Jean Cocteau Collectibles and Curiosities

Published by London: Mayor Rowan Gallery, 1988 First Edition Scarce copy of the catalogue published on the occasion of a multi-gallery London exhibition between Warhol and Basquiat ...

This important and unique sword was presented to the famed French painter Jean-Gabriel Domergue to commemorate the painter's election to the illustrious Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1950. One of the highest honors bestowed on a French artist, the ceremonial induction into the French Academy has been accompanied by the presentation of a sword since the age of Napoléon. Rather than a weapon, the sword became part of the Academician's uniform, and, over time, its design came to represent the interests and aspirations of its recipient. This example was designed entirely by Domergue's wife Odette, a great sculptor in her own right, and thus it represents both a highly personal gift and an important art historical relic. The design of the sword is simply magnificent. Odette Domergue found her inspiration in antiquity, a theme that is also seen in the neoclassical sculptures that occupy the gardens of the couple's famous home, Villa Fiesole - also known as Villa Domergue - in Cannes. The impressive weapon boasts a solid gold handle that takes the form of a sinuous caryatid, who is nude save for a single swath of drapery. While the female figure recalls the sculpted supports prevalent in ancient Greek architecture, she also calls to mind the subjects for which Domergue was renowned - languorous, slightly risqué women with a seductive air. Other decorative elements such as fauna, cypresses, and grotesque heads enhance the whimsy and imagination of the incredible neoclassical design. Furthermore, the scabbard that contains the finely etched blade is also an impeccable work of art. Crafted of black Moroccan leather in imitation of the snake skin, it displays intricately engraved foliage patterns with a lion's head and Domergue's coat of arms. Though imagined by his wife, the sword was expertly chiseled by the celebrated goldsmith R. Delsinne and assembled by the atelier of the famed sculptor and medalist Raymond Delamarre...

Five Architects - second edition - 1975 - hardcover Five architects: Eisenman, Graves, Gwathmey, Hejduk, Meier Published by Oxford University Press, 1975 by Richar Eisenman, Pe...

Author Lee Jaffe, Foreword by Franklin Sirmans, Contributions by J. Faith Almiron A rare and poignant compilation of photography and written anecdotes by American photographer and...

Author Diane Dorrans Saeks, photographs by Xavier Bejot. The first book on the work of a designer whose refined classical interiors are widely desired and emulated as the epitome of French style. Honored as one of the top designers by all the international design magazines and universally admired by design editors, Jean-Louis Deniot is in demand. His updated classical approach now graces interiors in Paris, the French countryside, Moscow, India, New York, Chicago, L.A., and beyond—and his legacy is already being compared to that of design greats such as Jacques Grange and Alberto Pinto. Deniot is an architect first, ensuring that the interior architecture of his rooms is harmonious before giving a neoclassical approach to the decor. He brings education, logic, and design history to his work, with one eye looking at the most refined style of French eighteenth century and one eye on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His mix is highly individual and includes contemporary art and custom-made furniture, yet his rooms always look comfortable and are never overly formal or trendy. This book demonstrates a new, sophisticated classical style that is changing the scene for international design and offering inspiration and ideas to decorators, homeowners, and antiques enthusiasts. About the author Diane Dorrans Saeks is a noted design lecturer. She is the founder of the design/travel blog The Style Saloniste, and the author of Ann Getty...

The Laurence and Patrick Seguin Collection by Jean Prouve The esteemed collectors Laurence and Patrick Seguin first discovered the work of Jean Prouvé in the late 1980s, and were qui...

A vintage "Calder's Universe" art book by Gloria Jean Lipman, circa 1980. The book is in good vintage condition (several small tears to the dust jacket) and measures 10.25"W x 11"H....

This striking plaster anatomical models is a half and half in the style of Jean Antoine Houdon. It shows the skeleton on one side and muscular layer on the other. The bust is full si...

Men Too Wear Clothes by Dorothy Stote Hardcover with original dust jacket. Frederick A. Stokes Company. 1st edition with introduction by Lucius Beebe and Drawings by Nina Granada.

Presented is an original pair of Civil War-used binoculars, with their original leather carrying case. The binoculars were used by Colonel Francis L. Lee of Massachusetts during the ...

Jean Royere was one of the great innovative designer/decorators of the 20th century and his clients included The Shah of Persia, King Farouk of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan. He w...

This book is the third volume in the portfolio collection, inaugurated with the first two volumes devoted to the work of Pierre Chareau. Volume III is dedicated this time to the work...