Art Nouveau Delight!

[SeSo_Says_So]

I was getting ready to leave a thrift I visit when I spied this plate:




Isn't it gorgeous?  When I took it up to the counter, the gentleman staffing the register told me I got a great deal. I just loved the plate. The staffer was very impressed with the piece! He said somebody made a mistake in pricing it, but he did NOT raise the price or refuse to sell it to me.     

I asked him if I should look it up on the net when I got home and he said yes. So I did: It's from the Julius Brauer Pottery, Chicago. The mark indicates it was made between 1905-1910. The artist is Mr. Brauer. He signed it on the front. 

I was totally taken with it.  It is a truly remarkable and stunning piece. The funny thing is, I had been in the store for a while, just walking around looking at stuff.  There were a lot of people in the store, since my area is a poor one to start with, and many folk here have been hit particulary hard. I was really looking for another laundry rack (there wasn't one, and it seems the thrift gets them all the time, but they sell immediately and I always miss them); this is a nice consolation prize   I was on my way out the door, just putting on my sunglasses, when something drew me to the one display I usually don't pay a lot of attention to.  This was behind some lemonade glasses. I was focused on the glasses and almost didn't see it. But the colors caught my eye. They are incredible. You can almost breathe them in--they are that rich! The gold/gilt is remarkable.

What amazes me is how if you look at enough cr*p, eventually you may find that stunning piece--the thing of beauty that will be a joy forever.  And looking at cheap, poorly-made, planned obsolence cr*p makes the quality piece look all the better when you finally find it.  It's what keeps me looking at stuff, even when I can't find the laundry rack

[valleythriftshopper]

Nice plate!  So glad you noticed it before leaving the store!  Also great that it had a mark so you could find out information about it, so frustrating when you have no idea about a piece's origins.  I hope you have a great place to put it.  The only art nouveau type thing I ever found at a thrift were these old sterling earrings.


I still haven't found a laundry rack either, but I think I will go to the Ikea website as suggested.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I was getting ready to leave a thrift I visit when I spied this plate:




Isn't it gorgeous?  When I took it up to the counter, the gentleman staffing the register told me I got a great deal. I just loved the plate. The staffer was very impressed with the piece! He said somebody made a mistake in pricing it, but he did NOT raise the price or refuse to sell it to me.     

I asked him if I should look it up on the net when I got home and he said yes. So I did: It's from the Julius Brauer Pottery, Chicago. The mark indicates it was made between 1905-1910. The artist is Mr. Brauer. He signed it on the front. 

I was totally taken with it.  It is a truly remarkable and stunning piece. The funny thing is, I had been in the store for a while, just walking around looking at stuff.  There were a lot of people in the store, since my area is a poor one to start with, and many folk here have been hit particulary hard. I was really looking for another laundry rack (there wasn't one, and it seems the thrift gets them all the time, but they sell immediately and I always miss them); this is a nice consolation prize   I was on my way out the door, just putting on my sunglasses, when something drew me to the one display I usually don't pay a lot of attention to.  This was behind some lemonade glasses. I was focused on the glasses and almost didn't see it. But the colors caught my eye. They are incredible. You can almost breathe them in--they are that rich! The gold/gilt is remarkable.

What amazes me is how if you look at enough cr*p, eventually you may find that stunning piece--the thing of beauty that will be a joy forever.  And looking at cheap, poorly-made, planned obsolence cr*p makes the quality piece look all the better when you finally find it.  It's what keeps me looking at stuff, even when I can't find the laundry rack

Sorry you didn't find your laundry rack, but congratulations on your find with the plate!

-Jay

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Ah, I LOVE that you were able to find a bit of history to go with it. I'm not familiar with that company, so I learned something new, too!

See this is how it happens, SeSo... the Victoriana sneaks up on you.

Congratulations!!

[SeSo_Says_So]

Nice plate!  So glad you noticed it before leaving the store!  Also great that it had a mark so you could find out information about it, so frustrating when you have no idea about a piece's origins.  I hope you have a great place to put it.  The only art nouveau type thing I ever found at a thrift were these old sterling earrings.


I still haven't found a laundry rack either, but I think I will go to the Ikea website as suggested.

Thank you for sharing in my joy of beauty, VTS!

Old Sterling earrings sound like a find to me! How old are we talking?

[SeSo_Says_So]

Ah, I LOVE that you were able to find a bit of history to go with it. I'm not familiar with that company, so I learned something new, too!

See this is how it happens, SeSo... the Victoriana sneaks up on you.

Congratulations!!

Hahaha, TSR! You're the first person I thought of when I saw the plate! Is this how Victoriana-mania happens?  I will have to buy another house (groan) for my next collection...I am out of space in this one!!

Apparently this Mr. Brauer was a part of a whole Chicago pottery school called "Pickard" around the turn of the century. I love American pottery, so I am very excited. Merci!

[SeSo_Says_So]

Sorry you didn't find your laundry rack, but congratulations on your find with the plate!

