Historical Objectivity

Designed by Jonathan Adler, this sculptural art glass horse from the Menagerie line presents a stylized equine silhouette reduced to bold, modernist geometry, with an arched neck, sq...

This matched pair of oval wall mirrors is attributed to Borghese, each retaining a printed Borghese label to the reverse. The mirrors are conceived in a restrained classical format, ...

A decorative pair of 19th century English lidded vases in the Brighton Pavilion taste, turned in wood and finished with a deep cobalt-blue ground enriched by decoupage floral ornamen...

Painted by George W. Drew (American, 1875–1968), this atmospheric Venetian subject presents a lone gondolier guiding his boat through a narrow canal, the figure centered and upright ...

Vincent De Vos Dog Ratting Oil On Board. Oil on board, this tightly composed animal subject by Vincent de Vos (Belgian, 1829–1875) centers on a black working dog intent on vermin co...

George Thomas Paice, RA, RBA (British, 1854–1925) Tarquinius A finely observed equine study titled Tarquinius by George Thomas Paice, RA, RBA (British, 1854–1925), presenting a brow...

*These would make great bookends!* Cast and blackened in the distinctive silhouette of late-19th- to early-20th-century button boots, this near pair of trade shoe forms reflects th...

J.R. Palmenbergs & Sons, Near Pair Of Mannequin Boot Forms, American *These make great decorative door stops!* These near-matched forms are best catalogued as mannequin shoes or ...

Formed as a compact, barrel-bodied string container, this Continental example is turned from a warm-toned hardwood with crisp lathe work expressed through concentric rings at the sho...

Known as treenware darning eggs with stands, this matched-but-not-identical pair reflects the longstanding domestic practice of stocking repair, in which a smooth, egg-form insert is...

This barrel-form string holder is fashioned as a miniature coopered cask, turned in dense hardwood, likely mahogany, and secured with three brass bands fastened by small domed screws that reinforce the illusion of functional hoops. The cylindrical body is presented horizontally on a shaped plinth base with softly molded edges, giving the object the presence of a small desk or countertop accessory rather than a purely utilitarian shop fitting. One end is fitted with a removable cup-form cap, revealing the hollowed interior cavity intended to store twine; the opposing end is drilled with a single exit aperture so the string may be drawn through in use, allowing the vessel to function as an early household dispenser for parcel cord, kitchen twine, or sewing and wrapping string. The contrast between warm, close-grained timber and muted brass mounts aligns with 19th-century taste for compact, well-made domestic tools that disguised their purpose within familiar historical forms, here borrowing from the language of maritime and mercantile storage...

French Workshop, French Sterling Guilloché Enamel Vanity Set, Circa 1920 This coordinated eight-piece vanity ensemble exemplifies the refined luxury goods produced for the French to...