Ruby Read February, 2014

Ruby vintage begins here

February 2014

Published by

Collecting Mad About Majolica

HEARTS

AFIRE

Designer Spotlight Barry Dixon

I Heart This Vintage Hearts

Table of Contents 6

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Letter from the Editor Marcia Sherrill Must Haves

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Vintage Finds

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Eye on Color

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Collecting

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Designer Spotlight

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Heavenly Herend

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I Heart This

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The Calendar

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Finis

Traditional Home Senior Art & Antiques Editor Doris Athineos

On the Red Carpet

Mad About Majolica

The New Traditionalists: Barry Dixon

The Magical Porcelain of Royalty

Vintage Hearts

Upcoming Events

For Your Consideration: Valentine’s Day

Ruby Lane is the premier online community of over 2,400 individually-owned shops from around the world offering antiques & art, vintage collectibles and jewelry. © Ruby Lane 2014 | © Ruby Read 2014

And it’s the universal color of this month’s featured holiday, Valentine’s Day. Also known as the feast of St. Valentine, the day is here to remind us of the concept of love. It’s also a day of confectionary overload (translating into chocolate), greeting cards (they might as well call it St. Hallmark), roses and gifts. While all of these things are wonderful, I’ll take the latter any day of the week as gift giving gets harder and harder with every birthday and holiday. As I get older, I’d much rather receive a vintage gift, something that is filled with history, meaning, and most of all personal and unique. Hopefully our carefully curated items from the shops of Ruby Lane will take the guesswork out of buying something for that special person.

We also visit this month with southern interior designer Barry Dixon whose sophisticated interiors have graced the pages of Architectural Digest and Traditional Home. Barry represents what we like to call the New Traditionalist; a designer who takes pays homage to the past with an eye towards the future. As an interior designer, it’s a challenge to mix vintage designs with contemporary and his work seamlessly connects “the past with the present by bringing the best of history with us into the future.”

Writer Elizabeth Hickman covers one of my favorite collectibles, Herend china. A perennial favorite of royalty (Queen Victoria and Princess Diana in particular), the legendary porcelain was founded in 1826 in a small Hungarian village and its colorful fishnet patterned and floral china and magical animal figurines remain treasured collectibles today.

Here’s hoping your special someone showers you with a little vintage this Valentine’s Day and if not, why not buy something for yourself ? And if anyone is listening, I would love a Herend figurine in pink or blue. Or just surprise me.

Letter from the Editor

Photo credit: Russ Harrington

If you haven’t noticed by all of our vibrant magazine covers, we love the color red at Ruby Lane. Nothing is cozier than the warmth of a cerise red study, the pop of color that a ruby crystal vase adds to an interior or the dramatic statement a rose red patterned wallpaper makes in a powder room. The power of red speaks volume about those who favor the color: passionate, energetic, tenacious and courageous and a visionary and risk-taker.

Happy Collecting Cathy Whitlock Editor-in-Chief cathy@rubylane.com 5

Marcia’s Must Haves

The

LIST

Ruby Read Brand Advisor and Creative Director, Marcia Sherrill, is both a fashion and interior designer.

A member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, she sells her accessories and home furnishings lines worldwide. Marcia shares with us her absolute Must Haves from the shops of Ruby Lane.

1 Vintage Chinese Silk Red And Silver Ch’ang P’ao Emperor Traditional Robe Alright, I may be a bit conspicuous but I am buying this and wearing it OUT. I will cut quite a figure in this traditional silk kimono with Lanvin “motorcycle” boots for Chinese New Year.

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Art Deco rhinestone celluloid Mantilla Hair Comb 1920’s

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Hailing from the Roaring 20’s, this sparkly Mantilla Hair Comb in Celluloid and Rhinestones will look perfect to cover my grey hair.

Talk about Deco!!! My hair-do will have heads turning. And at 5 and ½ inches long, it can be seen from quite the distance.

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Red Lacquer Paper Mache Hand Painted with Silver Butterflies and Golden Foliage

This red brick lacquer box with its silver butterflies and gold foliage needs pride of place in some lucky home. Preferably mine. It only took 6,000 years of practice with lacquer for the craftsman to make the perfect mod-looking small box. It will take me 6 minutes to unpack it and hurl it onto my fireplace mantle.

