Berkshires

In the late 1920s during the Art-Deco period, this Miriam Haskell white mostly glass-beaded sautoir was created in New York City by her first designer Frank Hess. This uniquely hand-...

A lightweight coat from the 1960s composed of a nubby off-white wool and featuring a straight cut with dolman sleeves, a small mink collar, and a single-breasted closure system with ...

1980s oversized cut in this hip-length fur jacket, possibly muskrat. The fur is lush and cut in flat, broad pieces throughout the body with their zigzag edging also finishing the hem...

1970s coat crafted of gray pigskin suede and featuring white fox trim for the lush shawl collar and front trim that contours around the hem. A self belt with buckle encircles the wai...

A Classical Revival Neoclassical Style full length floor mirror can be a wonderful addition to any room. Place it in an entry foyer, end of hallway, dressing room, a bedroom, this m...

The undulating black patio metal garden chaise loungeis relatively light weight for easy movability. The seat peaks where the knee bends making it extremely comfortable. The mesh cou...

In the 1930s when French fashion couturier Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946) was creating decorative bias-cut silk tulle overlays for her feminine full-skirted sleeveless "robes de style", she designed this black semi-transparent silk-tulle formal jacket featuring diagonally-striped topstitched silk-crepe appliques throughout the bias-cut panels. This sheer geometric-patterned cape-like jacket has a skirt that drapes from an open waistline and a top-fastening bodice with gathered rounded 3/4-length sleeves that each have two arm seams and shirred embroidered cuffs. It could have been the first "swing coat" design that was given that name around 1935, when Lanvin was the "uncontested leader in the haute-couture field"--according to the French Palais Galliera that has collected and exhibited similar garments at its fashion museum in Paris. In New York, TheMet collected a House of Lanvin black evening coat with a similar shape that also features dramatic linear appliques, but in a white starburst that it dates to Spring/Summer 1927. The unprecedented modern look of this Art-Deco women's jacket, which was inspired by 18th-Century French and Spanish topcoats for aristocratic court dresses, may have been good cause for Maison Lanvin to custom-make some close reproductions of a one-of-a-kind couture original for additional clients in Paris, which is implied by the remaining French brand-label noting "Adaptation Jean Lanvin...

A marriage of neoclassical, Louis XVI and late Victorian style design making it a rather handsome and decorative headboard for any bedroom. The headboard has wonderful marquetry, carved decorative swags plus painted decoration details. The bed is 57.5" wide, making it just shy of the 60" queen size bed . Some people have utilized a slightly smaller bed for a queen bed. Standard full or double is 54". Double bed, headboard for double bed.

* Available in additional sizes. Jeff Robb UK, born 1965 Artist Statement I’m continually inspired by the nude female form. It’s something that has, of course been worked on by art...

This antique ArtDeco-period couture British wool-and-satin black tuxedo button-decorated open-breasted tailcoat fits a women's U.S.-size 6 so well that we think it was custom made fo...

These Mid-Century Modern upholstered barrel office chairs or dining chairs are sold singly. Very comfortable and lots of fun. These chairs can se...

With the Coro signature "script-no-angle" since 1919 and "PAT.PEND.", this early Art Deco vermeil lady-bug beetle brooch features a red enameled face and mixed-cut bezel-set red and ...

This Classic 19th century Spode Dessert and tea and coffee service encompasses the beauty of the period as well as the elegant floral decoration. The com...

The vintage neoclassical dressing table, vanity, desk or night table has gilt detailing, fluted legs, brass pulls and curved stretchers. Dr...

Influenced by the Art Nouveau illustrations of Alphonse Mucha, this Nancy-signed antique French enameled glass jewelry box display case is decora...

These mid-century platinum-like silver tassel chain drop earrings were designed by Trifari artistic director Alfred Philippe in an Art Deco style that recalls his earlier work for Ca...

Stylish antique iron gate coffee table with a 3/8" thick flush-mounted tempered glass top. Classical in styling, with rustic and Industrial infl...