-Jay
[/quote]

Thank you, Jay! It is a beautiful, delightful find...totally unexpected, which for me, seem to be the best kind! The neatest part is I had recently visited the Morse museum, which houses one of the biggest collections of Tiffany glass, as well as 19th and early 20th pottery; I was able to study up close (or as closely as the guards would let me ) workmanship and design. I also participated briefly in a museum tour and learned some history about the time period. For me to find this and "see" it for what is it was a compliment to my eye, my gut feeling, and my learning experience!

[valleythriftshopper]

Nice plate!  So glad you noticed it before leaving the store!  Also great that it had a mark so you could find out information about it, so frustrating when you have no idea about a piece's origins.  I hope you have a great place to put it.  The only art nouveau type thing I ever found at a thrift were these old sterling earrings.


I still haven't found a laundry rack either, but I think I will go to the Ikea website as suggested.

Thank you for sharing in my joy of beauty, VTS!

Old Sterling earrings sound like a find to me! How old are we talking?

Not sure, they were old screw backs done in a very art nouveau style, but no makers mark, which is everything in collecting it seems, unless you are super knowlegible & can id stuff w/o marks.  Julius Brauer items go for quite a bit, there was a painted small tray that went for 150+ on Ebay recently.  If you keep finding stuff like that & the elk candle holders you could open an antique shop!  What ended up happening to the candle holders?  Did you decide to keep them?

[SeSo_Says_So]

Nice plate!  So glad you noticed it before leaving the store!  Also great that it had a mark so you could find out information about it, so frustrating when you have no idea about a piece's origins.  I hope you have a great place to put it.  The only art nouveau type thing I ever found at a thrift were these old sterling earrings.


I still haven't found a laundry rack either, but I think I will go to the Ikea website as suggested.

Thank you for sharing in my joy of beauty, VTS!

Old Sterling earrings sound like a find to me! How old are we talking?

Not sure, they were old screw backs done in a very art nouveau style, but no makers mark, which is everything in collecting it seems, unless you are super knowlegible & can id stuff w/o marks.  Julius Brauer items go for quite a bit, there was a painted small tray that went for 150+ on Ebay recently.  If you keep finding stuff like that & the elk candle holders you could open an antique shop!  What ended up happening to the candle holders?  Did you decide to keep them?

I love the earrings and I agree, they do look like Art Nouveau to me. Are they marked in any way as to the maker? They have such an "Arts and Crafts" quality about them.  George Jensen was making stuff back then, and there was the "Kalo Shops" out of Chicago as well.  Isn't it amazing how one small find can introduce to a whole other world of knowledge?

I still have the candle holder (I found only one), and I don't know if I will sell either the candle holder or the plate---yet. They are both so lovely to display for the fall (the plate) and holiday season (the elk) that I want to keep them at least until then to see if I actually "bond" with them. If I do, I may keep them forever and pass on other stuff that does not serve or satisfy.

I am in the process of cleaning out my house, after having my kitchen done over several months ago.  I find myself donating many things I used to love (do they have re-sale value? some do...it's my way of keeping the flow going, by donating stuff of value to help out the thrifts who sell such beautiful and wonderful things to me--you know--"balance") There are pieces that I keep because I really love them now, but in a few weeks, who knows? and I may sell online (here, the dealers would expect ME to PAY THEM to buy MY stuff--grrrrrrrrrr! another reason why I donate stuff with potential re-sale value--it thrills me to think of some cash-strapped person finding one of my donated treasures and having it make their day---much as mine is made when I find one! Lady Luck, do your thing!)

I must confess, the more blessed I become in finding these quality pieces, the more I want to keep only those around because they really do satisfy my thirst for surrounding myself with beauty...my home becoming a sancturary for body and soul!   

If you ask me in a month, you may get an entirely different answer,  , but that's how I'm feeling now.

Please pardon the length of this, lol. I will do anything to stop cleaning!

[mccoysnina]

What a great find!  It's gorgeous.  I'm glad they didn't raise the price on you when they realized it was priced so low.  Great work on your part.  Keep lookin!
Jeannie

[SeSo_Says_So]

What a great find!  It's gorgeous.  I'm glad they didn't raise the price on you when they realized it was priced so low.  Great work on your part.  Keep lookin!
Jeannie

Thanks, Jeannie! During my cleaning sojourn today, I am making sure to put aside something extra-special to donate to that particular thrift in thanks for my good fortune 

[foutchie]

It's gorgeous!!!!!

[SeSo_Says_So]

It's gorgeous!!!!!

Thankee, foutchie! I must admit, I am more bewitched every time I look at it.

[oceangurl]

Nice find SeSo! Hats off to you! You go girl!

[DianneK]

SeSo you're my idol.You seem to find the nicest things to find.The plate is just gorgeous.
BTW...did you ever frame your Pucci Vivara scarf??That was quite a gem you found, toots.Now you see why you're my idol.
 
Dianne