-de-verre (glass paste) specialists Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953) and Francois-Emile Decorchemont (1880-1971) evolved from the Art Nouveau to the Art Deco during the 1920s. Argy-Rousseau produced vases decorated with stylized figures or geometric patterns in rich colours, together with table-lamps (the most valuable of all Art Deco pate-de-verre), plaques, and some translucent pate-de-cristal vessels. Popular Argy-Rousseau Vases were produced in large numbers, each one being hand-finished; motifs included Egyptian and mythological subjects. The output of Decorchemont, whose work is less collectable than that of Argy-Rousseau, is mainly in pate-de-cristal, often of bluish tone. Small vessels of Neo-classical form are typical. External decoration is subtle, and may be in the form of geometric engraving.
GOUPY AND HEILIGENSTEIN
Working from his Paris studio between 1918 and c.1936, Marcel Goupy (1886-1954) designed glass and ceramics sold mostly through the gallery of Georges Rouard in Paris. Goupy glass includes thin-walled vases, decanters, and goblets in clear or pale monochrome glass, painted with stylized flora, fauna, or figural decoration in semi-matt polychrome enamels. Auguste-Claude Heiligenstein (1891-1976) was an assistant to Goupy at Rouard from 1919 until 1926; he produced enamelled glass for several firms and independent commissions until the mid-1930s. Heiligenstein specialized in figural decoration, often featuring Neo-classical women in translucent enamels. Colours are naturalistic, often predominantly bluish and sometimes edged in gilt. Forms include vases, decanters, and pendants.
Other French Art Deco glass artists who used enamel decoration include Andre Delatte, who worked near Nancy in the 1920s and made mostly vases in opaque, bright colours. In his best pieces the decoration combines etching overlay with polychrome enamel painting. The firm of Muller Freres (est. 1895) in Luneville made speckled glass comparable to Daum c.1930, which may be fixed with metal armatures. The most valuable glass of this type was used for a series of lamps in the form of animals.
LESSER-KNOWN MAKERS
French Art Deco glass by small or lesser-known makers is widely available and varies greatly in quality. The unique, deeply acid-etched sculptural work of Aristide Colotte (1885-1959) in clear crystal ranks among the highest achievements in Art Deco decorative glass, but not widely collected. Similarly, the strikingly Modernists geometric glass desk items designed by Jean Luce (1895-1964) arc not greatly sought after, despite the practicality. Luce also designed glass for the ocean liners of the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique
(C.G.T.). Other Art Deco glass includes the
popular range of vases, lamps, and other wares
produced by Charles Schneider (1881-1953) from
c.1918 until the early 1930s. Most is of mottled.
bubbly glass mould-blown into heavily walled
vases and bowls. Vessels of this type, which may have applied feet or handles of contrasting colour, are common and of relatively little value. Schneider produced vases and a few table-lamps as “Lc Verre Francais”, typically in overlay glass etched with Art Deco decoration.
Argy-Rousseau and Decorchement
• WARES before c.1920: mostly small, Art Nouveau pieces, including jewellery and ashtrays; after c. 1920: larger items, including vases, in a more symmetrical style
• CONVERSIONS attention should be paid to large vases,
which may have been drilled for lamp attachments
• RESTORATION this may be visible on heavy, opaque pieces through transmitted light, and reduces value
• COLLECTING rich, deep colours and well-defined decoration are most desirable; heavier vases are popular
Goupy and Heiligenstein
• DECORATION polychrome enamelling
• COLLECTING Goupy: large-scale works and figural work are his most collectable pieces
Marks
Goupy: enamel or gilt script in the design or on underside of foot; Heiligenstein: most have an enamel or gilt signature, dates, and title of decoration
Lesser-known makers
• COLLECTING Luce: desk items arc popular with Art Deco collectors; Schneider: mould-blown vessels are common and of relatively little value; large pieces, geometric forms, lamps, and pieces with applied elements are the more valuable Schneider wares

Most American glass made during the inter-war years was in traditional style and of press-moulded manufacture, but inexpensive interpretations of French glass, particularly that of Rene Lalique (1860-1945), were popular during the early 1930x. American glass of this period is rarely found outside the USA, as it was not exported; a thriving network of American-glass collectors exists, but there is virtually no interest in this type of Art Deco glass elsewhere in the world.
STEUBEN GLASS
Steuben Glassworks (est. 1903) was founded in Corning, New York, by the Englishman Frederick Carder (1864-1963). Steuben is the most prestigious and highly regarded American glassmaker, partly owing to its elegant and distinctive work in the Art Deco style.
Before 1933 Carder designed much of Steuben’s ware himself; after that date most Steuben Art Deco glass was designed by John Monteith Gates (6.1905) or
Sidney Waugh (1904-63), who worked almost exclusively in clear crystal. Steuben glass is not Modernist or avant-garde; vase forms are typically restrained, often of Neo-classical or Chinese inspiration. Engraved decoration is impressive, comparable to that of contemporary glass made by the Swedish firm of Orrefors (est. 1898). Much of the engraving is figural, featuring slender forms with subtle, geometric stylization. During the late 1930s and 1940s Steuben also produced a range of heavy, cast, clear crystal animals, some in geometric Art Deco designs, for use as bookends and paperweights; these are highly collectable today. Decanters, often with air-trapped stoppers, are also common.
Stemware, bar items, and a few elegant vases designed for Steuben by the leading industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague ( 1883-1960) in the early 1930s are considered among the most innovative American Art Deco glass. Teague’s slender, elegant Art Deco cocktail and wineglasses are comparable in value to the best Lalique pieces.
VERLYS AND CACIQUE-STYLE GLASS
The trademark “Verlys” derives from “Venetic d’Andelys”, a French glassworks (est. 1920) in Les Andelys, Lure, founded by the American Holophane Glass Co. However, from c.1933 until 1955 most decorative Verlys wares were made in the USA, and pieces are often found on the market there today. Verlys ware is growing in popularity in the USA and also has some market in Europe. Typical of the factory’s output arc press-moulded vases and bowls, mostly with symmetrical patterns evocative of Lalique, in deep-bluish Opalescent glass. Smoky-grey, blue, and pink are rare and generally less popular; even the best designs have values comparable only to those of the plainest Lalique. From 1926 the Consolidated Lamp & Glass Co. of
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, produced an inexpensive range of mould-blown vases and some figural plates in the style of Lalique under the direction of Reuben Haley. Production continued on the same site – trading as the Phoenix Glassworks – until the 1940s, under Reuben’s son, Kenneth Haley.