Antique country Victorian style white painted cast iron king size metal headboard with brass finials. Wonderful Classic simple style that will lend it...

Faneuil by Tiffany & Co. sterling silver salt shaker and pepper mill set. Simple elegance, Salt shaker 1.5" D x 2.25" H. OFFERING FREE SHIPPING TO CONTINENTAL US. PLEASE JUST ASK FO...

One of the most coveted and popular, the Saint Louis Congress pattern is hard to come by, especially tumblers! Elegant and comfortable to hold, t...

A rare large American baroque revival gilt-wood and composition full length pier mirror with a flamboyant crest that tops the elaborately decor...

Eric Sloane American, 1905-1985 New England Landscape with Barn Oil on panel 22 by 30 in, w/ frame 30 ½ by 39 in Signed lower right Eric Sloane was born, Everard Jean Hinrichs, on ...

Wide-brimmed natural straw hat w/wide navy velvet band and red fabric roses. Small high crown perches on top of head, does not pull down, lined in taffeta. Wide brim, 5 1/2 inches at...

A very handsome classical Empire-style round center table with a dark gray/black marble top, raised on a hand turned ebonized black center pedestal. The table lends itself to be use...

The brass and wood table lamp is in the Chinese pagoda style with engraved figures and animals in a pastoral setting and repeated on both sides. The brass pot with handles...

Charming and useful, this lovely rustic country style 3 wide drawer chest dates to the 19th century. The wood has been white washed to give it added interest and is accented perfectl...

Wonderfully charming hand-carved 19th Century American folk art horse sculpture on stand. Pay special attention to its face and the carved details to appreciate this fine specimen. ...

For his first collection focusing on black-and-white looks for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche for Spring/Summer 2001, American Tom Ford debuted this tuxedo-style black virgin-wool an...

This is an incredible Baccarat cobalt cut to clear complete service for 12. All handblown crystal overlaid in cobalt blue and cut in the most complex a...

A Fine example of a Classic 1930s French Art Deco wrought iron foyer coat rack or hall tree is wonderfully decorated with geometric and circular iron w...

These extraordinary Royal Worcester cabinet/dessert plates are each hand-painted with fruit subjects and artist signed, Richard Sebright, known as one of the best fruit painters of h...

Unique and rich color teal distinguishes this mid-century box bag, a form which was popular during that period. Rectangular, with two sturdy handles and V-detailing and tab on front...

Cocktail ensemble, c.late 1970s-early 1980s, composed of a white tee-shirt-style top and black full skirt, both pieces constructed of sheer silk organza. This elegant and simple two-...

Beautifully worked round brooch by Robert, intricately constructed of faceted black glass in a wreath-like setting. Can be worn as a brooch or pendant.

This is a very handsome and well detailed watercolor from the mid-19th century. Signed and dated, mounted in a period gold-guilded frame and retaining the original old glass. The des...

This go-with-everything clutch is perfect for traveling and summer evenings out. Crafted of crocheted silver metallic thread, the envelope-style clutch by Rodo has a unique clasp - a...

Contemporary Baroque style steel and glass round coffee table has a large thick, beveled glass top.

Contemporary style large extending table with one 20" leaf. The impressive ebonized table has 4 large turned legs giving the table style and pre...

A true collector's item, a rare collection of early 20th Century 'Brighton Pavilion' Bamboo Chinoiserie armchairs displaying long flat arms in a horseshoe shape back, supported by ge...

A large rectangular 38" x 48" American Classical style carved giltwood frame for mirror or painting, with boldly carved fluting, and raised square and roundel centre. May be hung hor...

Matching pair of extremely comfortable Machine Age American Art Deco armchairs designed, circa 1935, for Lloyd manufacturing by Karl Emmanuel Martin (KEM) Weber (1889 -1963). Known a...

Double size Rococo Louis XV style carved French walnut bed painted white. Nicely carved cabriole legs with shells and finely carved crest on head bo...

