Hats: An Anthology by Steven Jones at the BGC

Hello dear readers. I have neglected you due to a busy schedule with the opening of the art/auction season. Mea culpa, but I am coming up with a concept to give you a daily dose of AR. Details to follow. Now, last night I was able to tag along with a fashionista friend to the opening of "Hats: An Anthology by Steven Jones" within the galleries at the Bard Graduate Center in New York. The show itself is a well paired down version of the same show that took place at the Victoria & Albert Museum in the spring of 2009. I must say it was a rather lighthearted affair and pleasant change of pace for Bard as the general public is not always excited by Chinese enamel work or the exquisite craftsmanship of English embroidery, but I digress. The range is very broad based with surviving examples from as early as the 16th century and of course featuring many works by Steven Jones, why would it not!

As you very well know, I love a tiara and this work by Steven Jones proved to be no exception. This literal chandelier is entitled "Swing" and is from his 1997 collection. The play of surrealism mixed with traditional "bling" within the rest of the vignette was very well played indeed.

I also fell in love with the late 19th century French jet bead black tiara at the center, top, very Black Swan.

This vignette about the "hood" conjured up scenes from Wuthering Heights but the inclusion of a plastic dime-store rain bonnet kept things light.

The vitrine dedicated to geometry.

Another installation on the theme of "paper" as a millinery material.

Ah yes, and you cannot neglect the range of floral hats.

This eye-catcher made many people stop and look for explanatory wall text. My first thought was that it must be a London swinging 60s King's Road concoction. But alas I was dead wrong. This work is entitled "Mystere" was created by Steven Jones for Jean Paul Gaultier's 1984 Fall/Winter collection.

For me, it was some of the rare survivals that were slightly more thought provoking, especially this 17th century court jesters cap loaned by the Victoria & Albert Museum. It entered their collections in 1858 according to the text...perhaps it languished for a few centuries in the attic of a country house, stranger things have been known to happen in the world of art and antiques.

This color popped stunner looked very 1950s Dior "New Look" in inspiration, but alas it is the product of 18th century England. However, it does mesh with the 18th century enlightenment interest in the collector's cabinet and while it visually makes no sense I am sure it was prestigious to have so many exotic feathers all in one place. Much like the 18th century English specimen marble table below.

Photo via Christie's

While they emerged in different artistic spheres, the hat and the table both speak of empire and the domination of the natural world.

On a lighter note, when I approached this case I was delighted to see the iconic Dior 1997 haute couture photograph together with the actual African inspired carved limewood fedora. The hat (again) was created by Steven Jones and was graciously loaned by the Christian Dior Archives. I remember this image in fashion mags around 1997. The model wears many African inspired beadwork necklaces topped off by this hat in which Jones is clearly riffing on traditional Yoruba stool carvings.

Photo via Bonhams

It seems a rather strange marriage but it works brilliantly on many levels. Last but not least, there is a case dedicated to America featuring one of Warhol's toupees, a foam Statue of Liberty tourist crown and a cowboy hat stage worn by Madonna. All very interesting, but for me, I was most captivated by the Halston white mink bunny mask worn by Candice Bergen at Truman Capote's legendary Black and White Ball in 1966.

Surprisingly enough it was loaned from the collection of The Museum of the City of New York having been given by Bergdorf Goodman in 1967. It makes me think that Candi had the mask as a loaner for the night. In any regard she did look smashing with it in her ingenue days.

Photo: Elliott Erwitt via Christie's

For the sake of economy I omitted many other compelling pieces so you must see the show which is open now through April 15th, 2012. If you will not find yourself in New York during this period there is a great exhibition catalogue available. Until next time... AR.

Objects of Desire: The Portland Font

On my last trip to London I went with a former colleague to the British Museum. Now I must admit, I had not tooled through its venerable galleries for the better part of a decade so it was more of a discovery day rather than checking in on "old friends". As I made my way through the decorative arts I was stopped in my tracks by this captivating object. I present The Portland Font:

This privately commissioned baptismal font was created in 1796 at the request of William Bentinck, the third duke of Portland on birth of his first grandson. The font was designed by noted landscape architect, Humphry Repton, and executed by Paul Storr (undeniably England's best goldsmith of the period). The distinctly neoclassical work is comprised of a detachable bowl resting on four winged-cherub bust feet on a rectangular plateau.

The font itself is surrounded by figures of the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

Detail of Charity caring for children.

Detail of Hope with her anchor as derived from Hebrew's 3:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

Detail of the rather ominous figure of Faith bearing her cross and an outstretched hand raised in benediction over the mouth of the bowl.

The work itself is crafted out of 223 ounces of 22k gold which is astounding in itself but I was further impressed by the fact that it remained within the collections of the Dukes of Portland until it was purchased by the museum in 1986. The virtuosity of the work is borne out through the clever array of surface finishes. The smooth skin and surface of the plateau are planished and burnished to a lustrous shine whereas the drapery is carefully chased and stippled to give the appearance of fabric.

