Cast from the original by Gustav Manz, our two-sided e-coin could be worn as a pendant, charm, earring—or the last chip wagered after a long poker night. Availaible in sterling silver or gold. We share proceeds with Tusk Trust. Inquire at gustavmanz@gmail.com
Welcome to the Gustav Manz blog. Manz was a European-trained jewelry designer, sculptor, and master goldsmith whose career spanned New York's Gilded Age and Art Deco eras. We invite you to share your thoughts, and will do our best to answer specific questions about the life, work, and clients of this early 20th century artist-craftsman.
Showing posts with label Elephant jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elephant jewelry. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2015
Sunday, October 16, 2011
ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM: A JEWELER GETS HIS DUE
A jewelry designer and maker who supplied such firms as Marcus & Co., Tiffany, Dreicer & Co., and Black Starr & Frost, Gustav Manz did not sign or mark most of his work. A few of his known pieces from the early decades of the 20th century are now on view at Forbes Galleries, for the first time with labels bearing his own name. Along with these rediscovered gems, show curator Elyse Karlin (co-author of Imperishable Beauty) has brought together 200 pieces fashioned by other artisans, celebrated and anonymous, each representing the aesthetic styles that emerged during the Arts and Crafts period.
Circa 1920s carved gold elephant clip designed and executed by Gustav Manz, on view at Forbes Galleries International Art Jewelry 1895-1925 show
Mathews Family Collection
Manz's expertise as a carver is evident in a sterling silver handbag frame featuring mermaids in a waterlily pond, produced for the Union Square jewelry salon of F. Walter Lawrence (a former associate at Marcus & Co) and documented in a studio photograph taken at Manz's workshop on Maiden Lane; in a gold brooch from a descendant's collection depicting a maple leaf spray with whirligigs; and in a gold elephant dress clip, shown above, set with cabochon jade, sapphire, and ruby stones—versions of which were created for Lawrence, Cartier, and others, according to letters in Manz's archive at Winterthur. Each of these precious objects reflects painstaking attention to detail by Manz and the workers in his employ, whose output enhanced the reputation of some of America's most esteemed gem merchants.
Circa 1920s carved gold elephant clip designed and executed by Gustav Manz, on view at Forbes Galleries International Art Jewelry 1895-1925 show
Mathews Family Collection
Photo: Joe Gold
Manz's expertise as a carver is evident in a sterling silver handbag frame featuring mermaids in a waterlily pond, produced for the Union Square jewelry salon of F. Walter Lawrence (a former associate at Marcus & Co) and documented in a studio photograph taken at Manz's workshop on Maiden Lane; in a gold brooch from a descendant's collection depicting a maple leaf spray with whirligigs; and in a gold elephant dress clip, shown above, set with cabochon jade, sapphire, and ruby stones—versions of which were created for Lawrence, Cartier, and others, according to letters in Manz's archive at Winterthur. Each of these precious objects reflects painstaking attention to detail by Manz and the workers in his employ, whose output enhanced the reputation of some of America's most esteemed gem merchants.
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