“RUBA RHOMBIC” AND DEPRESSION GLASS Between 1928 and 1933 the Consolidated Lamp & Glass Co. produced a stylish line of vases and table glass called “Ruba Rhombic”. Examples are highly collectable, although the line was relatively inexpensive when first produced. Liqueur sets and small vases in smoky grey are most common. Collectors focus on vibrant or rare colours such as green, yellow, lavender, and black. It is estimated that fewer than 1,500 pieces exist today.
Ruba Rhombic is the finest of the so-called “Depression” glass that was produced by scores of regional firms, and consisted mostly of heavily moulded kitchen- or tableware in pale monochrome, sometimes in the Art Deco style. Depression glass is collectable in the USA but remains very affordable.
Steuben Glassworks
• FORMS Neo-classical or Chinese-style vases, clear crystal animals,decanters with air-trapped stoppers; Art Deco stemware, vases, and barware by Teague
• ORNAMENT engraved, stylized figures or fauna
• COLLECTING elegant Art Deco cocktail and wineglasses are most valuable
Verlys
• FORMS press-moulded vases and bowls, with Lalique style symmetrical patterns
• COLLECTING becoming increasingly popular; opalescent colours are more desirable than smoky grey, blue, or pink
Phoenix Glassworks
• STYLE some copies of, or attempts to emulate, Lalique are found, but they can be distinguished by their light weight, poor definition, poorly finished rims, sugary frosted texture, and use of matt, pastel staining, sometimes in two colours
• COLLECTING as yet of no significant value

Ruba Rhombic glass
• FORMS angular, heavily moulded vases and tableware, mostly= pale monochrome
• COLLECTING angular “Ruba Rhombic” pieces in vibrant or rare colours such as green, yellow, lavender, and black are most desirable

Art DecoCeramics
In the 1920s and 1930s the Art Deco style filtered through into the designs of commercial ceramics manufacturers throughout Europe. Factories such as Sevres in France employed top designers to create fashionable pieces with such typical Art Deco motifs as stylized flowers, plants, female nudes, and exotic animals in bold colours. Commercially produced pieces survive
in larger numbers than those of artist-potters and are becomin with Geometric shapes an increasingly popular with collectors.
clean, functional forms were a legacy of the Bauhaus 1 Germany, being eminently suitable for mass production. British ceramics remained essentially traditional, but bold, bright Art Deco designs were produced by Clarice Cliff.
FRENCH ART POTTERY
Immediately prior to and following World War I, many potters continued to work in the tradition of the reform movements of the 19th century, in which the artisan was responsible for all phases of the production of his or her work. Most of these artist-potters were based in France and explored a wide variety of techniques, including
painting, sgraffito and crackle glazing. Many of them employed the typical Art Deco motifs of stylized female figures and animals, often representing episodes from Classical myths, or geometric forms.
An influential forerunner of the artist-potters was Andre Metthey (1871-1921), who produced richly coloured faience and stoneware vases with decoration designed by such well-known avant-garde artists as Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, and Edouard Vuillard. After World War I Metthey turned to painting his wares with pure geometric motifs of his own design, as well as stylized flowers, plants, and Classical figures in bright colours, usually in friezes or set in medallions.
In the early 20th century many French potters were strongly influenced by Oriental ceramics. Among these was Raoul Lachenal (1855–c.1930), who produced simple, symmetrical stonewares inspired by Oriental forms and painted with stylized floral or geometric patterns in strong, plain colours. Henri Simmen (18801969) was greatly interested in French peasant pottery, and worked with salt and flambe glazes before World War I. After the war he produced handmade stonewares, using natural products to create rich glazes. Simmen’s wares were sometimes incised with symmetrically placed
geometric motifs; ivory, precious wood, or horn lids, finials, and stands were carved by his Japanese wife, O’Kin Simmen. The early designs of Emile Decoeur (18761953) were in the Art Nouveau style, but in the 1920s and 1930s he rejected elaborate surface decoration in favour of pure, symmetrical, Oriental-style forms with a single, brilliantly coloured glaze.
One of the best-known figures in Art Deco French ceramics was Rene Buthaud (1886-1987), whose work is rare and highly collectable. In the mid-1920s he produced simple, bulbous vases and bowls with painted, crackle-glazed, or incised decoration, generally in brown tones. His designs of linear, stylized female figures were influenced by the paintings of Jean Dupas and by African art. Buthaud was among the artists who designed wares for Primavera, the design studio of the Printemps department store in Paris. The Longwy factory also produced wares for Primavera, including pieces with crackle-glazed grounds, which were used as a base for painted decoration.
The painter Jean Mayodon (1893-1967) turned to working in ceramics in 1912 but did not exhibit his pieces until after the war. His vases, bowls, and plates are painted in rich colours and decorated with Classical figures. As well as small decorative pieces, Mayodon produced panels and tiles, some of which were used for the French ocean liners of the 1930s. The French painter Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) collaborated with the Catalan potter Josep Llorens Artigas (1892-1980) on ceramic vases, fountains, and planters decorated with Duty’s trademark motifs of dancers, flowers, and nymphs.
COMMERCIAL WARES
Some of the highest-quality Art Deco ceramics were produced at Sevres from 1920, when the factory came under the direction of George Lechevallier-Chevignard. At the 1925 Paris Exhibition, Sevres displayed vases and tablewares with decorations designed by a number of eminent contemporary artists, including Suzanne Lalique (b.1899), daughter of the jeweller and glassmaker Rene Lalique 1860-1945), Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann
933), and the painter Jean Dupas (1882-1964). These wares were traditional in form but were elaborately embellished with Art Deco motifs. The restrained use of gilding to highlight or outline motifs is also a familiar feature of Sevres wares.
The Limoges firm of Theodore Haviland & Cie (est. 1-9–) also employed Suzanne Lalique and Duty and consequently produced pieces similar to those of Sevres. Lalique designed plates depicting grapes and vines in a palette of black, silver, and green, while Dufy’s wares featured foliage and floral motifs in bright colours. Tableware for Haviland by the glass designer Jean Luce 1895-1964) is characterized by gold-and-platinum stylized clouds, angular sunbursts, and zigzags.
