History's Runway: The Jester Glasses, 1954

The Jester Glasses
Oliver Goldsmith Co., 1955
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a salesman for a small optical concern, founded his own eyewear firm in London in 1926.  In 1935, his son Charles Oliver Goldsmith joined the family firm with the with the goal of making glasses into fashion item instead of an ugly necessity.

The firm became known for their attention-grabbing designs which attracted celebrity endorsement for their products. Famous clients included Lord Snowdon, the actress Diana Dors, Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales.

This pair from 1954 shows Charles Oliver Goldsmith's flair for design and his desire to offer an unusual alternative to the practical eyewear that was available at the time. With a whimsical, exaggerated cat-eye shape, this design was whimsically entitled “The Jester Glasses” and though abstract, they were still quite wearable.  

The Plastic sunglasses with exaggerated scalloped edges were hand-cut with a blue veneer laminated onto the surface.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Spider Web Necklace, 1970

Necklace
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This close-fitting necklace by Allen Jane proves is just a little bit spooky, but also quite elegant. The ornate collar has been decorated with a dense lattice of stems, flowers, foliage, bees and spider's webs in silver-gilt with enamel and cultured pearls.

A concealed opening at the front and a hinge at the back make wearing it a little easier.

Mastery of Design: The Arthur King Brooch, c. 1970

Brooch
Arthur King, c. 1970
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The abstract and sculptural jewels of the 1960s and 1970s tended to shy away from polished gold, introducing new textures which were created through the use of flame and heat. Furthermore, symmetrical cuts were out of fashion and jewelers played with new gemstone cuts and shapes. The work of Arthur King typified this modern spirit.

King taught himself the art of jewelry-making during the Second World War. His success in the U.S. spurred the opening of galleries in London, Paris, Miami and Cuba. His work was known for its irregular shapes, uncut and unpolished stones, unusual textures, unexpected color combinations and the use of scrap metal.

This abstract brooch of gnarled gold is scattered with diamonds. Made in 1970, it’s a perfect example of King’s design sensibilities. 

The Art of Play: Bath Toys, 1970

Bath Toy
Patrick Rylands, 1970
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

You know, this has nothing to do with anything. And, it’s certainly not even remotely antique. But, I just like it. It’s cute and, even though I’m not a big fan of sitting in a bath, I’d like to have one.

It’s a bath toy. Made in 1970, the toy in the shape of a fish was designed by Patrick Rylands who was a designer of toys for Trendon Toys Ltd, Ambi Toys, Brio and other British firms. Rylands had a background as a ceramicist at the Royal College of Art. That sculptural background is wholly evident in the toys that he designed. His work is characterized by pleasing, rounded forms which would have been quite easy for small children to handle. The bath fish is one of a group of toys which Rylands designed which won the Duke of Edinburgh's Design Award in 1970. It, and its friends, are made of a molded plastic.

Mastery of Design: A Ring by Gerda Flöckinger, 1969

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here's a charmingly peculiar bauble dating to 1969.  It's a ring, the body of which is pierced and intentionally darkened in areas by oxidation. Sections are adorned with irregular scrolls, wires and small balls. The ring is set with a large, pale citrine carved with a floral design and a smaller pink tourmaline. Attached to the ring, below the tourmaline,  a circular gold disc with a small opal set in it, is mounted and from the disc hangs a 'tail'-- a stem of silver decorated with a spiral of gold wire.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This is the work of Gerda Flöckinger, CBE, one of the pre-eminent artists in the alternative jewelry scene in London. She was born in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1927, and emigrated to Britain in 1938 where she studied fine art at St Martin's School of Art, and jewelry and enamels at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. 

In 1956, she made the brave step to work as an independent designer and maker, and, in 1962, established a pioneering course in experimental jewellery at Hornsey School of Art. where much of the next generation of cutting-edge British artist-jewellers were taught.

The encrusted, organic textures of this ring typify Flöckinger's work. In 1969, when this ring was crafted, large, unusual stones - cameos, soft-colored cabochons, veined turquoises and irregular pearls were incorporated to give glowing pools of color amidst, irregular planes and intense contrasts against the swirling, differing metals.