This attention to the play of textures is also seen in the rendering of the hair and fine facial details.

Perish the thought, but in this super heated market for precious metals the melt value of this tour de force would be in the neighborhood of $385,000 but thankfully the skill of Paul Storr and the rarity of his monumental works would save comparable examples from the smelter...even in the worst of economies.

Photo via Christie's
Case in point the "Maitland Centerpiece" crafted by Storr in 1814 for Sir Thomas Maitland and while it is merely silver-gilt and not solid gold it commanded a resounding $518,500 when it sold at Christie's New York in October of 2009. Thankfully the "Portland Font" is safely in institutional hands at the British Museum.

Holy Odin! Viking Revival Furniture?

In previous posts you have heard me bemoan the fact that once you really feel you know a subject you encounter something that makes you inspired and shocked at the same time. Now, 700 years ago when I was in graduate school I was fascinated by the revival styles of the 19th century. Most who have spent any time studying this "Romantic" period from the 1830s-1900 are well aware of the usual suspects: gothic revival, rococo revival, greek revival, renaissance revival etc. They dominated the decorative vocabulary of the period until they were decried by the Arts and Crafts movement and supplanted by Art Nouveau and the proto-modernism of the Secessionist Movement but I digress. It was on a recent business trip to Paris that I was re-acquainted with the unusual revival subset: Viking/Celtic revival. Enter the Musee d'Orsay's very recent acquisition (2010): a monumental stained oak armchair by Tiffany Studios.

Detail

Now this particular model with its strapwork embossed leather and similarly carved oak was not such a surprise as I had seen it at auction once before... which begs the question... might they be one in the same?

Photo via Sotheby's

Detail, Photo via Sotheby's

This second example was offered at Sotheby's New York in June of 2008 but failed to sell at the hefty estimate of $180,000-240,000. Who knows if there was embossed leather lurking under that shabby later velvet upholstery. When this chair was up at auction the catalogue drew comparisons to another Tiffany commission, the well known Havemeyer home at 1 East 66th Street... more specifically the Rembrandt Room. Thankfully a chair from this long demolished somber study is preserved in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Photo via Metmuseum.org

As you can see they only vary in minor ways. The carvings are both derived from Scandinavian/Celtic ship carvings and metalwork. This nautical connection reminded me of Tiffany's earlier work at the 7th Regiment Armory on Park Avenue. Specifically the carved dado, ceiling and friezes of the Veteran's Room.

Photo via The Classicist Blog

This viking iconography fits within the realm of a military setting but one would have to think that in the domestic sphere it was just one of many exotic styles at Tiffany's disposal. Later on my trip I made my way to London and spent an afternoon at the Victoria & Albert Museum and was stunned to find yet another example of the viking revival style. Enter Norwegian designer Lars Kinsarvik's armchair presented at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Detail

Detail

Detail

Detail, Photo via Vam.ac.uk

In reading the cataloging for this piece it became clear that this example was less about romanticism but more about nationalistic pride. At this point Norway was still under Swedish control and the designer was clearly looking at recent archaeological discoveries of Viking vessels for his decorative motifs. The chair supports are derived from anthropomorphic ship prows. The museum's research goes on to state that Norway insisted on having its own pavilion at the fair separate from that of Sweden. Thankfully Norway would have its independence some five years later. So within context this example is less quirky when understood as a nation's rallying cry. If any readers have other examples of this decorative subset I would be more than intrigued to see them!

Zara Phillips: Another Tale of Tiaras

I do apologize for my month long absence. I was under the mistaken conclusion that my schedule would miraculously clear once the auction season drew to a close but alas I have been busier than ever....neglecting you kind readers. I am currently on the road but had to stop to post about Zara Phillips' wedding that is taking place tomorrow! Miss Phillips is Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter and the only daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. Zara's impending nuptials have been referred to as "the other Royal wedding" after the global phenomenon that was William and Catherine's ceremony on April 29th. I would expect that Zara's wedding to rugby player Mark Tindall should be a low-key affair. Princess Anne's desire for privacy was definitely passed on to her similarly athletic daughter. Mark Phillips never accepted a title from the Queen and it is reported that Princess Anne refused honorary titles for for her children so they could have a more normal life away from public scrutiny. Thus Zara and her brother Peter are the Queen's only grandchildren without titles. This apparent informality is most evidenced by the happy couple's engagement photo.

With this level of comfort one wonders if the sporty Zara will opt for a tiara at all. I for one hope she does. She will likely not have as many options open to her as Kate but below find my short list of the strong contenders:

1. Princess Anne's Festoon Tiara

This could very well be the likely bet as is a romantic and low profile belle epoch stunner. The tiara is the personal property of Princess Anne so the loan would be quite simple. It was presented to Princess Anne by the World Wide Shipping Group in 1973, the year of her marriage. My only caveat would be that Princess Anne already loaned the festoon to her son Peter's bride, Autumn Kelly, on the event of their marriage in May of 2008. Since that was in the fairly recent past and was highly publicized I do hope she opts for another piece....but I digress.