In the 1920s and 1930s the design studios of Parisian department stores produced a wide variety of Art Deco wares for the mass market. La Maitrise, the studio of Galeries es Lafayette, produced a range of household wares manufactured in Belgium. The Compagnie des Arts Francais (est. 1919) produced a variety of utilitarian and decorative wares in an architectonic style, as well as tablewares such as tureens and vegetable dishes with heavy scrolls and floral motifs.
The most important manufacturer of Belgian Art Deco ceramics was the firm of Keramis, owned by Boch Freres, in La Louvriere. Its artistic director from 1907
was Charles Catteau (1880-1966), who designed simple, ovoid-shaped vases, with thickly applied glazes on an often ivory, crackle-glazed background. Like Lachenal, Catteau sometimes used patterns imitating cloisonne enamel, although in the 1920s and 1930s his favoured forms of decoration included Such animals as leaping gazelles and stylized pendant flowers and plants.
In Italy the architect Gio Ponti (18911979) created a range of wares between 1923 and 1930 for the porcelain manufacturers Richard-Ginori (est. 1896) in Doccia. His range included tableware, vases, and urns, which were painted with strongly stylized geometric patterns, architectural forms,
figures, or drapery.
FIGURES
Most French figurative ceramics reflect the general trend for stylized forms. Among the earliest Art Deco examples are the porcelain tea- and coffee-sets (1916-17) designed by the Swiss sculptor Edouard Marcel Sandoz (1881-1971) for Haviland. The teapots, creamers, and other items are modelled as formalized, angular animals and birds. The Parisian firm of Robj produced useful wares in the form of brightly coloured, almost toylike figures in national dress or representing different professions.
From 1928 the Italian firm of Lenci (est. 1919) in Turin produced earthenware and porcelain figures, mainly of women, either nude or in contemporary dress. These figures are more naturalistic than most French examples and are distinguished by elongated limbs, bright-yellow hair, and a combination of matt and glossy glazes. Most Lenci designers are anonymous.
French art pottery
• DECORATION sgraffito, painting, and crackle glazing
• INSPIRATION Classical and Oriental wares
Marks
Buthaud: painted “R. Buthaud”, or painted or incised monogram “RB”
Primavera: Dufy/Artigas: each piece w0.V
should be individually numbered (1-110) C)
Sevres
• STYLE conventional forms based on 18th-century designs are typically decorated with stylized leaves and flowers, and geometric patterns; gilding is common
• COLLECTING pieces are high quality so are relatively expensive even though mass-produced
Keramis/Boch Freres
• FORMS simple, ovoid shapes
• DECORATION patterns imitating cloisonne enamel; stylized flowers, plants, or animals; colours: turquoise, also blue, black, green, and brown
France
• FORMS useful wares such as tea- and coffee-services and decanters, as well as decorative pieces, made in the form of stylized animals, birds, or human figures
Lenci
• FORMS figures of women, nude or in stylish modern dress, often wearing hats; mostly single subjects
• GLAZES matt often combined with shiny finish
• COLLECTING sophisticated pieces most sought after
COMMERCIAL WARES
In Germany, the Bauhaus (est. 1919) opened a ceramics workshop at Dornburg near Weimar, but ceramics were abandoned when the school moved to Dessau in 1925. However, the pure, functional forms used by Bauhaus designers did have some influence on mass-produced ceramics. In 1930, at the State Porcelain Factory in Berlin, Marguerite Friedlander-Wildenhaim (1896-1985), a former Bauhaus student, created the simple, geometric designs of the “Halle” service. Geometric shapes, with soft, rounded contours, were also used by Dr Hermann Gretsch for his designs for the “Arzberg 1382″ service of 1931, which was manufactured by the Carl Schumann factory in Arzberg.
Among the factory’s most collectable products today are its terracotta wall masks. These elongated, highly stylized female faces are hand-painted in bold colours, typically red, yellow, green, and black, and usually have
brightly coloured hair in ringlets. The firm also had a subsidiary in Paris, which at the 1925 exhibition displayed Cubist-inspired, angular statuettes with simplified features. In the late 1930s the British firm of Myott, Son & Co. Ltd produced Goldscheider figures. These pieces, clearly marked with their origin, are less collectable than Goldscheider figures made in Austria.
In Germany, fine-quality, detailed, naturalistic porcelain figures of dancers in colourful costumes, women in modern dress, and animals were produced by the firm of Rosenthal (est. 1879) in Selb. However, some of its most distinctive figures of the late 1920s and 1930s are very different in style; modelled by the artist Gerhard Schliepstein (b.1886) they depict svelte, elongated, and stylized women and greyhounds in pure-white porcelain. The Art Deco taste for the exotic was reflected in the figures of snake-charmers, Spanish dancers, and belly-dancers made by the Dux porcelain factory in Bohemia in the 1920s and 1930s.
Among the most distinctive Art Deco ceramics are those designed by Wilhelm Kage (1889-1950), artistic director of the Gustavsberg porcelain works in Sweden. His “Argenta” range of hand-thrown or moulded green-glazed vases, bowls, plates, and boxes (1929-52) is inset with chased silver in typically Art Deco motifs of mermaids, nude female figures, and flowers. Such wares are becoming more popular with collectors but are still relatively inexpensive.
FIGURES
Along with tableware, figures are among the most widely collected Art Deco ceramics today. While some factories continued to produce figures of traditional subjects, such as characters from the Italian commedia dell’arte, many Art Deco figures represent women, either nude or in contemporary dress. Some are accompanied by elegant greyhounds or borzois. Stylized human, animal, or bird figures and wall masks, influenced by contemporary Cubist abstract sculpture, were also popular during this period.
During the 1920s and 1930s the Vienna firm of Goldscheider (1885-1954) was one of the few Austrian producers of earthenware and porcelain in the Modern style. Figures made by Goldscheider include dancing couples in contemporary dress, ballerinas, and Pierrettes from the commedia dell’arte. Colours are typically rich and contrasting, and costumes are exotic.