The ring was purchased from the artist from an exhibition of her work held at the V&A in 1971.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Updated on April 4, 2014:

I had the honor of being contacted directly by Gerda Flöckinger, a Commander of the British Empire.  

She wrote the following to me:

My ring is not pierced in any part of itself. The ring is built up from different sizes of silver wires, with fusion techniques and additional details soldered into position after the completion of the main fusion.

This particular ring may have been typical of my work in 1969 and a period of a few years before and after, however it is not at all typical of my work earlier, so probably not typical until the later ‘sixties to maybe early to mid ’seventies.

I did not discover the possibilities of precious metal fusion until 1963, so all my work before that date is very different. My later work after my solo exhibition at the V&A (which was a landmark show in the sense that it was the first solo show at the V&A of the work of a woman during her lifetime) has also undergone considerable changes throughout my working life. I hope.

I'd like to point out that I'm thrilled to have heard from the artist herself, and, I'm also interested that her personal statement is in direct contrast to the description of the piece which is listed in the online catalog of the V&A as seen here wherein it is stated, "The body of the ring is pierced and deliberately darkened in places by oxidation and decorated with irregular scrolls, wires and small balls."

I'm most grateful to Miss Flöckinger for taking a moment to describe the process by which she created this remarkable piece, to provide an opportunity to correct an error in the online catalog, and for taking the time to write to me.

The Art of Play: The Magic Punch & Judy

The Magic Punch and Judy
England, 1977
The George Speaight Archive at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This card-backed flyer is printed with a set of cut-out Punch & Judy puppets. The images are described as, “a reconstruction of H. G. Clarke's THE MAGIC PUNCH & JUDY first published [ca.] 1875.” The work of Mike Bartley, this 1977 flyer reads further:


Member of the BRITISH PUPPET & MODEL THETRE GUILD
Mike Bartley
REVIVES
THE MAGIC
PUNCH AND JUDY
41 COOPER ROAD, WESBURY-ON-TRYM, BRISTOL BS( 3QZ ) 
BRISTOL (0272) 621955 

Print of the Day: Mr. Punch at Madame Tussaud's, 1999

Poster by Denis Piper, 1999
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I don’t usually write about recent objects, but this one was too perfect for today that I couldn’t resist. Well, obviously, we can see that it’s a poster letting us know that Punch and Judy would be appearing at Madame Tussaud’s in London for Christmas. They actually look quite pleased to be doing so.

The advert for this special Christmas appearance was designed by Denis Piper.

Mastery of Design: The Pinecone Brooch, 1960

Brooch
Jean Schumberger, 1960
Tiffany & Co.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This attractive brooch is of a more modern origin than the pieces which we usually examine onStalking the Belle Époque, but it has its roots in the designs of the late Victorian era. Jean Schlumberger of New York’s Tiffany & Co. designed this glittering gem in the form of a pair of pinecones--one is set with emeralds, and the other with sapphires. The pinecones are surmounted with diamond-set leaves.

During his career, Jean Schlumberger (1907-87) worked with Schiaparelli in Paris before joining Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger came by his love of gems naturally. He came from a family of textile manufacturers in Mulhouse (in eastern France). During this time, he grew to love studying combinations of colors and textures. Initially his mother and father urged young Jean toward a career in banking, however, in the 1930s, he began working for as a designer of costume jewelry for the couturier Elsa Schiaparelli in Paris. The Second World War led him to the French army and soon he made his way from England (to where he’d been evacuated) to New York.

Once in the United States, in 1947, he set up a small jewelry business with his childhood friend Nicolas Bongard. Their work quickly garnered much attention and soon Tiffany & Co. invited them to open a design studio and salon within the Tiffany New York store in 1956. To this day, many of Schlumberger’s designs are still produced by Tiffany & Co. and remain among their biggest sellers. 

