Pair of Ring Bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase USA
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Von Nessen (Designer),Chase Brass and Copper Company (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)Width: 3 in (7.62 cm)Depth: 5 in (12.7 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Good vintage condition with age appropriate patina. Professionally cleaned.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1645238854312
Walter Von Nessen
Art Deco industrial designer Walter von Nessen is best known for his glamorous Machine Age lighting designs and for his invention of the swing-arm lamp. Von Nessen was born in Germany, where he studied under Bruno Paul at Berlin’s Kunstgewerbeschule. After World War I, he worked for the architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin. He left in 1919 for Stockholm, where he designed furniture until emigrating with his wife, Margaretta, to the United States in 1923. In 1927, the couple opened Nessen Studios in Manhattan, designing and selling sleek, modern architectural lighting.
Art Deco was both novel and exciting in the late 1920s — as, indeed, was electricity itself — and Nessen Studios was at the forefront of the movement. Electric lighting designers at the time had no direct models to follow. The shapes and silhouettes of gas lamps, lanterns and chandeliers had been influenced by those of the kerosene-, oil- and candle-lit fixtures that preceded them, which in turn were informed by the fuels they used. Electric lighting required designs that accommodated essentials of the new technology, like cords and sockets. Von Nessen and his contemporaries thus had to create fixtures that addressed these challenges and looked modern without appearing overly mechanical.
Along with industrial-design visionaries of the period like Raymond Loewy, Gilbert Rohde and Donald Deskey, von Nessen crafted a style that was emblematic of the Machine Age. He produced lamps and home accessories from spun aluminum, with smooth surfaces that evoked the polished gleam of streamlined automobiles and airplanes. And he experimented with other popular materials of the era, such as Bakelite, chrome and fiberglass. His ingenious design for the now-ubiquitous swing-arm lamp earned him a reputation as an innovator.
Von Nessen’s work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, among other institutions. Designed to complement the luxurious interiors of the 1920s and ‘30s, still look fresh nearly a century later.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Pair of Brass Vases by Walter Von Nessen for ChaseBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of brass vases by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of solid patinated brass Art Deco vases feature a tulip opening ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Copper Candlestick Holders by Walter von Nessen for ChaseBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of solid copper candle holders by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of Art Deco candle sticks feature geometric circles a...Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Candlesticks
MaterialsCopper
- Pair of Chrome 'Taurex' Candlestick Holders by Walter Von Nessen for ChaseBy Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of chrome candle holders by Walter Von Nessen for Chase Brass and Copper Company of Connecticut, c.1930s, USA. The pair of Art Deco candle sticks feature a "J" shaped stem. The ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Candlesticks
MaterialsChrome
- Walter Von Nessen Table Lamp for Nessen StudiosBy Nessen Studio, Walter Von NessenLocated in Los Angeles, CAWalter von Nessen aluminum table lamp for Nessen Studio, c.1960s, USA. The table lamp features a curved aluminum stem and stainless steel base with original linen shade. Dimensions ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsStainless Steel, Aluminum
- Pair of Wood Donkey BookendsLocated in Los Angeles, CAA pair of solid wood bookends hand carved into the shape of donkey heads. Each donkey has ears that stand at attention and a dark walnut finish. Marked Made in Haiti -1953. Dimensio...Category
Early 20th Century Haitian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Wood Horse Head BookendsLocated in Los Angeles, CAA pair of solid wood bookends hand carved into the shape of horse heads. One bookend features a carved horse head profile while the other appears more as the shadow. A playful piece ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsWood
- Chase Walter Von Nessen Horse Bookends StatueBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in Oakland, CAExtremely rare set of chase Equestrian bookends sculpture designed by Walter Von Nessen in 1932. Industrial Design incorporated with the latest mat...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter von Nessen Art Deco BookendsBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of sculptural Art Deco bookends, designed by Walter Von Nessen for Chase, unsigned, American, circa 1930s. They are believed to be constructed of brass, but have taken on a warm...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Art Deco Walter Von Nessen Bookends for Chase, Toy Soldiers in Brass & BakeliteBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Bedford Hills, NYVery rare pair of Walter Von Nessen toy soldier bookends in brass and bakelite. All original with beautiful patina and age. Hallmarked. Very slight separation at one corner, see photo.Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Art Deco Ship's Wheel Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co.By Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.Located in San Diego, CAA very nice pair of Art Deco ship's wheel bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co., circa 1930s. The bookends are made of walnut, brass and bakelite...Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Machine Age Art Deco Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & CoBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.Located in San Diego, CAGorgeous pair of machine age art deco "Cathedral" bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co., circa 1930s. These are solid copper and brass bookends with three perpendicular round...Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsBrass, Copper
- Pair of Machine Age Art Deco Copper & Brass Bookends by Walter Von NessenBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in St. Louis, MOA pair of Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen feature two concentric rings of brass and copper with three sphere accents on each. These bookends are a great example of the Machin...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsBrass, Copper