German commercial waresSTYLE
• , usually influenced by the Bauhaus designs; simple, geometric shapes are typical, often with soft, round contours
Gustaysberg porcelain works
• STYLE Argenta tablewares, vases, and boxes with green-glazed grounds, inset with chased silver motifs; some with diaper-patterned or floral borders
• COLLECTING Argenta wares are increasingly collectable; hand-thrown pieces are more heavily moulded
Marks
Printed in black or gold ( 1910-40) 19
Goldscheider
• FORMS figures of couples in modern dress, dancers, and stylized wall masks
• COLOURS wall masks are painted in bright tones of red, yellow, green, and black
• CONDITION masks are prone to chipping as they are made of earthenware; paint may also be worn
American Art Deco ceramics were mainly inspired by European design, and today many collectors in the USA actually prefer French Art Deco porcelain or pottery to American-made pieces.
COMMERCIAL CERAMICS
Cleveland, Ohio, was the centre for progressive American ceramics during the inter-war years, owing to the influence of Julius Mihalik, a Viennese professor at the Cleveland Institute of Arts and follower of the Wiener Werkstatte. Several students and independent designers worked for the Cowan Pottery, founded outside Cleveland in 1913 by Reginald Guy Cowan 3. 19 30). Cowan designed most of the pottery’s early pieces himself; these consist mainly of inexpensive, slip-cast earthenware figures and figural “flower frogs” with matt monochrome glazes. The work of independent designers, generally made after 1927 for the Cowan Pottery Studio, was often issued in limited editions, and is most collectable. Some pieces show a distinctly Austrian influence, while others, particularly the work of Paul A “Jazz” punchbowl by Victor Schreckengost for the Cowan Pottery Studio
-,-is well-known design depicts scenes of New York City on New Year’s
and is glazed in “Egyptian Blue”. Each piece in the rare limited edition of 50 is slightly different A commercial, mass-produced edition also exists. (1931; ht 20cm18in; value of limited-edition bowl K)
Manship (1885-1966), are sculptural. The designs of Waylande Gregory (1905-71), who worked at Cowan from 1928 and later at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, near Detroit, Michigan, are often Neo-classical in inspiration.
A famous allegorical image, “Radio”, personifies the medium as a woman depicted in the Classical style, holding a lightning bolt.
The Rookwood Pottery (est. 1880) of Cincinnati, Ohio, produced an extensive range of Art Deco ceramics, mostly figures, bookends, and paperweights, in monochrome glazes. The Art Deco wares of the Roseville Pottery, in Zanesville, Ohio, are generally considered inferior to those of Rookwood, but such lines as “Futura”, introduced in 1928, are lively and attractive, which
makes them of greater interest to collectors. Most common in this line are well-marked vases featuring angular handles or “skyscraper” stepping.
In 1936 Frederick Hurten Rhead (1880-1942) introduced the “Fiesta” line for the Homer Laughlin China Co. (est. 1877) in East Liverpool, Ohio. This was a popular kitchenware in vibrant colours. Collectors are widespread, and Fiesta is sold at special auctions throughout North America. Comparable to Fiesta ware are the monochrome teapots and dinnerware in streamlined style made at the Hall China Co. (est. 1903) in East Liverpool; like the Fiesta range, these have been authentically reproduced.
STUDIO POTTERY
Studio potters active in the inter-war years in the USA include Susi Singer (1895-1949) and Vally Wieseltheir (1895-1945), who were both potters at the Wiener Werks6tte before emigrating in 1932. Typical . pica] of their work are hand-modelled earthenware figures, most of which are clearly signed. Wieseltheir produced designs for General Ceramics in New York. From 1923 to the early 1930s the designer Wilhelm Hunt Diederich (1884-1953) made a limited amount of pottery, rare and now highly sought after, at his studios in Woodstock, New York. Other potters of note include Henry Varnum Poor (1888-1971), Carl Walters, and Maija Grotell.
Cowan Pottery
• COLLECTING Cowan Pottery Studio is the most collectable commercial ware; pieces by independent designers after 1927 (especially limited-edition “Jazz” bowls) are more collectable than early
pieces
Marks
Most pieces are impressed or printed with marks showing artist’s name or monogram
Other commercial ceramics
• ROOKWOOD Art Deco pieces are less collectable and valuable than pre-1914 pieces, although colourful, abstract-patterned vases are popular with collectors
• ROSEVILLE more collectable than Rookwood; “Futura” is most popular; beware of modern forgeries, which arc difficult to distinguish from originals
• FIESTA made until 1972 and reintroduced in 1986; widely collected in USA; early pieces include red (most desirable), blue, yellow, green, and ivory (least popular); most new colours are pastel; modern versions are widely available
Studio pottery
• TYPES various pieces, including polychrome, hand-modelled earthenware figures, and platters hand-painted with stylized figures and animals
• VALUE pieces by independent studio potters are higher in value than mass-produced ceramics
• COLLECTING wares arc generally signed by the artist; work by Hunt Diederich is rare and very collectable
Art Deco had little immediate impact on the forms of commercial British ceramics; most firms simply added the newly fashionable, brightly coloured, geometric, and abstract designs to existing shapes. By the late 1920s the success of such innovative designers as Clarice Cliff (1899-1972) encouraged others to develop original shapes alongside traditional ranges, and by the 1930s the influence of Modernism was evident in the increasingly functional and geometric forms of tableware, minimally decorated in neutral matt glazes. A whimsical trend in ceramics continued in the range of popular ornaments, from Wedgwood’s sculptural animal designs to porcelain figures embellishing such items as dressing-table wares.
CLARICE CLIFF
British Art Deco ceramics are virtually synonymous with Cliff. In 1916 she joined the firm of A.J. Wilkinson Ltd (est. 1896), near Burslem, Staffordshire. In 1920 the firm acquired the nearby Newport Pottery and its range of old-fashioned white wares, and, recognizing Cliff’s talent, set her up in a studio there. Cliff and her team of decorators hand-painted biscuit-fired tablewares with brightly coloured enamels over a distinctive ivory-coloured glaze, known as “honey” glaze. In January 1928 the “Bizarre” range of inexpensive and cheerful pottery for or everyday use was launched; by October of the same year the range had become hugely successful. Cliff went on to design more than 500 shapes, including the “Conical”, “Bonjour”, and “Stamford” ranges, and 2,000 patterns, including “Inspiration” (now rare and desirable), “Applique”, “Tennis”, “Sunray”, “Solitude”, and “Mountain”. As well as traditional shapes, she designed many futuristic or otherwise innovative forms,
such as beehive-shaped honey-pots, cone-shaped sugar-sifters, and highly stylized, geometric versions of conventional items. The majority of her output was tablewares, but she also produced a range of novelty wares, among the most collectable being figures and the newly fashionable wall masks, which usually depicted the subject face-on and featured a floral headdress. Cliff also commissioned designs from other artists, among them Laura Knight ( 1877-1970), who produced the now highly collectable “Circus” series.