Yves Saint Laurent hard-to-find vintage 1979s cape from the designer’s Moroccan collection. Crafted of black wool, the simply cut long cape features a pointed hood and burgundy braid...

During the Art-Nouveau period while German-born Vienna-based silversmith, niello master, and entrepreneur Georg Adam Scheid (1837-1921) was prospering from a related refinery busines...

Marked "Made In France" on their antique brass back-plates like the initial unbranded couture costume-jewelry commissioned by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel since 1924, these early-handcraf...

Joaquín Mir Y Trinxet Spanish, 1873-1940 Coastal View Oil on board 11 ¾ by 16 in, w/ frame 25 ¼ by 29 ¼ in Signed lower right Joaquín Mir Trinxet was a Catalan Spanish artist. Livi...

A wonderful addition to your winter wardrobe, this reversible vintage coat is both attractive and versatile. The fur side is composed of black sheared fur, very lustrous and soft to ...

Roberta di Camerino iconic velvet handbag in black, the center vertical section in gray velour front and back, the front accented by a wheel-shaped embroidery; in addition, the gray ...

Wonderfully rustic pine cupboard. Can be used for linen, kitchen or where ever extra storage is needed. Three compartments at the top. Center door opens down. Lower part with 2 large...

This set of 12 Royal Doulton dinner or cabinet plates is hand-painted with landscape and garden scenes in a bright vibrant palette. Each unique plate has the garden (Dingley Park, Dr...

This Mid-Century Modern chest of drawers by John Stuart Inc of New York and Grand Rapids has been newly painted and restored. This piece features lacquered white paint with three pul...

The 12 vintage hotel silver plate dinner forks are decorated with leaves and are marked "Oneida Ltd. Silversmiths."

