Escape

Well, you rather hope so anyway. This is one of several new items from French Cab, a purveyor of exquisite Art Deco pieces.

Deco delights

These images are of the beautiful Daimaru department store in Osaka, from Goto N.

The store was designed by the American architect W R Vories.

Nestling

The beauty of Hong Kong's colonial neoclassical architecture is demonstrated well here by the former Supreme Court building, (now Legislative Council), which was built in 1912. It is surrounded by the exciting new architecture of the Hongkong Bank building, designed by Lord Foster, and the new Bank of China building designed by I M Pei. The old Bank of China building is just across the street in Des Voeux Road Central, and houses the China Club, exquisitely decorated in 1920s Shanghai style by its founder Sir David Tang, (of Shanghai Tang fame).

The (now) Legislative Council building faces Statue Square, so named because it used to have a statue of Queen Victoria, removed many years ago to Victoria Park. The only statue that now remains is that of Sir Thomas Jackson, the first chief manager (chairman) of The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, now called HSBC.

The recent visit to Hong Kong is a reminder of a good legacy of the British empire. Would that others were as successful.

Worthy of pursuit

William Dietrich (American, 20th Century). "Diana at the Hunt". Textile. c1925. Two matching linen panels with repeating pattern. Panel 1: 118 in. x 35 in. Top and bottom edges cut irregularly. Sides uncut and even. Some minor scattered staining verso, a few small areas (3/8 - 1/2 in.) barely visible recto - you need to look hard to see them. Panel 2: 102 in x 35 in. Top and bottom edges cut irregularly. Sides uncut and even. Some minor scattered staining verso, one spot, approx 1/2", top left, approx 4" from top edge, visible recto.

Sold at auction for USD300. Ashe Auctioneers Inc, Phoenix AZ.

Gone to the dogs, (and cats)

Frenchcab Galleries continues to provide beautiful and exciting pieces of Art Deco sculpture, such as these two examples. Atop: pair of greyhound metal and marble bookends, circa 1930, each bookend is 6" x 3 x 4½, price EUR400, and lower a Rulas sculpture of a panther, black/green patinated metal, circa 1930, signed 28.5" x 6.5" x 10", price EUR 900.

Both the epitome of elegance and refinement.

Say, what?

The latest offering from French Cab includes this DeRoncourt figure of a man c.1930, bronze with marble base 25" x 7.5" x 13" EUR 700.

I have no ambivalence for any of these Art Deco statuary figures. As one of my commentators noted yesterday in relation to pieces of furniture that I do not greatly favour from the period, there is no caricature, only boldness, which makes them much more believable. And desirable.

Decorative Art

I think I've quite often expressed a lack of enthusiasm for Art Deco furniture, but great approval for some objets that were created in that era. These tan armchairs can best demonstrate my argument for the lukewarm. But of course there are variations on a theme, and the black leather with wooden arms are particularly elegant.

As is this Swedish birch table, (above). The black leather "moustache" chairs below, again find less favour, but they are marginally more acceptable than those in the first picture.

I suppose the lesson for me is not to generalise. But as with any period style, it's best to avoid creating a set piece from the same period, as though it was a museum. I think it's important to blend effectively, and that's surely what the best designers achieve.

Oarsman and awesome

Rare sculpture of a man with oars by Demay and Fraisse. Excellent condition. circa 1930.Very high quality. Size is 18" EUR950

Hard to find D H Chiparus sculpture of a man. Wonderful bronze antique patina. Marble base. Circa 1930. Size is 16.5" x 10" x 4". EUR680

These are two sculptures for sale from one of my favourite stores, French Cab Gallery in Vichy: http://frenchcab.com/

Although I've often said that I'm not a huge fan of the Art Deco period, I am constantly drawn to the sculpture from that period, and I think these two pieces demonstrate that timeless quality.

Indochine

Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam is almost in the centre of the long thin strip of land that makes up this once divided country. Perhaps it’s most famous landmark is the Forbidden Purple City, (also known as the Citadel) built in C19th by the Nguyen dynasty, and said to be based on its better known counterpart, the Forbidden City, in Beijing. Sadly much of the structure was destroyed by the Tet Offensive.

During our three day visit to Hue, we stayed at La Residence (below), the former house of the French Governor, built in the 1930s with the period’s distinct Art Deco style. Our room was on the opposite side of the (Huong) Perfume River, and the view from our balcony was of the Citadel, and the Flag Tower in front (above).

La Residence

Walls and moat of the Forbidden Purple City

Within the walls of the Forbidden Purple City

A building within the Forbidden Purple City

The Perfume River

Left & right

These Art Deco bookends from French Cab remind me of politics today, where polarisation seems to be the best way of describing how the future might be. In Thailand we're undergoing a similar experiment with this view, so Americans don't need to think they're having all the fun.

Some of these beauties started life as mascots (hood ornaments), (the pelicans and the kangaroos), whereas the playful kittens and the non-speaking toucans probably just never thought they'd get on, so beginning life as bookends was probably appropriate. Perhaps there's a lesson in that for all politicians; if they don't work together, they'll end up on the shelf.

The cherry on the cake

This rare and magnificent set of of two armchairs in cherrywood can be interlocked to form a chaise longue; one of them has a high back and the other a low one. They are designed (and signed) by Andre Goult and dated 1921, and caught my eye in Vallois on the rue de Seine, in Paris.

But moving swiftly along.....they cost USD313,000 so the interest level didn't last too long. And I don't normally like furniture from the 20s, well certainly of the more obvious Deco variety, and that too was a good enough reason to justify not getting out my Visa card. Perhaps if they'd been in something a bit more seductive than the chocolate brown velvet.

Well, perhaps not even then.

The call of the wild

I never thought I was a fan of Art Deco, but I find myself being drawn to artifacts from that period, especially the bronzes depicting animals, and panthers particularly. These are some of the pieces from the Frenchcab Gallery, and I could happily find space for at least one. They are fairly large, the bottom one with its plinth is 17 inches long, but entirely suitable atop a chimneypiece, (we don't have many here), or a console table.