SUSIE COOPER
Although somewhat overshadowed by Cliff’s bright, flamboyant designs, Susie Cooper (1902-95) designed an equally distinctive and now sought-after range of shapes (including “Kestrel”,
“Curlew”, “Wren”, “Jay”,
“Falcon”, and “Spiral”) and
patterns (including “Dresden
Spray”, “Tadpoles”, “Scarlet
runner beans”, “Nosegay” “Polka
dots”, and “Cromer”). In 1922 she
undertook a work placement with
A.E. Gray & Co. Ltd (1912-61) in
Hanley, Staffordshire, and her success
in designing surface patterns in lustre
pigments and enamel colours for bought-in
white wares was such that she was given her
own mark. By 1929 she had established a ceramic decoration company at George Street Pottery, Tunstall, and by 1932 was designing her own shapes; these were produced at Wood & Sons, in Burslem, Staffordshire, where Cooper had her own production unit, Crown Works. Most sought after are her tablewares in traditional, rounded shapes such as “Kestrel”, “Curlew”, and “Wren”. Other early and desirable ranges include the more brightly coloured, abstract, geometric designs such as the banded patterns, polka dots, and exclamation marks produced for the large retail outlets of the John Lewis Partnership in the early 1930s. Her hand-painted designs were carefully adapted for transfer-printing, and the two methods of decoration are virtually indistinguishable and equally collectable. After World War II Cooper produced light, translucent, bone-china teawares made in Longton and sent to Burslem for decoration; these are less collectable.
WEDGWOOD AND DOULTON
The commercial giants Wedgwood (est. 1759), in Burslem, Staffordshire, and Doulton & Co. (est. 1815), in London, both produced ranges of functional tablewares and purely decorative Art Deco pieces. For Wedgwood the Modernist architect Keith Murray (1892-1981) designed a range of simple, geometric forms, including vases and bowls, with lathe-turned decoration and semi-matt glazes, often in soft grey, green, and ivory white. In complete contrast to Murray’s plain, functional designs were Wedgwood’s more conventional, intricately decorated lustrewares, the most popular and expensive of which was the “Fairyland” series.
Although the imagery on the “Fairyland” pieces bears no resemblance to that usually associated with Art Deco, the original shapes and bright colours are typical of the period, and the success of Wedgwood’s lustrewares inspired other manufacturers to produce more strictly Art Deco lustre ranges. From 1926 the modeller and sculptor John Skeaping (1901-80) designed a range of 14 stylized Art Deco earthenware animals and birds for Wedgwood in black basalt, cream, celadon, and tan glazes; these pieces proved popular and were produced well into the 1950s.
Doulton produced a range of Art Deco tableware –such as the “Dubarry” dinner service – but it is the company’s decorative bone-china figures of the 1920s and 1930s, many designed by Lesley Harradine (1887-1965), that are particularly collectable
toda.
These figures, most of which are full length, usually depict young, fair-skinned women in informal poses, and as such are celebrations of women’s increasing freedom and independence.
OTHER FACTORIES
The Art Deco wares produced by the Shelley Pottery Ltd (1872-1966; originally Wileman & Co.; trading as Foley 1892-1925, and as Shelley from 1925) owe their continuing popularity at least in part to the talented designers employed by the company in the 1920s and 1930s. These include the illustrator Mabel Lucie Attwell (1879-1964), who in 1926 introduced a range of charming nursery wares. In 1930 Eric Slater (1).1902) introduced two new, Modernist forms – “Vogue” and “Mode” – in clean, streamlined, architectural shapes that were perfectly suited to Shelley’s fine bone china. However, more successful was the “Eve” range of
tablewares, introduced c.1932, combining practicality with stylish, geometric design; it featured cup rims narrowed to prevent heat loss, and
triangular handles pierced, rather than
solid, for easier handling.
The Poole Pottery in Dorset (est. 1873
as Carter & Co.; trading as Carter, Stabler
& Adams from 1921, and from 1963 as
Poole Pottery, the name now also used to
describe early wares) produced collectable
Art Deco tablewares during the 1930s. Designs include “Studland”, which has elaborate angular handles combined with a
plain body of mottled green or blue, or the fashionable leaf and floral pattern; “Picotee” and “Everest” in plain colours with solid diamond-shaped handles, and rounded and ribbed shapes respectively; and “Streamline”, which as the name suggests was influenced by the American streamlined style.
The Carlton Works at Stoke-on-Trent (est. 1890; from 1958 Carltonware Ltd) produced a distinctive range of ceramics during this period. Rare and highly sought after are their geometric-shaped vases, hand-painted in bright contrasting colours. The success of Wedgwood’s lustrewares inspired Carlton to produce a range of richly coloured pieces, featuring enamelled decoration
on a dark glaze and a pearlized effect on the interior. Most of the company’s production took the form of moulded tableware, with leaf-moulded dishes being especially common.
Clarice Cliff
• DESIGNS strong geometric forms in bold, bright colours; some traditional shapes
• BEWARE fakes proliferate: check for washed-out colour,
poor-quality painting, and an uneven or murky glaze
• COLLECING increasingly rare and expensive; pieces are collected by pattern or type; desirability is determined by pattern, shape, and condition; wall masks and “Age of Jazz” figures are highly sought after
Marks
Most pieces marked, with the pattern
name alongside the signature, and a 00″‘ stamped factory mark
Susie Cooper
• DESIGNS traditional, rounded forms; tea-sets usually in autumnal colours
• COLLECTING pre-1939 wares are most collectable; archive catalogues help to distinguish between pre-and post-war issues of the same designs; hand-painted, transfer-printed or lithographed designs
arc all equally collectable
Marks
Printed in brown on carthcnwares from c.1932
Major manufacturers
• DESIGNS Murray for Wedgwood: geometric, often ribbed pieces; Doulton figures: young women, typically bathing or dancing; Shelley: architectural forms with conical bodies and solid, triangular handles; Poole: streamlined shapes produced in combinations of subdued, two-colour glazes
• DECORATION Carlton: flowers, butterflies, chinoiserie, and silver-lustre lightning motifs are typical
• COLLECTING a wide range of tablewares is available; porcelain figures command premium prices;
Wedgwood: designs by Murray and Skeaping are highly sought after, particularly Murray’s lathe-turned wares, “Annular” teawares, and the “Bournvita” drinking set; Shelley: designs by Slater are highly desirable; Carlton: leaf-moulded forms are abundant but not popular with collectors
Marks
Poole Pottery: almost all pieces are impressed with this mark or the entwined initials “CSA” and will include the decorator’s monogram; few pieces are dated

Origins & Development of Art Deco.
