Aluminum Toys and Dolls

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the world yearned for a new design style that would embody contemporary culture. Efforts to create a design language suited to the needs and tastes of the modern world took shape during the first decades of the new century, crystallizing in Paris with the 1925 Exposition International des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. The Art Deco period encompassed a multitude of decorative influences, including the updating of historical styles, the introduction of exotic elements and the adaptation of avant-garde art currents such as the geometric abstraction of Cubism. Not a single style or a unified movement, Art Deco is a design idiom that reflects a decorative approach to designing appealing consumer goods during the interwar period. Encompassing every discipline within the applied arts, Art Deco manifested itself to some extent everywhere around the world, perhaps the first design idiom ever to do so. Art Deco’s fundamental appeal lay in its decorative qualities, which consumers found attractive and glamorous. From skyscrapers, locomotives, automobiles and ocean liners to fashion, advertising and everyday home furnishings and appliances, Art Deco style...

Great for a mancave and very cool on a desk also. This mid-century eye catcher is incredibly cool and tactile. It is the only one of it's kind we can find and it is in excellent condition. The real car that comes closes (in our view) to this aluminum model is the 1930s Mercedes Benz SSK (see image nr. 10). It may have been made as a luxurious ashtray, but with a shape and a look like this, it does not need to be functional. This is a work of art and can certainly be displayed as such. This one-piece, cast aluminum car...

Very pretty set of two large and heavy oversized jumbo bakelite dice in luscious dark butterscotch and delicious caramel swirl colour. Art Deco at its best in design and colour, these are must have for a collector and they are not easy to find in this colour. So far they belonged to my own extensive dice collection...

Charming 19th century Romanian hand carved wooden rocking horse. Featuring a colorful polychrome finish on a base decorated with a floral m...

This very unique lighted smoker's stand is unsigned, but presumed to have been made in North America, likely the United States, in approximately 1950 in an Art Deco style. This smoke...

Marked Austin Enterprises to the bottom of every piece, this wonderful vintage aluminum chess game set from 1966 comes in its original box. The box can be hung on the wall (see im...

Large toy tow truck made in red lacquered metal with nice details and opening compartments. France, circa 1930.

Handpainted Swedish wooden traditional Dala pig toy. Designed by Nils Olsson in Sweden, circa 1960. Materials: Wood In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age...

A fine puzzle set published by Danese Milano By Enzo Mari. Entitled '16 Animali' (16 Animals). Model no. 3015 D. Consisting of 16 form-cut stylized anim...

Pair of sculptural summit speakers.

A vintage Industrial flameproof ceiling striplight / tube light made by Wittenburg of Germany. Originally designed for hazardous areas in factories and on cargo ships. The build i...

A stunning array of rustic and charming treehouses from around the world for inspiration and for those who fantasize about getting away from it all. Whether it’s a yearning to escape the stress of day-to-day existence, or a desire to live more sustainably and to get closer to nature, more and more people are finding reasons to go off-grid, high above the ground. Today’s treehouses have evolved into shapes and sizes that nobody could ever have dreamed of. Philip Jodidio takes us on an exciting international tour of more than 36 structures, revealing how they are designed, built, and appreciated in a wide array of cultures and settings. Each treehouse is presented with breathtaking exterior and interior photography, giving readers an in-depth glimpse of this rapidly evolving symbiosis between nature and shelter, indoor and outdoor, and rustic and polished, in a definitive examination of tree-house living. For people interested in eco-friendly living, this book presents the most innovative inter-pretations of the genre, from a house nestled in the tree trunks of Norway to a hexagon-shaped shelter in Mystic, Connecticut. About The Author Philip Jodidio studied art history and economics at Harvard before moving to Paris, where he was editor in chief of the leading French art monthly Connaissance des Arts from 1980 to 2002. He has written more than 100 books...