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This shop has long fascinated me but I’ve never be in to look around. A Saturday or two ago I was out strolling and a bit of shimmer caught my eye. I almost didn’t take a picture of it, but I like everyone should learn to not fear being perceived as gauche so I went back to take the picture through the window and here it is as a nod to my childhood.
This little bird reminded me of my Grandmother who had a small bevy of glass birds. When I was a little boy, her birds were my first contact with the idea of owning a simple object for the pure sense of amusement and delight. This little bird delights as it sits on a stack of plates; the gilt framing its translucent color and slightly abstracted form. I have two similar to it: one turquoise and one in a bright red. In the past, not a big fan of glass, I decided to learn more so I went into Gem Antiques for a quick look-see yesterday and after a bit of chit chat the shopkeeper rather deadpan told me that the antique paperweights started at 500 and go up very quickly from there. The one I liked was 6500.
I bought my turquoise and red glass birds upstate at a garage sale for a couple dollars. I think my birds or a little gorgeous paperweight–Clichy faceted double overlay with a close pack mushroom having 4 white and 2 pink Clichy roses, all on a clear strawberry cut base c 1850’s– would amuse me just the same, although I wouldn’t mind finding out for sure.
Simple and notable: this McCobb stool with thin bronze square legs and delicate rectangular stretchers on small levelers as feet upholstered in a glossy vinyl. When I see vinyl like this, I wonder what kind of fabrics will be on stools found in shops 20 years from now.
In the industry today, there are many outdoor fabrics being produced. These fabrics have colors and textures that look more like natural fibers–see delany & long–than ever before; and will probably get used more indoors than outdoors for their hopeful indestructibility. That said there is still a quality to linen and cotton and wool that can not be produced as synthetic, and as much as we would like to fight against it things wear and tear and fade.
This stool can be found at Elan. There were 3 available a couple weeks ago when I was there for about $900 each. This is a good price but they are in need of some work. I would reupholster one in a brightly faded chintz and let it maintain a simple beauty all its own.