L’Exposition International des Arts Dedcoratifs et In - dustriels Modernes was held in Paris, France, from April to October in 1925. This international exhibit was arranged for the purpose of showing the work of current artists, craftsmen and designers who attempted to project a view of contemporary and future trends in artistic decoration. The event had been planned much earlier, but the onset and aftermath of World War I caused the Exposition to be postponed until 1925. As the title implied, the purpose of the Exposition was to demonstrate that elements of art and industrial techniques could be combined as applied art to make both utilitarian and attractive products. These were desirable to accommodate the changing life styles occurring because of the industrial progress of the 20th century.
Countries which participated at the Expostion set up pavilions to house the respective displays of their selected artisans. In addition to France, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey were represented. Two major countries did not participate. Germany was not invited because of the strained relations resulting from the war. The United States did not accept the invitation because according to “Herbert Hoover … there was no modern art in the United States” (Arwas, p. 14). For a full description of the 1925 Exposition, see the book by Frank Scarlett and Marjorie Townley (Arts Ddcoratifs 1925, London: St. Martins Press, 1975).
The 1925 Exposition captured the current world of design and had a profound influence on design over the succeeding years. The styles and designs of the work shown at the Exposition were not identical. As years passed, the styles displayed in 1925 were emulated, but they were not copied slavishly or duplicated precisely. In fact, varied interpretations and other innovative designs emerged during the following years. The style highlighted in 1925 served as the basis for developing the “modern” look of the decorative arts over the next generation.
Because of assorted opinions about Art Deco, its history is controversial. Numerous individuals and groups, various schools of design, many social and world events, and several philosophical ideas or “isms” are considered instrumental in the development of Art Deco. A wealth of material has been written on these various aspects of the subject. It is not my purpose to present a detailed historical survey. Rather, readers are encouraged to consult the selected entries in the Bibliography for a thorough review of Art Deco’s complex background.
Rarely does a consensus exist about the precise dates of artistic or historical periods. Prior developments are important and will inevitably lead to some point that later is identified as the beginning of the period. The literature which describes the development of the Art Deco style has several different views about when the era began and ended and about where and why it originated. There is even disagreement about what Art Deco actually is.
Art Deco is sometimes seen as a reaction against Art Nouveau, the immediately preceding period of decorative design (1890’s-1910. Art Nouveau is a style based on romantic and naturalistic images, dominated by a graceful, curvilinear line. It is highly decorative, having a sensuous, dreamy, more subtle quality than the gaudy ornamentation typically associated with the Victorian period.
Art Deco, in contrast, is often considered as an interpretation of the future based on the use of straight angles and clean lines without superflous decoration. This opinion is contradicted by observers who point out that early Art Deco did not fit that description. It was neither all lines and angles nor were all examples plain and austere. These writers believe Art Deco grew out of Art Nouveau or was a refinement of that earlier style. They emphasize that early pieces often were richly executed with lavish materials and were quite luxurious.
Some authors describe Art Deco as being a “nevi, art” which did not imitate previous designs. Critics of that view believe that the “true” Art Deco was derived from the restrained neo-classical 18th century styles. Another view is that Art Deco borrowed from cultures such as the Egyptian, African and American Indian.
In addition to the origin and characteristics of style. the original audience for Art Deco is debatable. On the one hand, it is seen as intended for the wealthy. Some experts accept only the work of the top designers ant craftsmen as being representative of true Art Deco. Certain individuals who exhibited at the Paris Exposition are usually cited as the most important names associates with the style. Others insist the style was developed primarily for the middle classes. Mass produced ware_ which strived to imitate the “modern” trends of the 1920’s and 1930’s are scorned by some. Such example_ are often lumped under the heading of “kitsch, — a Ge– man term literally defined as “trash,” or the debasement of original works. Today, however, many of those items have become extremely collectible and comprise the major part of many collections.
Another dispute in the literature is that Art Deco :synonymous with France. Deco items of French origi- are considered superior to examples from other countries. France, in fact, is usually considered the birthplace of Art Deco, especially because of the 1925 Exposition. Yet knowledgable writers trace its development through other European centers such as Austria and Germany. :ndeed, the list of countries exhibiting at the 1925 Ex.:position is evidence that craftsmen in many countries were designing their work simultaneously along lines hick now are identified as Art Deco. Thus, it is apparent -hat other countries expressed their own views of modern design. And while the United States did not participate n the 1925 event, that certainly does not mean that modern” design was not developing here as well.
Purists say Art Deco ended in 1925, with the peak of the style culminating in the Paris Exposition. They do not believe that the work which followed was worthy of :he name. Others, less dogmatic, differentiate between “Art Deco” and “Art Moderne. – Art Deco would include design up to 1925, and Art Moderne would describe the style followed after that year and on into the 1930’s. This dear division separates the components of elegant style ollowing Art Nouveau from the purely angular and stark designs brough forth in the late 1920’s.
Other critics maintain that Art Deco includes the en-:ire period of the 1920’s through the 1940’s. Alternative-.y, Art Deco is referred to as the style popular between :%vo World Wars-1918-1940. Other definitions of the era confine the period between the years of 1925, the date of the initial French exhibit, and 1940.
If the general consensus is that 1940 or World War II signifies the end of the main production of Art Deco, :hen World War I is usually considered the most impor:ant event influencing the development of the Art Deco period. Life styles certainly changed during and after the war. Servants left their positions to fight, or in the case of women, work for the war effort. The sons and daughters of the wealthy also became involved in wartime activities. After the war, many former domestics -efused to return “downstairs,” seeking more regular jobs and their own living quarters. Because of the war, both servant class and upper class women began to become more independent. A desire to enjoy life and a relaxation of morals are also often cited as important consequences of the war. A “middle” class began to emerge which demanded a release from the encumbered Victorian way of life steeped in heavy traditions, pious attitudes and elaborate rituals of dressing, entertaining and running households.