The Art of Play: The Ebenezer Scrooge Marionette, 1979

Marionette of Ebenezer Scrooge
Frances and Peter Grant, 1979
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Though made in 1979, this marionette puts me in mind of the Victorian puppets made in the Nineteenth Century by the Tiller-Clowes troupe. Here, we see Ebenezer Scrooge. He was made, along with twenty-two others, by Peter and Frances Grant for their puppet production of “A Christmas Carol.” Their Theater of Marionettes toured Britain in 1979 with this production. 

The Grants had a long history of puppetry. They began their company in the 1960s, and, over time made their way across Britain and Europe to the delight of many.

Frances Grant sculpted the bodies of their marionettes. She used obeche, a tropical wood valued for its smoothness and lack of resin. The faces, hands and feet were also sculpted by Frances who employed epoxy resin to create expressive features. Peter Grant costumed the figures and created all the props. 

Print of the Day: The Greatest Show on Earth’s Circus Polka, 1942

Click image to enlarge

Poster for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Kauffer, 1942
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Circus Polka was an act which involved fifty elephants wearing tutus who were being ridden by dancers (also in tutus). Presumably, all and sundry would polka. I can’t imagine a pachyderm polka, but it seems to me to be something that an elephant wouldn’t really enjoy.

The routine was choreographed by the famed George Balanchine (1904-1983) to music by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) for the circus manager John Ringling North and under the direction of those lovely folks at the Barnum and Bailey company.

This peculiar elephant ballet was part of the 1942 season in New York’s Madison Square Garden. That season’s circus show was called “Holidays.” These events were always well-attended. Madison Square Garden had been the New York home of Barnum’s circus since 1881. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey had been performing separately for decades, but often worked in unison, combining officially in 1919. So, by the time this pachyderm polka was staged with Balanchine and Stravinsky in 1942, the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus was an institution.

This poster was one of many dramatic images which advertised the 1942 show, Here, we see, against a black background, two gray Indian elephants who have been stripped of their tusks, Both wear dancer’s tutus and are frozen in their choreography forever. A pirouetting dancer joins them. It reads:

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH 
PRESENTS 
50 FAMOUS ELEPHANTS 
WITH BEAUTIFUL GIRLS.

IN AN ORIGINAL BALLET 
COMPOSED BY IGOR STRAVINSKY 
STAGED BY GEORGE BALANCHINE

As well as…

BUY DEFENSE BONDS

And

RINGLING BROS AND BARNUM & BAILEY

This is the work of Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954) and the posters were printed in New York. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Spider Web Necklace, 1970

Necklace
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This close-fitting necklace by Allen Jane proves is just a little bit spooky, but also quite elegant. The ornate collar has been decorated with a dense lattice of stems, flowers, foliage, bees and spider's webs in silver-gilt with enamel and cultured pearls.

A concealed opening at the front and a hinge at the back make wearing it a little easier.

The Art of Play: The Ebenezer Scrooge Marionette, 1979

Marionette of Ebenezer Scrooge
Frances and Peter Grant, 1979
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Though made in 1979, this marionette puts me in mind of the Victorian puppets made in the Nineteenth Century by the Tiller-Clowes troupe. Here, we see Ebenezer Scrooge. He was made, along with twenty-two others, by Peter and Frances Grant for their puppet production of “A Christmas Carol.” Their Theater of Marionettes toured Britain in 1979 with this production. 

The Grants had a long history of puppetry. They began their company in the 1960s, and, over time made their way across Britain and Europe to the delight of many.

Frances Grant sculpted the bodies of their marionettes. She used obeche, a tropical wood valued for its smoothness and lack of resin. The faces, hands and feet were also sculpted by Frances who employed epoxy resin to create expressive features. Peter Grant costumed the figures and created all the props. 

Print of the Day: Mr. Punch at Madame Tussaud's, 1999

Poster by Denis Piper, 1999
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I don’t usually write about recent objects, but this one was too perfect for today that I couldn’t resist. Well, obviously, we can see that it’s a poster letting us know that Punch and Judy would be appearing at Madame Tussaud’s in London for Christmas. They actually look quite pleased to be doing so.

