Self-taught American jeweler Arthur King worked with baroque pearls, geodes, and raw semi-precious gemstones to create distinctive modernist jewelry during the mid-20th century.
Like many of the accessories that populate our jewelry boxes, the forms of King’s provocative vintage brooches, necklaces, rings and other jewels were inspired by the natural world, but the pieces’ metalwork is sculptural and shapely, resembling gnarled tree branches or the surface of an elm’s aging trunk.
King was born in New Jersey in 1921. He became interested in art at a young age and was fascinated with the lost-wax casting technique practiced by some sculptors. King taught himself the process using scrap metals, and his jewelry and objets d’art would come to share common ground with abstract art in the years to come.
While stationed overseas in the Merchant Marines in World War II, King began to work with metal and dabble in jewelry making, integrating sharks’ teeth, white scrap metal and whatever else he could find into his modest “art jewelry,” a term that has been used to describe adornments created by Alexander Calder, pioneering African American studio jeweler Art Smith, Andrew Grima and others over the years. Upon returning from the war, King continued to develop his skills — eventually opening his first shop in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood.
King truly distinguished himself from other jewelers of the time — at his workbench, he shaped the brass and silver settings for his often unpolished, chunky stones that featured asymmetrical cuts and employed the age-old technique of lost-wax casting, which sees objects cast from wax models. His early pieces mainly featured silver settings, but his popularity soared once he began to craft jewelry in gold.
In 1961, King's work was exhibited at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London as part of the “International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery” and a year later, he opened his flagship store on Madison Avenue. His success allowed him to open more locations in London, Cape Cod, Havana, Miami and elsewhere.
King used a dizzying array of gems and other materials in his unconventional pieces. And as much as the jewelry of the 1960s featured eye-catching candy-colored stones, it was also an era of new textures and freeform gold settings, and King was at the forefront, creating audacious designs that contrasted sharply with the work of the world’s leading luxury houses.
King’s work has been celebrated at a range of institutions over the years including the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now the Museum of Arts and Design), the Cultured Pearl Association of Japan, the Victoria and Albert Museum and more. His jewelry was exhibited at the Cincinnati Art Museum’s “Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s,” which opened in 2021.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Arthur King brooches, rings, necklaces and more.
$2,100
Round Up (B&W Photograph from 1950s of amusement park ride and apartments)
By Arthur King
Located in Hudson, NY
Round Up (B&W Photograph from 1950s of amusement park ride and apartments) by Arthur King, 1958 Silver Gelatin print on Archival paper 24 x 20 in, 28 x 27in framed All prints are Li...
Silver Gelatin
Painting Beam (B&W Photograph from 1950s of man suspended on wire)
By Arthur King
Located in Hudson, NY
Painting Beam (B&W Photograph from 1950s of man suspended on wire) by Arthur King, 1957 Silver Gelatin print on Archival paper 14 x 11 in, 20 x 16in framed All prints are Limited Ed...
Silver Gelatin
$450
H 20 in W 16 in D 0.13 in
Alaska Forest Stream - Black & White Landscape Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful black & white landscape photograph of forest trees and stream in the woods of Alaska, by Anchorage-based nature photographer George Provost (American, 20th Century). Hand signed and dated "George Provost 1989" lower right. Photograph is hand made from an 8x10 camera negative in a traditional "wet" darkroom, by the photographer. Mounted on white mat board. Unframed. Image size: 19"H x 15"W. Born in California, Provost grew up in the Bay Area. He has lived and worked in Alaska since 1987, specializing in large format, fine art, black and white photography. His work has been exhibited in over 60 exhibitions, received numerous awards, and is included in hundreds of collections, both public and private. George Provost was an Isle Royale...
Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
$875
H 10 in W 8 in D 0.07 in
DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model Dick Lee
Located in Glenford, NY
Rare early 1950s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of model DICK LEE. Photograph is an excellent example of Jufeff's mast...
Silver Gelatin
$875
H 10 in W 8 in D 0.07 in
DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model GENE STAGGS #1
Located in Glenford, NY
Rare early 1950s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of bodybuilder and model GENE STAGGS. This is #1 of two images of Stag...
Silver Gelatin
$875
H 10 in W 8 in D 0.07 in
DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1940s Photograph of "Beefcake" model BOB GIBE #1
Located in Glenford, NY
Rare 1940s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of model BOB GIBE. Photograph is an excellent example of Juleff's masterful ...
Silver Gelatin
Kiva, San Ildefonse
By Morley Baer
Located in Pacific Grove, CA
This silver gelatin print is signed and editioned "21/100" in pencil on the front of the mount with Baer's stamp on the back of the mount. This print is accompanied by its original b...
Silver Gelatin
New York
By Don Donaghy
Located in Denton, TX
Signed, titled, and dated. American street photographer Don Donaghy (1936 - 2008, b. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), was a fourth-generation native of Philadelphia. He studied commerci...
Silver Gelatin
Jerry Garcia
By Baron Wolman
Located in Mount Pleasant, SC
Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead by iconic photographer, Baron Wolman, Taken for the Rolling Stone magazine cover shoot 1969. Last 16x20 inch available. 16x20” hand printed silver...
Silver Gelatin
$650
H 9.75 in W 6.25 in
Burt Lancaster, Vintage 1973 Silver Gelatin Signed Photograph
By Fred McDarrah
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Photographic Subject: Hollywood actor Medium: Photograph, Gelatin Silver Print Surface: Photographic Paper Country: United States Fred W. McDarrah, 1926-2007 Veteran Village...
Silver Gelatin
Medicine Ball Front
By Luke Smalley
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print (Edition of 15) Stamped and numbered, verso 20 x 16 inches, sheet From the series, "Gymnasium." This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York Cit...
Silver Gelatin
$3,800
H 40 in W 30 in
"The Glimmer Twins - Keith Richards" Photograph 40x30 in by Charlie Auringer
By Charlie Auringer
Located in Culver City, CA
"The Glimmer Twins - Keith Richards" Photograph 40x30 in by Charlie Auringer Year: 1978 Edition of 50 Medium: Silver gelatin limited edition photographic print on paper Signed and n...
Silver Gelatin
Coney Island, NY
By Don Donaghy
Located in Denton, TX
Signed, titled, and dated in ink on print margin. American street photographer Don Donaghy (1936 - 2008, b. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), was a fourth-generation native of Philadelph...
Silver Gelatin
Royal Motel, Highway 66, Elk City, Oklahoma
By Steve Fitch
Located in Sante Fe, NM
In reading the introduction of his first book Diesels and Dinosaurs, Fitch paints a vivid image of a young version of himself speeding down a two lane highway in back of his father's...
Silver Gelatin
McSorley's, St. Patrick's Day Flag
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Ab...
Silver Gelatin
McSorley's, St. Patrick's Day Flag
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Ab...
Silver Gelatin
San Gennaro
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Ab...
Silver Gelatin
Man with Cap, McSorley's
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed and numbered (1/25) in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. A...
Silver Gelatin
San Gennaro, Outside of Paolucci's Restaurant
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed and numbered (1/25) in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. A...
Silver Gelatin
Myrtle Avenue El (Passenger)
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Ab...
Silver Gelatin
Washington Market, 205
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Ab...
Silver Gelatin
Vacant Lot, Girls
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Ab...
Silver Gelatin
Lyric Moment, From Manhattan Bridge
By Arthur King
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed and numbered (2/25) in black ink, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. A...
Silver Gelatin