1950’s

Vintage Kienzle nautical style wall clock on a rope, Germany circa 1950’s

April 4, 2013Clocks1950's, antique, art deco, brighton antique, brighton retro, german clock, home decor, Kienzle, kienzle clock, mid century modern, nautical clock, retro, rope, ships clock, vintage, woodafterglowretro Leave a comment

This is a Stunning Nautical style hanging wall clock on a rope, made by Kienzle, Germany circa 1950’s.

A Fantastic Art Deco design, with the round face mounted on wood and brass rimmed, Very reminiscent of the era with the stylised numerals and sleek rounded form. Lovely decorative hands and brass clasps holding the rope, similar to a ships clock design.
Incorporates elements of the Bauhaus / Modernist design movements in Germany at the time. Most likely a Heinrich Moeller design, who produced many stunning Deco pieces for this highly renowned clock maker.

Would make a great stylish practical addition to any nautical, retro, vintage, art deco, modernist, mid century or contemporary styled interior. Perfect for an office, hallway or living room.

In Full Working Order, fitted with a later Kienzle battery operated mechanism.

In Excellent Condition, some tarnishing to the brass, the wood is in Great Condition, nice golden patina. A few marks on the clock face from 60+ years of the hands moving, nothing to detract.

The clock measures 17 x 17 x 5cm / 6.5 x 6.5 x 2in. Its length when hanging is 42cm / 16.5in.

Miniature Italian pottery jug / vase, with Giraffe and Cockerel, made in Deruta, Italy circa 1960’s.

March 5, 2013Ceramics1950's, alla moda, antique, brighton, cockerel, collectable, deruta, design, giraffe, italian ceramics, italian pottery, italy, jug, mid century, mid century modern, retro, tube lined, Vase, vintageafterglowretro Leave a comment

This is a Beautiful miniature Italian pottery jug / vase / collectable, made in Deruta, Italy circa 1960’s.

A Wonderful cute and unusual example of Italian Mid Century ceramics, this tiny decorative jug has a lovely exaggerated form, the stone colored body has a pale blue handle. It is ornately / kitschly decorated with images of a flower, leaf, cockerel and a giraffe! With a final zig zagged icing of a white tube lined glaze!

Deruta is a town in the Umbria region of Italy, with many small studio potteries that produced pieces in this style, characterised by reddish clay, matte glazes, stylised drawings and white tube lined detailing.

Would make a Great addition to any collection of Italian / European / Mid Century pottery, and would complement any retro, vintage, 50’s / 60’s, kitsch, shabby chic interior.

In Excellent Condition, no marks, chips or scratches. Handpainted / marked to the base ITALY 3509 .

Measures 9 x 7 x 7cm / 3.5 x 2.75 x 2.75in.

AVeM Murano ‘Tutti Frutti’ scroll bowl, Venice, Italy circa 1950’s

February 26, 2013Glass1950's, afterglow retro, art glass, avem murano, brighton antique, brighton retro, mid century modern, murano glass, retro design, tutti frutti, venice italy, vintage styleafterglowretro One comment

This is a Beautiful AVeM Murano (Arte Vetraria Muranese) red glass ‘Tutti Frutti’ scroll bowl / dish, Venice, Italy circa 1950’s.
A Stunning piece that displays the master craftsmanship and artistry of Murano’s glassblowers.
The exquisite myriad of glasswork includes silver leaf, Zanfirico lattice filigree, twisted ribbon canes, and copper Aventurine. All set in a random form in clear glass, the outer being a rich red glass, which creates a lovely stunning background to the intricate craftsmanship.

Catches the light beautifully through the myriad techniques and colours, the undulating amorphous form looks different from every angle, beautifully curved and organic.

Would make a Fantastic addition to any collection of Murano, European Art glass, and would complement any retro, vintage, mid century, Hollywood regency, fifties, sixties, minimal or contemporary interior.

Measures 18 x 17.5 x 7cm / 7 x 6.75 x 2.75in. Weighing almost 1.5kg!

In Excellent Condition, no marks, chips or scratches, the usual age related wear on the base, not visible on display.

Helene Ugo ceramic wall plaque, decor by Michel Barbier, Vallauris, France circa 1957

February 7, 2013Ceramics, Collectables1950's, 1957, art, art pottery, brighton, ceramic, ceramic artists, cubist, design, france, helene ugo, michel barbier, mid century modern, picasso, pottery, retro, vallauris, vintageafterglowretro One comment

This is a Beautiful ceramic wall plaque, produced in Vallauris, France circa 1957 by the Helene Ugo Pottery, decor by Michel Barbier.

A Stunning Mid Century Modernist piece of Abstract / Picasso inspired French Art Pottery. Hand incised and painted pattern in a delightful bold Cubist design, with matte black and yellow glazes with a lovely smooth pumice / pebble feel and texture.

Vallauris is a pottery region in south-eastern France, Picasso lived here from 1948 – 55 and greatly contributed to the renaissance of the pottery industry, this legendary golden age when everyone was a potter, including famous ceramicists Roger Capron and Charles Voltz. His influence is clearly seen in the abstracted forms of pieces such as this plaque.

Would make a Fantastic addition to any collection of European / French / Studio / Art Pottery and is a perfect Bright statement piece to decorate any wall in a retro, vintage, mid century modern, 50’s, minimal or contemporary interior.

In Very Good Condition, one small bruise to the glaze on one corner, and some marks to the white glaze on sides and rear so do not detract from the overall look.

Measures 32 x 22 x 1.6cm / 12.5 x 8.75 x 0.6in.

