Unknown

'Homer', 19th Century Figural Embroidery showing the Blind Poet Playing his Lyre

Circa 1860

Chinese School, 20th century; After Ren Renfa (Qinglongzhen, 1255-1328). Signed center right in Chinese with artist chop mark for 'Yueshan Daoren' 月山道人, brush name for Ren Renfa. (Qinglongzhen [now Qingpu, Songjiang, Shanghai Municipality], b.1255; d. 1328). Chinese painter. Under the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) he became an official, rising to the level of Vice-President of the River Conservation Bureau. He was famous for his paintings of horses, which were much admired by both his Mongol and Chinese patrons. In horse painting he followed in the tradition of the Song-period (960–1279) artist Li Gonglin, which was characterized by use of the ‘iron-wire’ line and a minimum of shading. Ultimately, however, Ren’s style can be traced to the Tang (ad 618–907) painters Yan Liben and Han Gan. Ren’s earliest surviving painting is dated 1280, indicating that he was a mature artist by his mid-twenties. Although he worked as an official under the alien Mongol emperors, he was capable of paintings that incorporated clear political messages. The most famous is Fat and Lean Horses (Beijing, Pal. Mus.), in which, according to his inscription, the fat horse...

'Look Homeward, Angel', Anthony Perkins Costume, Broadway, Motley, Academy Award, LACMA, Guggenheim Museum ----------------- Initialed lower right, 'DJ', for Dorothy Jeakins (American, 1914-1995) and dated 1957. Titled, 'Look Homeward, Angel' and 'Eugene Grant, Anthony Perkins'. Inscribed with costume designer notes and bearing costumer's fabric swatches. Costumes for this production were mostly undertaken by Motley Design Group (Margaret Harris, Audrey Sophia Harris and Elizabeth Montgomery). Jeakins was a close personal friend of Perkins and would likely have designed this costume as a personal favor to the actor Premiering on November 28, 1957 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway, 'Look Homeward, Angel' ran for a total of 564 performances, closing on April 4, 1959. Directed by George Roy Hill, written by Ketti Frings, and based on Thomas Wolfe's 1929 largely autobiographical novel of the same title, the cast starred Jo Van Fleet...

Signed lower right, 'Sandra Grassi Nelipovich' (American, born 1938) and dated 1981. Artist business card on original frame backing with title, 'Can Can'. A complex, multi-figural ...

Signed lower left, 'Lavallen', dated 1987 and titled verso 'Mujer Dormida' (Woman Sleeping). A large figural oil painting of a young woman shown reclining on a sofa. Julio Lavallen...

Late 19th century Chinese silk embroidery with gold, silver and coloured threads, depicting two finely detailed dragons and other various symbols. The dragon's claws are each five fi...

Tree of Life One ancient mythical symbol appears across various cultures as the esoteric Tree of Life. The Tree represents life's abundance and immortality. The cosmic mountain is often depicted as the highest point on earth where heaven and earth meet, where Gods dwell; the Tree stands atop it. Specific trees are held sacred and worshipped as the Tree of Life by the different cultures, and it does not bode well to cut the Peepal in India, Bodhi (Peepal) in Buddhist countries, Cyprus in Iran etc. About: "Art is just perception. The first glance is an emotion, your emotion. The title of the canvas is read after that."- Shabbir Merchant...

Jaali' of Urdu origin meaning netting, is an ornamental open work originally crafted on wood, metal and stone for interiors. A significant feature of Indo-Islamic art, the Jaali is an intricate pattern ranging from delicate trellises to complex floral layouts. The wall panels depict the interlacing design of the Jaali in mid earth tones on silk. The compositions of flowers and the paisley are embroidered in thread with subtle highlightes of shine. A note on handmade: A handmade product is always appealing due to the irregularities in its workmanship. This is what sets it apart from machine made or computerized; the perfection they offer feels synthetic or artificial. Especially when one speaks of art and craft. These wall panels are works of hand worked embroideries. Imperfections such as an occasional puckering of the base material are expected with the kind of embroidery stitches used. You are assured these artworks are embroidered by highly skilled artisans (it is not possible for craftsmen of lesser experience to create these pieces) The materials used for the embroideries are of superior quality only. About: Shabbir Merchant...

Jamavar The Jamavar of Kashmir is an exquisite heritage textile of India. The original Jamavar was a yard-long shawl of pashmina wool with delicate patterns handwoven in multicolored silk weft threads. Its authentic designs are finely intricate, imparting gentle aristocracy with its most outstanding and popular motif being the elongated teardrop, originally called 'buteh'. The 'buteh' is what one now recognizes as the 'paisley'. These artworks are compositions of the timeless 'buteh' of the Jamavar. The wall panels are embroidered with fine thread cords couched along the pattern. A note on handmade: A handmade product is always appealing due to the irregularities in its workmanship. This is what sets it apart from machine made or computerized; the perfection they offer feels synthetic or artificial. Especially when one speaks of art and craft. These wall panels are works of hand worked embroideries. Imperfections such as an occasional puckering of the base material are expected with the kind of embroidery stitches used. You are assured these artworks are embroidered by highly skilled artisans (it is not possible for craftsmen of lesser experience to create these pieces) The materials used for the embroideries are of superior quality only. About: Shabbir Merchant...