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Vintage Nylon Red, White and Blue Poppy Print Fabric

OK, this fabric stopped me in my tracks.

Its 70’s styling has inspired me to design a whole new print with the same bold flowers and fresh palette. Just back from London, the land of red, white and blue, I was struck by its vibrance and super clean contrast.

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Sterling & Cranberry Red Glass Service When I stumbled upon this mug I had no idea what this was and then fell madly in love. It is a cut-out sterling silver mug with a glass liner. I love it for Thanksgiving Cranberry sauce or better yet a Valentine’s Day table with yummy jellies and scones.

5 David Andersen Guilloche Enamel Red Tray Vintage

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This enameled tray by David Anderson with undertones of yellow guilloche is a long way from its native Norway but I am one Norwegian who loves the sterling and red combo in a tray that is large enough at 3 ½ inches to hold my daily vitamins…which I may no longer need as this will put the zest right back in my step.

Chinoiserie Mantle Clock

by Elliot of London

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The famous clockmakers Eliot of London served up a heaping helping of lacquer in this mantle clock. It may not keep perfect Greenwich Mean Time but it sings with both Westminster and Whittington chimes and has the sweetest oriental embellishments rounding out my assortment of highly decorated, oriental objets for this Valentine’s Day. 8

Antique French Romantic Toile c.1900 Red White Linen Give me my Toile and for Valentine’s Day make it this lovely red and off-white. Made in the late 19th or early 20th century, the designer marries animals, flowers and cherubs with the central figure of a woman being attended by what look to me to be suitors. If only my Valentine’s Day could have that army of dedicated men and I love a goat on a tether. Is that even legal in New York? We will see.

Vintage 1950’s Fire Engine Red Plastic Purse with Clear Floral Lid Being a handbag designer has me swooning over this vintage Lucite “Picnicstyle bag.” Before I hit the floor, I need to see if I can have this whole cool look created again in China. The red body keeps the nosy-pants from seeing what lurks in your bag and the clear bits are groovy as all get-out.

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Ever-Art California Pottery Covered Dish

Be still my heart. This OTT (over the top) pagoda dish is the ultimate centerpiece and you can forget the flowers. I adore the gold piping and the upturned corners put a smile on my face. How is it possible that this was made in California?

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Vintage Finds TRADITIONAL HOME

SENIOR ART & ANTIQUES EDITOR

DORIS ATHINEOS

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We are delighted to have Traditional Home’s Senior Art & Antiques Editor Doris Athineos cast her expert eye on a few items she covets from the shops of Ruby Lane.

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1960’S TINA LESER BROCADE AND METALLIC EMBROIDERED DRESS I began wearing vintage fashion as a student and I still can’t resist its well crafted pieces. This brocade dress is better than a box of Teuschers. Just look at how the brocade pattern is detailed in pale green embroidery and metallic threads. Check out the killer pink lining that trims the edges. The designer Tina Leser is fantastic and this dress channels a very raj vibe.

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1970’S 16 KARAT GOLD AND TOPAZ COCKTAIL RING Long live the chunky cocktail ring. This baby is large enough to attract attention, the good kind, from across a crowded room. Thanks to American Hustle, the ‘70s is back and this big-statement ring says it all.

VICTORIAN ROCK CRYSTAL HEART LOCKET IN STERLING SILVER MOUNT, C. 1900 I love this heart locket and I’d use it to stash garnets that have fallen off some of my vintage jewelry.

PAIR OF MID 20TH C. LOUIS XVI STYLE BERGERES WITH ANTIQUE FINISH BY JANSEN I just adore this pair of bergeres and the striped linen fabric adds some zing. They are attributed to Maison Jansen whose chief designer, Stephane Boudin, created luxe interiors for Paris society in the 30s through the 60s. To learn more about this amazing talent, read Jansen by James Archer Abbott (Acanthus Press).

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ITALIAN DIAMOND GARNET 18K GOLD GLASS SCENT PERFUME BOTTLE It’s a tiny perfume bottle but wow! I know nothing about the designer but I’d like to find this bottle standing on my vanity. It’s so well crafted and very girlie.

PAIR VINTAGE BRASS CHURCH CANDLESTICKS How chic would this pair of vintage brass candlesticks look paired with tapering black candles?