The advert for this special Christmas appearance was designed by Denis Piper.

The Art of Play: The Magic Punch & Judy

The Magic Punch and Judy
England, 1977
The George Speaight Archive at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This card-backed flyer is printed with a set of cut-out Punch & Judy puppets. The images are described as, “a reconstruction of H. G. Clarke's THE MAGIC PUNCH & JUDY first published [ca.] 1875.” The work of Mike Bartley, this 1977 flyer reads further:


Member of the BRITISH PUPPET & MODEL THETRE GUILD
Mike Bartley
REVIVES
THE MAGIC
PUNCH AND JUDY
41 COOPER ROAD, WESBURY-ON-TRYM, BRISTOL BS( 3QZ ) 
BRISTOL (0272) 621955 

Gifts of Grandeur: A Brooch by Andrew Grima

Brooch
Andrew Grima, 1967-1968
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A masterful work of lapis lazuli, turquoise, diamonds and gold, this brooch is the work of Andrew Grima. Rough, staggered gold rays radiate from a central cabochon-cut stone of lapis lazuli. These theatrical, decorative rays are set with cabochon turquoise and seven brilliant-cut diamonds set in platinum.

This is a perfect example of the revolution in jewelry design that occurred in London in the 1960s. Andrew Grima was among the jewelers who championed this revisioning of the jeweler’s art. Grima (1921-2007) was born in Rome and trained in Nottingham. He exhibited in the celebration of contemporary jewelry which was organized by Graham Hughes at the Goldsmiths' Hall in London in 1961. There, he won a series of prizes in the Diamonds International Award competitions, and, in 1966, he was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design.

Also in 1966, Grima opened his London shop in Jermyn Street where he enjoyed the patronage of the Queen, Princess Margaret and Jacqueline Onassis.

This particular brooch was bought in December 1968 by the director Roman Polanski for his wife, the actress Sharon Tate, to mark their first wedding anniversary. Tate, as we know, was one of those who was murdered by Charles Manson and his so-called “family.”

Friday Fun: Punch and Judy Re-booted, 2012

I don't know how I feel about this.  In 2012, in conjunction with Mr. Punch's 350th birthday, Gold TV decided to give him a "re-boot" or a 21st Century makeover to make sure that he remains relatable and relevant to the present day.  

On one hand, no one wants the Punch and Judy tradition to continue for centuries to come more than I.  I know that Punch has evolved over the previous centuries.  If he hadn't, he wouldn't be Mr. Punch, he'd still be Pulcinella--if that.  I understand that Punch and his friends have always been used for the purposes of communication and that they've incorporated current events and popular figures in order to do so.  So, it makes sense that Punch should be reinvented from time to time.  And, I can see that this group has taken care to maintain important elements of the long tradition.

However, to see Punch with a mod haircut and wearing a tracksuit and ball cap...it just...it rubs me the wrong way.  I am aware that I prefer my art, surroundings, and, yes, even my puppets to be Victorian.  My ideal Mr. Punch is by no means the original Mr. Punch.  He's a creation of the early-to-mid Nineteenth Century.  But, a tracksuit?  At least he still looks like Punch in the face.

Let's see what you think. 

In the end, anything that keeps Punch alive for another 350 years is not something with which I care to argue.  

Mastery of Design: The Arthur King Brooch, c. 1970

Brooch
Arthur King, c. 1970
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The abstract and sculptural jewels of the 1960s and 1970s tended to shy away from polished gold, introducing new textures which were created through the use of flame and heat. Furthermore, symmetrical cuts were out of fashion and jewelers played with new gemstone cuts and shapes. The work of Arthur King typified this modern spirit.

King taught himself the art of jewelry-making during the Second World War. His success in the U.S. spurred the opening of galleries in London, Paris, Miami and Cuba. His work was known for its irregular shapes, uncut and unpolished stones, unusual textures, unexpected color combinations and the use of scrap metal.

This abstract brooch of gnarled gold is scattered with diamonds. Made in 1970, it’s a perfect example of King’s design sensibilities. 