Although World War I might be the focal point for recognizing a change in the world’s life styles, other important factors also occurred before and after the war which helped bring about this change. The first 40 years of the 20th century witnessed unsurpassed progress in industry which led to a more convenient way of life in all areas: ‘from horse and buggy to automobile, train and plane; from gas lighting to electricity; from outdoor to indoor plumbing; from hand delivered calling cards to telephone, telegram and radio. This period of rapid change in transportation, communication and manufacturing resulted in a smaller world, as is often quoted, by making distant people and places more accessible. But
it also made the world larger for the average person by making more goods and services available and thereby allowing more individual freedom. It is not surprising that as life became more efficient, especially for the average person, all aspects of style and design were influenced.
In spite of the various views of its origin and development, Art Deco is a recognized age just as its immediate predecessors, the Victorian and Art Nouveau periods. Like those well known categories of collector interests, Art Deco, too, has become firmly established. In 1965, a revival of the 1925 Exposition, Les Annees ‘25, was held in Paris. World attention once again took a look at what had been hailed as “modern” in 1925. The success of this subsequent exhibit brought forth a new “Period” for collectors. “Art Deco,” derived from the lengthy French title of the original Exposition, quickly caught on as an apt descriptive term not only for the style showcased in 1925, but perhaps more importantly also evolved to identify the modernistic designs which were either continued or initiated after 1925 until the 1940’s.
Today, auctions specialize in sales devoted to artifacts from the period. General price guides include Art Deco as a specific entry, listing a variety of examples and current prices fetched at auctions or in the collectibles market. As collector interest in the subject grew, the definition of Art Deco has expanded to include a much broader scope than purists might prefer.
Today, Art Deco is quite loosely interpreted to include a very wide range of objects from fine art to the mundane and produced as early as the first decade of the 20th century until the beginning of the fifth decade. The style is characterized by several different elements of design which may include the following: an understated and restrained elegance; sharply angular and geometric lines, often void of any decoration; futuristic concepts; suggestions of speed and movement; both vivid and contrasting colors; Jazz age and Flapper influences; Aztec, African and Egyptian cultural symbols; and certain materials which became popular such as bakelite, celluloid, chrome and dark colored glass.
Anything which exhibits one or more of these traits is generally classified as part of the Art Deco period. It does not matter if it is an original work by a famous person or merely a mass produced dime-store novelty. Consequently, and fortunately, Art Deco can be enjoyed by collectors as diverse as its many dimensions.
Serious wealthy collectors purchase creations by top designers, artists and manufacturers identified with the early years of the era. Prices for such examples can easily mount to five figures. Many who like Deco cannot compete in that market. But as in other collecting areas, once the top of the line has been singled out and record prices paid for choice pieces, a second level of collecting surfaces which attracts a wider, though perhaps less affluent, group. Consequently, a middle ground of Deco collecting has arrived on the scene. From the offerings at shops and shows across the country, as well as a perusal of most general value surveys on the subject, interest in Art Deco with medium to moderate prices is quite strong.While many pay thousands of dollars for Art Deco rarities and originals, perhaps seeing such purchases as investments and true works or art, there is also a growing number of enthusiasts who collect Art Deco for the fun of it! Possible future value is usually only a secondary consideration. Some might take issue with the assertion, but Art Deco is fun. Other collecting periods cannot really be characterized in that way. For instance, Victorians is intriguing, and collectors search for the many “necessities” and unique items of everyday life, obsolete today, but vital at that time. Likewise, primitives are very interesting. Collectors seek the ingenuity of those individuals who had to fashion their own tools, dishes and furniture from whatever materials were at hand. Such articles may be curiosities, but they would hardly be described as “fun.” Most items commonly associated with Art Deco today, however, usually evoke a smile or sense of amusement because of their exaggerated lines, bold colors, ultra sophisticated or irreverent nature or cleverness of design.
The focus of this book is on a very general interpretation of Art Deco. It is intended for the collector who enjoys the vibrant spirit of Art Deco and who collects according to individual whimsy and moderate pocketbook, perhaps splurging at times on certain irresistible objects! Pieces illustrated include some examples by famous “names” with prices of over $1,000.00 but many other items are representative of the mass productions of numerous manufacturers. Those prices are certainly more now than when the articles were first produced, but they are still affordable. There are also other objects made by little known or unknown creators whose prices are quite nominal. Examples are not limited to items of French origin but include Deco from many other countries. Art Deco made in America, Czechoslovakia and Japan is especially becoming more and more popular with collectors. Concentration on Deco shapes and motifs instead of particular designers or manufacturers can often yield unexpected Art Deco treasures!
In the photographs, decorative objects for the home
and personal accessories are grouped under 10 categories which comprise some of the most popular Art Deco collectibles. These categories are not meant to be comprehensive. The broad scope of the subject does not make such a survey possible. Hopefully, a sample of items in these categories will serve to suggest other Deco collecting possibilities as well as Art Deco’s open ended nature. The majority of examples were available on the open market: that is, items sold at antique shops and shows rather than from private collections or museums. A price range has been established for individual items based not only on what the dealer was asking for the piece but from information gathered from numerous other sources on similar or identical pieces.
From the items featured, certain earmarks of what is currently collected as Art Deco can be seen. For instance, typical subjects of decoration are dominated by human figures either in a nude or semi-nude state, and depictions of the sun, moon and earth are prevalent. Suggestions of the future and of speed are shown either by items actually shaped in the form of an airplane, ship or rocket, or as a decorative motif.
All types of geometric shapes and lines can be found incorporated into the designs of most objects. The cube, triangle or pyramid, and stepped or zig-zagged lines are common. Crescent or half-moon shapes made into rainbows or fans, spheres representing the world, and many sundry other shapes such as a diamond, cylinder, ellipse or oval, square, hexagon and octagon stand out as well.