MIDCENTURY 14K DECK OF CARDS CHARM This charm is definitely in the cards for me. Check out the way it actually opens up and you can shuffle a miniature deck! Forget the heart-shaped box of chocolate and go for The Queen of Hearts. Interestingly enough, when Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th century, one of his first orders was for playing cards.

VINTAGE INTAGLIO CZECH GLASS PLACE CARD HOLDERS Love these intaglio glass placecard holders, circa 1910. My favorite scene is the Three Graces in a circle holding hands. Intaglio involves cutting a design into the glass as opposed to cameo where the image is raised.

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Eye on Color

Red is the ultimate cure for sadness.

-Bill Blass

Superb Trifari Sterling Jeweled Necklace by Alfred Phillipe

ON THE 14

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Amy Adams Credit: Wireimage

CARPET 15

Red is t bright, cl It makes I can’t im with it becom per

-D Chinese Four-Panel Red Lacquer Wood Screen

Vintage Original Roberta di Camerino Velvet Handbag

Red Lacquer Letter Box with Drawer and Letter slots

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the great clarifier leansing, revealing. all colors beautiful. magine being bored - it would be like ming tired of the rson you love.

Diana Vreeland Red Poppies exquisite texture oil painting

Ruby-Glass Perfume Scent Bottle with Sterling Silver Lid

Vintage Art Deco Designer Red Leather Barrel Chair

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Collecting

MAD ABOUT MAJOLICA

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Victorian Majolica Plate

We love the brightly colored shapes, colors and patterns of majolica, particularly English and Etruscan. Whether it’s a floral pitcher or a multi-colored oyster plate, here are a few of our favorites.

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Antique Etruscan Majolica Begonia Leaf Plate

Holdcroft Majolica Game Pitcher Colbalt

Elegant Majolica Pitcher with Scroll Handle

Majolica, Bread Plate, Etruscan 19

Majolica Oyster Plate Sarreguemines Manufactory France

Antique Wilhelm & Graff Majolica Oyster Plate 20

Majolica Asparagus Footed Holder Drainage Holes With Matching Platter

Antique Royal Worcester Majolica Dolphin Double Salt

Majolica 1880’s Etruscan Cauliflower Open Sugar Bowl

Old English Majolica Figural Vase 21

Designer Spotlight

THE NEW

Traditionalists Writer Candace Manroe sits down with Washington D.C.-area interior designer Barry Dixon who shares his insights on the “new traditional” style of which he is an exponent.

Photos © Erik Kvalsvik

What does the term traditional” mean to you?

“new

To me, this means pulling the best from history—the ‘creme” that rises to the top of any/every aesthetic period/era—and reemploying these otherwise disparate elements into a cohesive pastiche for 21st century living.

Why is new traditional so important as a design style? What visual, functional and emotional value does it offer that other styles don’t?

The nuanced layers of “new traditional” design blend familiar elements in fresh ways to a bespoke conclusion...visually individual yet universally understood, functionally advanced for modern living, and emotionally connected to an elevated aesthetic history.

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What are a few of the essentials of the style (neoclassical references, 18th-century pieces gently adapted, etc.)?

The essentials are to the taste of the individualwhat suits them best. Me, I’m an Edwardian, Arts & Crafts, mid-century modern kind of guy, with a splash of 17th-century French and Italian seasoning. For each client’s home, there’s a new formula.

Your designs always have a richness that seems to emanate, in part, from carefully curated antiques. Do you buy for a particular job or because you love the object and know eventually you will find it a home?

Like art, it’s always, always for the love of the object. Things and people we adore will always find their place in our homes and in our lives, and elevate our existence to a higher plane.

Can you name the five vintage or antique pieces you consider most important to a “new trad” style?

1 - The recovered, ever-comfortable period lounge chair that evokes an era or a way of life.

2 - A dramatic lantern or chandelier that brings attention to the vortex of a space.

3 - A good round tea table—often better than a cocktail table when pulled up to a sofa.

4 - A pair of antique sconces—at the mantle, flanking a painting over a sofa or at either side of a doorway or bookcase. We need lights on walls.

5 - A quirky, unusual accessory...something “one of a kind” that captures the imagination.

Barry, what is the advantage of shopping for vintage pieces for the home on Internet sites like Ruby Lane?