The Art of Play: Bath Toys, 1970

Bath Toy
Patrick Rylands, 1970
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

You know, this has nothing to do with anything. And, it’s certainly not even remotely antique. But, I just like it. It’s cute and, even though I’m not a big fan of sitting in a bath, I’d like to have one.

It’s a bath toy. Made in 1970, the toy in the shape of a fish was designed by Patrick Rylands who was a designer of toys for Trendon Toys Ltd, Ambi Toys, Brio and other British firms. Rylands had a background as a ceramicist at the Royal College of Art. That sculptural background is wholly evident in the toys that he designed. His work is characterized by pleasing, rounded forms which would have been quite easy for small children to handle. The bath fish is one of a group of toys which Rylands designed which won the Duke of Edinburgh's Design Award in 1970. It, and its friends, are made of a molded plastic.

Mastery of Design: The Athene Noctua Brooch, 1983

Click image to enlarge
Athene Noctua
Kevin Coates
London, 1983
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I tend not to write about modern pieces, but, in my exploration of the world’s beautiful things, it’s inevitable that I’ll come across a recently-made item which requires further study.

This brooch is one of them. Made in 1983, this is the work of London goldsmith and musician Kevin Coates (b. 1950) who suggests “'the figurative element almost always exists within a larger abstract context.”

Coates showed a daringness to use the human form which, with the exception of cameos and portrait miniatures, is rarely seen in jewelry. He also incorporates a rhythm and poetry in his jewelry which is unusual and engaging.

In 2008, in a book written about his work, Coates elaborates on his philosophy, saying: “If jewellery has become jewel, then jewel must become poem. I realize that this is a personal philosophy, but it is at the very heart of what I seek in my work; I understand, too, that it requires the conspiracy of others to approach what I do in terms of connotation and not denotation, in other words to "read" it in terms of poetry not prose.” 

We see how jewel can become poem with this brooch depicting the goddess Athena (known as the patroness of the arts). She is shown with a mask-like visage. She rests on a base which has been inscribed with her name in Greek. 

Much of the brooch is, appropriately, Platinum—a metal from the Palladian group which borrows her name, Pallas Athena. Behind the goddess' head, like a halo, a circle of sapphire blue titanium is etched with gold stars to mimic the night sky, suggesting the time of night when Athena's sacred bird, “the Little Owl,” or “Athene Noctua,” spreads its “damask wings to do the bidding of its mistress."

Print of the Day: The Greatest Show on Earth’s Circus Polka, 1942

Click image to enlarge

Poster for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Kauffer, 1942
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Circus Polka was an act which involved fifty elephants wearing tutus who were being ridden by dancers (also in tutus). Presumably, all and sundry would polka. I can’t imagine a pachyderm polka, but it seems to me to be something that an elephant wouldn’t really enjoy.

The routine was choreographed by the famed George Balanchine (1904-1983) to music by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) for the circus manager John Ringling North and under the direction of those lovely folks at the Barnum and Bailey company.

This peculiar elephant ballet was part of the 1942 season in New York’s Madison Square Garden. That season’s circus show was called “Holidays.” These events were always well-attended. Madison Square Garden had been the New York home of Barnum’s circus since 1881. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey had been performing separately for decades, but often worked in unison, combining officially in 1919. So, by the time this pachyderm polka was staged with Balanchine and Stravinsky in 1942, the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus was an institution.

This poster was one of many dramatic images which advertised the 1942 show, Here, we see, against a black background, two gray Indian elephants who have been stripped of their tusks, Both wear dancer’s tutus and are frozen in their choreography forever. A pirouetting dancer joins them. It reads:

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH 
PRESENTS 
50 FAMOUS ELEPHANTS 
WITH BEAUTIFUL GIRLS.

IN AN ORIGINAL BALLET 
COMPOSED BY IGOR STRAVINSKY 
STAGED BY GEORGE BALANCHINE

As well as…

BUY DEFENSE BONDS

And

RINGLING BROS AND BARNUM & BAILEY

This is the work of Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954) and the posters were printed in New York.