Repetitive, tangential, overlapping and ziggurat patterns plus juxtaposed designs appear in the design or decor of a number of pieces. Also quite noticeable are many different construction materials, ranging from ceramic, glass, ivory, marble, metals and wood to metal alloys and synthetics. From the Art Deco pictured, perhaps it will also be clear why Art Deco often is described not only by such words as chic, clever, elegant, smart, sophisticated, streamlined and tailored but also as amusing, flippant, risqud and fun!

art deco 1920s dresser
art deco 1920s drop leaf dining table
art deco 1920s throug 1940s
art deco 1940 club chairs green vinly
art deco 5 drawer dressing table with round mirror
art deco antique figurine
art deco antique tube  chair
art deco arm chair
art deco artist’s palate shaped oak table
art deco ashtray
art deco bar black lacquer
art deco bar commode
art deco barley twist
art deco bars for the home
art deco bartender cigarette dispenser
art deco barware
art deco bergere wood back
art deco black fabric chair
art deco– black grooved table lamps (large )
art deco black laquer screen
art deco bowles
art deco brass, round vertical shade, nude figure, antique table lamp,
art deco british furniture
art deco bronze art style lamp
art deco cabinet 1928
art deco cabinet legs
art deco cabinet sliding glass doors
art deco cabinets and chests
art deco candle sticks glass
art deco cane and wood chair
art deco carved tables
art deco cat statues
art deco ceramic  figurines
art deco ceramic figurine maker jd
art deco ceramic figurines
art deco ceramic horse
art deco ceramics decoration jean luce
art deco chair concept
art deco chair facts
art deco chair lacquer
art deco chair materials
art deco chair wood inlay lightning bolt
art deco chairs
art deco chairs rosewood
art deco chest of drawers 1940’s
art deco chest with radio
art deco china cabinets
art deco china pattern
art deco china patterns
art deco china set
art deco china sets
art deco chinese enameled brass
art deco chinese redwood jewellery box
art deco chrome and vinyl arm chairs
art deco cigarette cigar stand
art deco cigarette dispenser bar
art deco clear glass
art deco clear glass rocket vase
art deco club chair inlaid wood
art deco club chair scroll arm
art deco club chair triangular arms
art deco club chairs + wooden applied handles
art deco cocktail
art deco commode
art deco commode inlaid
art deco consol
art deco corner cabinet
art deco curved front buffet
art deco denmark pavilion
art deco design cromer
art deco desk and chair
art deco diner figure
art deco diner germany
art deco dining chairs
art deco dining furniture d.r. patent
art deco dining furniture of the 1920’s
art deco dining set birdseye maple
art deco dining table u shaped base
art deco dining table white cherry
art deco dining table with concave barrel pedestal
art deco dining tables
art deco display cabinet sun ray
art deco display cabinet with cupboards
art deco drawer construction
art deco drawers oak
art deco dress reprodutions
art deco dresser lamps
art deco dresser mahogany 1940’s
art deco dressers antique
art deco dressers california
art deco dressing table construction and materials
art deco dressing table plans
art deco drinks cabinets
art deco drop center dresser
art deco dropleaf dining table
art deco english gentlemans bar furniture
art deco escutcheons
art deco european
art deco exhibition jean luce
art deco exposition 1925
art deco extending table
art deco ferniture black lacquered
art deco figure ceramic
art deco figurine
art deco figurine gentleman
art deco figurine lamp
art deco figurines german
art deco figurines goldscheider
art deco finials
art deco floor ashtray pipe
art deco folding chair bed
art deco folding chairs
art deco folding open desk
art deco french breakfast dining set
art deco french clock
art deco french club chairs with flat arms
art deco french interior examples
art deco french original furniture+auction
art deco furniture + schoen
art deco furniture black lacquered jean dunand
art deco furniture black leather
art deco furniture in germany
art deco furniture kinds
art deco furniture parts
art deco furniture prices germany
art deco furniture/bar with glass sliding doors
art deco glass and silver inlaid candlestick
art deco glass door wood cabinet octagon
art deco glass heater
art deco glass nude dish
art deco glazed bureax
art deco hamered lamp
art deco harp table
art deco head straws
art deco hinged top bar and cabinet
art deco ice bucket top hat
art deco incense burner
art deco inlaid wood designs
art deco inlaid wood furniture
art deco inlay
art deco inlay bedroom suite
art deco inlay wooden flatware box
art deco inspired bookcase
art deco interior futures
art deco iron works
art deco jacobean furniture
art deco ladies smoking
art deco ladys desk
art deco lamp of kneeling woman
art deco lampen figurine
art deco laquered desk
art deco large earthenware jug
art deco lisbon antiques
art deco machine age furniture
art deco mahogany desk
art deco mahogany side chairs
art deco maple china cabinet
art deco metal screens
art deco mirrored console table
art deco mirrored end tables
art deco movement and its origins
art deco multi colored dresser aztec look
art deco music box cabinet
art deco oak dining room furniture antique
art deco oak gateleg table
art deco oak leaf
art deco office chair
art deco old chairs
art deco origen
art deco origins and  influences.
art deco oval dining tables
art deco palissy china
art deco patterns for glass platters
art deco pedestal dining table
art deco period+origins
art deco pieces chair
art deco plastic furniture paris
art deco porcelain italian
art deco pottery  in europe
art deco pottery italy
art deco pottery longwy
art deco rectangle pattern design
art deco representatives
art deco rocket cabinet
art deco screen doors
art deco seats
art deco secretary
art deco semicircular desk
art deco shape examples
art deco shapes with ottoman influence
art deco shelley plates block design
art deco shop france
art deco shops sweden
art deco skyscraper clock
art deco smoke
art deco smoking lamp
art deco smoking table
art deco sofa tables
art deco spindle desk
art deco stoneware cream and sugar with lids and bases large angular
art deco style candlesticks
art deco style dinner service
art deco style origin
art deco style side chair
art deco style stemware
art deco stylised figure lady dancer red italian alabaster
art deco swedish armchairs
art deco table centerpieces
art deco tallboy oak
art deco tulip watch penchant
art deco u base dining table maple
art deco u shape vase
art deco upholstered chair with one curving side c.1930
art deco upholstered chairs
art deco upholstery fabric
art deco walnut chairs
art deco walnut dresser
art deco wood chair legs
art deco wood dressers
art deco wooden armchairs
art deco wooden chair design
art deco wooden materials
art deco wooden round back armchair
art deco wooden screen
art deco writing bureau/display cabinet
art deco writing desk