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Sites like Ruby Lane are so valuable because they save so much time! They’re especially valuable to an educated consumer, who has done their homework and honed their buyers’ skills through years of shopping antique stores and markets on foot.

Do you have any tips or cautionary advice for collectors on buying vintage online?

Check the size and scale of offerings carefully. A small lusterware creamer and a large lusterware pitcher look the same in a photograph.

What are some of the methods/devices you personally employ to get a fresh take on traditional design?

It’s mainly in the mix for me. I eschew period pairings to avoid a period “set,” which should be reserved for a Merchant-Ivory film! Mix it up!

Okay. So is the mix that of old, unadulterated pieces with modern ones? Or is it more about mixing antiques with traditional pieces that have been tweaked for an updated look?

Yes and yes. Do it your way!

Do you have any advice to offer on the importance of collecting and how to get started? Also, any types of collections immediately come to mind as fun, and relatively affordable and available?

Personal collections put “us” in the picture. They make our homes our own. They can be anything.

I often advise beginners with limited finds to collect a “color” - citrine, for instance. This could be inexpensive glass, or a mid-century abstract painting in yellows or 18th century Wedgewood plates with acid yellow rims. You’re just collecting “citrine.”

Practicing in the Virginia countryside near Washington D.C., Barry Dixon brings his hospitable new traditional style to projects all over the globe.

In addition to designing interiors, he has developed a furniture line with Tomlinson/Erwin-Lambeth; a fabric collection for Vervain/S. Harris; and a rug collection with Megerian.Â

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Heavenly Herend

THE MAGICAL

PORCELAIN of Royalty

By Elizabeth Betts Hickman

HEREND HISTORY

Herend was founded in 1826 in the Hungarian village of Herend, but in 1839 the company began to focus on creating luxury porcelain for Europe’s elite and royal families. The company is known as the largest porcelain manufacturer in Europe. Today, Herend employs a team of fine artists who hand-paint the company’s iconic dinnerware patterns and distinctive figurines.

First Class Herend Porcelain Reticulated Inkstand and Wells

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To those who admire and collect the luminous hand-painted loveliness that is Herend porcelain, there is fine china and then there is Hungarian-made Herend.

“Herend is Herend, so all of it is incredibly beautiful and popular,” says antiques dealer Elana Silberman, of New York-based Elana’s Treasure Box. She echoes what many dealers and collectors know, which is that Herend stands out because of the quality of its artists and its special hard-paste porcelain, which is distinctive when compared to other types.

“Herend is so special because it combines in such a lovely way ornaments, floral and animal motifs. It has a great love for detail and the most beautiful colors,” says Christiana Verita, a Vienna, Austria-based dealer with Le Chateau Antique who personally began collecting Herend when her father gave her a spectacular covered vase as a wedding present.

“In my experience the animals that sell very quickly are the Herend cats,”

Herend Hungarian White Porcelain Cat Figurine

Herend Fruits and Flowers Teapot, Rare Colossal

Known for famed dinnerware patterns such as Victoria, which includes butterflies and florals; Chinese Bouquet, which is painted in various colorways and has a stylized central peony motif, gilded accents and garlands; and Rothschild Bird, which includes stunningly detailed hand-painted birds, Herend is also known for its small animals and figurines.

The distinctive Herend “fishnet” pattern in various colors covers a vast zoo of tiny animal figures, and some collectors focus solely on the Herend animals.

Regardless of the type, small Herend animals and figures tend to hold their value well and stay in demand.

“In my experience the animals that sell very quickly are the Herend cats,” says Silberman. “People love cats.” She notes that when it comes to other types of small objects, the vintage figurines of people are much more scarce and therefore in demand by collectors.

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Herend Baby Bear Figurine Raspberry Pink Fishnet 24k Gold

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Herend Fortuna Three-Part Relish Dish

Herend Swan Porcelain Figurine

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Herend Large Foo dog with 24 K gold accents

Herend Vintage Pierced Floral Vase

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Herend small box with flowers and butterflies

Herend Blue Chinese Bouquet Square Porcelain Plate

She points out that one of the things that Herend is famous for is latticework, and that all of it is hand-cut and beautifully executed.