2. Princess Andrew of Greece's Meander Tiara

This classically inspired bandeau tiara is also the personal property of Princess Anne making Zara's access as easy as the festoon. The overall look is a bit severe but Anne has carried it off successfully throughout the years. The tiara was a wedding present from Prince Phillip's mother, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, to the future Queen Elizabeth II. And while the Greek key and palmette motifs are a distinct nod to Prince Phillip's Hellenic line, the Queen never wore it publicly. It was subsequently given to Princess Anne in 1972, a year prior to her engagement and subsequent marriage. Other royal watcher's feel that this would be a great choice, steeped in family history but I am not so convinced due to its stark geometry. It may however be the default since the festoon was so recently trotted out at a royal wedding.

3. Fringe Tiara

Historically this would be a strong choice. It was created in 1919 using diamonds that had been part of a tiara/necklace given by Queen Victoria to Queen Mary on the occasion of her marriage in 1893. Queen Mary gave it to the Queen Mother when she ascended the throne in 1937. The Queen Mother lent it to both her daughter Princess Elizabeth and granddaughter Princess Anne on their respective wedding days. It may be a bit severe in design but it is definitely no stranger to a royal wedding. For me, it would be very fitting Zara to wear her mother's and grandmother's wedding tiara but as you can tell I have a flair for nostalgia. This would however require a loan from the Queen which shouldn't be out of the question as she most recently loaned Catherine the Cartier Halo Tiara for her wedding to Prince William.

Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne wearing the Fringe on their respective wedding days.

As the big day is tomorrow we have precious little time to make broader guesses. If you wish to torture yourself you can always refer to Catherine's tiara list that I obsessed over for countless months. The couple is wedding at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh but the event will not be televised so we will have to wait for the stills to hit the internet. I wait with baited breath!

UPDATE:
Well the big event has come and gone and as I suspected Zara wore option 2, the Meander tiara. While it is a bit stiff she wore it well and the overall look was beautiful.

Unusual Tiffany Clock Sells at Bonhams

Despite a few bright spots, for the most part the June design auctions were a pretty standard affair. Bonhams however presented a delightfully odd yet art historically interesting clock. I have gushed in the past about Tiffany Studios lamps and glass but I have also tried to enlighten my readers on the less commercially popular areas of the firm's production. I present this unique Tiffany & Co. carved mahogany and enameled hall clock.

Now I admit it is a bit quirky but it was produced in 1887 so the decorative vocabulary is straddling a ménage à trois of aesthetic movement, beaux arts and budding art nouveau sensibilities. While it wouldn't qualify as a "hot mess" in todays terms, it definitely has a lot going on. This is understandable as it was made to be a tour de force showpiece likely destined for a world exposition. While people are very familiar with the glass production, most are not aware that Tiffany Studios had a substantial furniture workshop and an enameling division...both seen at work on this piece.

The teardrop face is exquisitely enameled and the resulting design falls somewhere between Anglo-Japanese and art nouveau and as the lot footnote indicates it was likely the handiwork of Paulding Farnham, Tiffany's design director who had a keen interest in the firm's enamel workshop.

The waves and cascades of the case are virtuosic and are only limited by the constraints of the rather traditional silhouette of a conventional tall-case clock. While it is not everyone's taste it achieved $91,500 blasting past its pre-sale estimate of $25,000-35,000. The bold price comes down to rarity...where else are you going to find a Tiffany clock of this stature? But if you are interested in Tiffany Studios furniture pieces, they can be had at more modest levels.

This rather traditional gate-leg table was produced in the heyday of Tiffany Studios and can be purchased from M. S. Rau Antiques for the asking price of $29,850. But don't fret dear readers if you watch the auctions models such as these appear at more realistic estimates of $2000-3000.

Detail of the Tiffany brand.

This finely carved Queen Anne style stunner was sold at Burchard Galleries last fall for a reasonable $400.

Detail of brand.

This pair of baroque style hall chairs surfaced at Rago Arts and Auction Center in the summer of 2005 and brought a tidy $4250 against a $5000-7000 estimate. They are similarly branded as the others.

This Italian rococo style console table forms part of an extensive Tiffany Studios "Royal Venetian" bedroom suite that Bonhams offered in the summer of 2010 at an estimate of $10,000-15,000 but it failed to find a buyer... perhaps it was too much of a "look" but lets not digress.

This Tiffany Studios mahogany what-not was sold by Treadway Gallery in December of 2007 for $2500. As you can see, when it comes to Tiffany there is something at every level spanning a broad range of tastes.