Paper Wizard: Mid-Century Modern's Unsung Visionary Gets His Due

By Lisa Hix

hen you think of 1950s Atomic Age design, a handful of images probably pop into your mind: The Ball Clock. The Marshmallow Sofa. The Sunburst Clock. What you probably don’t realize is that the designer of these Mid-Century Modern icons spent decades living in obscurity, filling his upstate New York farmhouse with 300-some whimsical handmade paper sculptures of animals, Pre-Columbian and Southeast Asian figures, Cubist abstractions, and African masks.

But in a few weeks, Irving Harper and all of his delightful creations will come into the light, thanks to a new Skira Rizzoli book, Irving Harper Works in Paper, which hits stores February 12, 2013. This full-color tour of Harper’s personal sculpture collection is the result of an effort by Michael Maharam—who first visited Harper’s home in 2001—to preserve these unique works of art.

Top: A cat attacks a bird in Irving Harper’s paperboard sculpture. Photo by D. James Dee, from “Irving Harper Works in Paper.” Above: Harper’s 1949 Sunburst Clock is still credited to George Nelson on the site of Swiss furniture company, Vitra, which sells them now. Image via Vitra.

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Antique Carnival Glass

Carnival glass, or inexpensively made glassware treated to have an iridescent sheen, has captivated collectors for years. Its eye-catching multicolor shimmer, often resembling oil on water, seems to change colors when viewed at different angles. Over the years, it’s been dubbed “Taffeta,” “Cinderella,” and “Poor Man’s Tiffany,” as it gave the average housewife the ability to adorn her home with fancy-looking carnival glass bowls and vases. In 1907, Fenton Glass Company of Williamstown, West Virginia, produced the first carnival glass, a style it referred to as “iridescent ware.” Fenton called its first line Iridill and labeled it “Venetian Art.” The idea was to mass-produce a beautiful product that could compete with the expensive, iridescent art glass made by Tiffany and Steuben. 

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Caljed Vintage and More

A vintage irridescent marigold carnival glass relish dish. It is clover leafed in shape. It measures 7 X 6 inches. The dish is in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. An attractive decorative piece.                                  $20.75 Free shipping within the U.S.

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Small Vintage Ceramic Italian Floral Design Hand Painted Dish

     

 On the back and under the glaze is written: “Italy 11 9 – A. It measures 4 1/4 inches. The dish is in excellent condition with no

chips or cracks. A charming collectible.

$8.49  Free shipping within the U.S.

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Pottery

The term “art pottery” is a largely Western designation for traditional ceramic forms such as vases and bowls whose design and decoration distinguishes them from more utilitarian wares. In Japan and China, ceramic art pieces had been made for 1,000 years or more, but in Europe, the practice really only went back to the 16th century, when a Frenchman named Bernard Palissy produced vividly colored, high-relief, lead-glazed earthenware plates, platters, and pitchers in a style that came to be known as majolica.

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Check out these Two pottery pieces at Caljed Vintage and More

Vintage Miniature Brown Pottery Urn

$5.99  Free shipping within the U.S.

A miniature vintage pottery urn that is 1 1/2 inches tall. It is a mottled brown/tan color and is in excellent condition. A great addition to your collection.

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Mottled Brown Pottery Vase - 1 3/4 in. Tall

$11.25   Free shipping within the U.S.

A vintage mottled brown pottery vase. It is 1 3/4 inches tall and about 2 inches wide at the widest part. The vase is in like new condition. A nice decorative piece. There are no markings on the vase.

To Purchase click HERE.