“They have beautiful bon bon dishes – little boxes,” says Silberman, who notes that many of the little boxes are reflective of the iconic dinnerware patterns.

of the edges and all decoration to check pieces. “Once there’s a chip the value goes way down.” She notes. However, if you’re buying for yourself and you don’t mind a tiny chip in a detailed area so that it is somewhat hidden, “you get it at a much lower price,” she says.

Collectors should be familiar with genuine items and know what they’re looking for if they’re purchasing a vintage piece of Herend, since counterfeits unfortunately exist. The company’s U.S. website, www.herendusa.com, includes a lot of helpful information, and buying from a well-respected dealer is a must.

“Herend is a worldwide luxury brand and therefore imitations can’t be prevented,” says Verita, with Le Chateau Antique in Austria.

“The fakes differ in color and quality and are often sold as a so-called bargain.” Buyers also should pick a piece of Herend that is in absolutely mint condition.

Nancy Vaitkevicius, of California-based Cliffwood Antiques, points out that one of the nicest aspects of Herend for collectors lies with the brand’s enduring and consistent popularity. “There’s so much status involved in it,” she says, referring to decades of royal connections. “It’s never going to go out of style. They’ll never cancel a pattern - you can always order it through Herend.”

“That’s a key to value,” says Silberman. She notes to run a finger very carefully around all

“I think the best way to start your collection is to reflect on what you want and to read literature about Herend,” says Verita, who also gives new collectors a cautionary tale, since the porcelain is so beloved and yet like any porcelain, breakable. “When one piece breaks your heart breaks too.”

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I Heart This

Va-

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Valen 2

Whether it’s foun fan or a unique re says “I love you” like the shap Here are a few unique and

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1. German Remember Me Putti Postcard 2. Vintage Valentine Fan 3. Vintage Encyclopedia of Love & Sex 4. Antique cracker jar hearts gold MZ Austria porcelain 5. Wonderful Fold-Out Victorian Valentine Card, Germany 6. Vintage Heart Shaped Red Light Globe 7. Tiffany 18k Gold Pin 8. Steven Lundberg - “The Gift” - Gift Wrapped Heart Personally Signed and Dated Paperweight, c 1993

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ntine’s

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nd on an antique ed globe, nothing and “Valentines” pe of a heart. w of the more truly unusual

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Calendar of Events

Feb

Folk Couture: Fashion and Folk Art Through April 23, 2014 American Folk Art Museum New York, NY www.fashionandfolkart.tumblr.com

Naples Art, Antique and Jewelry Show Naples, FL www.naplesshow.com

ONGOING

22nd Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Through April 26, 2014 FIDM Museum and Galleries Los Angeles, CA www.fidmmuseum.org

ONGOING

Diana: A Celebration Opens Feb 14, 2014 Cincinnati Museum Center Cincinnati, OH www.cincymuseum.org 36

6-10

ONGOING

Feb

7-9

San Francisco Tribal Art & Textile Arts Show San Francisco, CA www.caskeylees.com

Feb

7-9

Antiques and Garden Show Nashville, TN www.antiquesandgardenshow.com

Feb

7-9

Feb

14-16

Hillsborough Antique Show & Sale San Mateo, CA www.hillsboroughantiqueshow.com

Feb

10-11

Fine Decorative and Furniture Arts Auction Leslie Hindman Auctioneers Chicago, IL www.lesliehindman.com

Feb

Vintage Tulsa Show Tulsa, OK www.heritageeventcompany.com

Feb

14-18

13-15 Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show Palm Beach, FL www.palmbeachshow.com

Heart of Country Antique Show Nashville, TN www.heartofcountry.com 37

Finis

For Your Consideration

VALENTINE’S

DAY Vintage Oxblood Lizard Skin Purse Fassbender of London, 1950s

Beautiful Three Japanese Red Peony Lacquer Wood bowls w/ MAKIE (gold leaf) hand carved

Estate Van Cleef & Arpels VCA 18K Gold Coral Lapis Diamond Couple Unisex Lapel Pin Brooch 38

Beautiful Red to Amber Cut to Clear Decanter Bottle with Stopper

Vintage Modernist Red White Gold Enamel Compact

Adrienne Vittadini-Red Leather & Printed Zebra Handbag Ceil Chapman Regal Red Silk Faille Cocktail Dress *1950’s

French Basilica: Diamond Dome Ring

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