Stamped (indistinct) to the back with Made in France and Helene Ugo Vallauris, hand signed in black paint Vallauris and M?D.

AVeM Murano Glass Tutti Frutti Toothpick Holder / Bowl / Vase, Italy circa 1950’s

January 16, 2013Glass1950's, art, avem, aventurine, Bowl, decoration for home, Desk, filigree, Glass, italy, mid century, millefiori, Murano, murano venetian glass, red, retro, retro style, silver, tutti frutti, Vase, venice, vintageafterglowretro Leave a comment

This is a Beautiful AVeM Murano (Arte Vetraria Muranese) red glass ‘Tutti Frutti’ small vase / bowl / toothpick holder, Venice, Italy circa 1950’s.

A Stunning piece that displays the master craftsmanship and artistry of Murano’s glassblowers.
The exquisite myriad of glasswork includes silver leaf, Zanfirico lattice filigree, twisted ribbon canes, and copper Aventurine. All set in a random form in clear glass, the inner being a rich red glass, which creates a lovely stunning background to the intricate craftsmanship.

Catches the light beautifully through the myriad techniques and colours, the undulating amorphous form looks different from every angle, beautifully curved and organic.

In Excellent Condition, no chips, a couple of very small surface marks not noticeable on display, the usual age related wear to the base, nothing to detract.

Measures 9 x 9 x 8cm / 3.5 x 3.5 x 3in.

Ceramiche Zaccagnini Geisha playing a harp figurine, Florence, Italy circa 1940’s / 50’s

November 18, 2012Ceramics1940's, 1950's, art deco, art nouveau, ceramic, decorative, figurine, firenze, florence, geisha, italian, japanese, lady, majolica, mid century, pottery, tiffanys, ugo, urbano, vintage, woman, zaccagniniafterglowretro Leave a comment

This is a beautiful and rare piece of Mid Century Modernist Italian pottery by the Zaccagnini pottery. Depicting a Japanese Geisha playing a harp (kugo) the style owes much to the companies Art Nouveau and Art Deco heritage. Produced under the tutelage of Urbano Zaccagnini who had taken over the pottery from his father Ugo in 1937, the focus shifted to decorative figurines, finding favour with high class US stores such as Tiffany’s. During this period they also produced limited, highly collectable and valuable figures for Disney. This wonderful piece contrasts an unglazed matte base with a vibrant blue majolica glaze giving the stylised figure an ancient appearance.

San Marino rock glaze and sgraffito vase and Fratelli Fanciullacci textured striped jug, Italy circa 1960’s

October 3, 2012Ceramics, Collectables1950's, 1960's, alla moda, ceramics, fanciullacci, fat lava, fratelli, glaze, italian, italy, jug, pottery, retro, san marino, sgraffito, studio, Vase, vintageafterglowretro View all 3 comments

These two pieces illustrate how Italian potteries were leading the way with innovative mid-century modern ceramic design. From the San Marino’s trademark foamy white smalto roccia (rock glaze) that predated West German ‘Fat Lava’ styles, combined here with a highly stylised fashionable sgraffito image, evoking the 1960’s Italian glamour sought out by the new influx of foreign tourists. The Fratelli Fanciullacci jug with its heavily textured glaze and hand painted stripes is inspired by the resurgence in studio pottery in Italy at the time, and was important in the revival of craft and the growth of ‘Made in Italy’ after the war.

Exbor / Novy Bor Glassworks , Sklo Union, pink, colourless and green cased faceted vase, designed by Pavel Hlava, Czechoslovakia circa 1958.

September 30, 2012Glass1950's, 1958, art, arts, czech, exbor, Glass, green, hlava, milan, novy bor, pavel, retro, sculptural piece, sculpture, sklo, Vase, vintageafterglowretro Leave a comment

A striking example of the renaissance in Czech glass design in the 1950’s. From behind the Iron Curtain, re-establishing the country’s skilled designers reputation for producing unique art glass masterpieces. Pavel Hlava designed this range for exhibition at the Milan Triennale in 1957, the first time in over 20 years Czech glass was seen internationally, whilst showcasing their modern products for a modern age and people. With its monumental form and coloured internal design it is as much a sculptural piece as a functional vase.

Vintage Goebel Pottery Hedgehog dish, KZ 98, West Germany circa 1950

September 27, 2012Ceramics, Collectables1950's, animal, dish, figure, goebel, hedgehog, keramik, mid century, porcelain, pottery, retro, vintage, west germanyafterglowretro One comment

Whilst the current trend for vintage West German pottery is almost exclusively aimed at the ‘Fat Lava’ genre and the factories that produced outlandish designs, some great designs can be found from unexpected makers. Such as this lovely Hedgehog dish from Goebel Porzellan, known predominantly for their Hummel figurines! This is a very stylish Mid-century animal figure that would quite happily sit alongside its ‘Fat Lava’ contemporaries in a collection, and would complement the similarly styled Walter Bosse brass figures.

Charles and Ray Eames ‘House of Cards’, interlocking picture card set, Western Germany circa 1952

August 30, 2012Collectables1950's, cards, charles, eames, education, house, mid century, modern, pattern, picture, ray, retro, toy, vintage, west germanyafterglowretro View all 2 comments

The Eames Office produced 5 different sets of the House of Cards. The small house of cards is the original, made in 1952.The images are of what Eameses called “good stuff “, chosen to celebrate “familiar and nostalgic objects from the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.” The six slots on each card enable the player to interlock the cards so as to build structures of myriad shapes and sizes. There was also a Giant House of Cards (1953), a Computer House of Cards (1970) and Newton House of Cards for the 1974 Nobel Laureates for IBM.