A handsome and sophisticated mixed media on canvas by American artist John Rigsby. Found in a original state of preservation. His works are few and far between. The following biography was submitted by John David Rigsby, Jr., son of the artist. The author is Lisa Rigsby Peterson, daughter of the artist, and owner of the copyright of the biography. John David Rigsby was born on October 10, 1934, the seventh child of an Alabama Depression-era sharecropper's son. He and his family moved frequently, from one one-room structure to another, often with no running water, no plumbing, no heat but the stove. His father was killed in a car accident when Rigsby was just 9 years old. Life for the remaining eight family members proved tumultuous and difficult -- food wasn't plentiful, nor money. The family moved from place to place, following work -- Rigsby attended 30 different schools before graduating from high school. Despite living in poverty, Rigsby demonstrated academic and artistic aptitude at a young age. Two oil paintings on covers ripped off of old books that he painted when he was eight years old show the promise of an imaginative and gifted eye. Rigsby was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1953. As he later wrote, "When basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, was over, I was told to go out and find a job. Jasper Johns was painting visual aids for the 28th Regimental Headquarters. He suggested the Band Training Unit." Rigsby played the clarinet in that unit, and after 2 years of service, he enrolled at the University of Alabama on the G.I. Bill to study art. After just two years, he left school and followed his mentor (and one of the greatest and longest-lasting influences on his art), Japanese artist and U of A art instructor Tatsu Heima, to New York City. Heima introduced him to Isamu Noguchi and suggested that Rigsby work as Noguchi's assistant. Instead, Rigsby chose a job as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, since "the notion of seeing all of that art appealed more to me than the boring task of studio assistant." The opportunity was a rich one for Rigsby. He had a chance to study the masters, and cited Rembrandt with his simplicity and elegance as another of the most important influences on his work. In the years between 1957 and 1963, when Rigsby eventually earned his BFA in sculpture, the artist traveled back and forth between New York and Tuscaloosa, alternating study with forays into the fertile New York art scene. Rigsby exhibited some of his early sculpture work in 1958 at a small New York gallery, which was also exhibiting the work of Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Theodore Stamos. Shortly thereafter, searching for an educational venue closer to New York City, Rigsby visited New Haven, Connecticut, and spent an afternoon speaking with Josef Albers at Yale. Albers agreed to accept Rigsby into the Yale program on the condition that he take freshman drawing all over again. A brilliant opportunity, but, in Rigsby's words, "When it was time to register, I was hitchhiking back to Alabama, looking for food and shelter." Rigsby had his first one-man show at the University of Alabama in 1959. A visiting critic from New York, J.F. Goosen, reviewed the show and wrote "here is a talent which produces art because that is the thing for a gifted person to do. In his effortless ease of conception and execution, he has already achieved a goal that eludes many artists for a lifetime." Finally, in 1963, Rigsby received his degree in sculpture, dissolved a short-lived marriage, visited his family, packed up his car and headed permanently for New York. That year, his work was included in a group show at the Delgado Museum in New Orleans - which led to a one-man exhibit at the Delgado in 1964. During 1964, Rigsby took drawing classes at Columbia University, and worked at the General Post Office at night. He met his future wife, Linda Palmieri, and married. In 1965, his daughter Lisa was born, followed in 1966 by the birth of his son, John David Jr. In 1966, Rigsby had a successful one-man show at the Pietrantonio Gallery in New York. Shortly thereafter, he and the family moved to Tunis, Tunisia at the suggestion of a colleague, who urged him to "come paint by the light of Klee." Rigsby worked for the United States Information Agency as a teacher, and he spent the next year and a half painting over ninety paintings inspired by the smells, light, and Phoenician and Roman art surrounding him. He also executed a number of character and landscape drawings, capturing the Tunisian way of life. During his time in Tunisia, Rigsby's work was shown there in two major exhibits. Upon the family's return to the U.S. in 1968, Rigsby once again exhibited at the Pietrantonio Gallery. Later that year, Rigsby enrolled in Southern Connecticut State College's Urban Studies program, earning a master's degree in 1970. During his time at SCSU, Rigsby worked as the city of Bridgeport's Curator of Exhibits, driving a mobile art gallery from schools to neighborhood fairs and housing projects. After completing his degree, Rigsby had an exhibit at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia. This exhibit caught the attention of a member of the search committee looking to hire an artist for a newly-developed program in neighboring South Carolina. In 1970, Rigsby was selected as the first Artist-in-Residence in the state of South Carolina for the National Endowment for the Arts Artists in Schools program. His work with the newly-integrated students at Beaufort (SC) High School over the term of his residency precluded substantial work on his own art. He did, however, set up a studio in downtown Beaufort, and was able to create a modest number of paintings, which were included in exhibits at the Columbia Museum in South Carolina in 1971 and Yale University in 1973. At the end of his residency in 1974, Rigsby was named the National Visual Arts Coordinator of the Artists in Schools program for the NEA, a post he held for two years. In this position, Rigsby traveled the country, reviewing grant applications, meeting with state leaders in government, education and the arts to promote program concepts and explore local opportunities. The message he repeated over and over again echoed that of one of the other major influences on Rigsby as an artist - Ruth Asawa Lanier, whose words taught him that all of the work that the artist does is the artist's work, not simply the paintings he creates. In his capacity as National Coordinator, as well as many times in the future, Rigsby stressed that artists function in the same way as any other person in society, and deserved the same respect and place for their work as did all other professions. After two years traveling the country, Rigsby was ready for a change, saying "for the first time in my adult life, there was not a body of paintings to show for the years put into my work." In 1976, a summer retreat to the mountain community of Central City, Colorado, led to a permanent relocation. Eventually settling in the small town of Evergreen, Rigsby followed his own advice about artists becoming actively involved in their communities, and he established the Evergreen Visual Arts Center. The Center provided working space for artists, classes for adults and children, and, most importantly, a place for Rigsby to create his own work. Buoyed by the opportunity to concentrate once again on his art, and inspired by his new surroundings, Rigsby entered an extremely prolific period in his career. In 1977, he organized a traveling exhibition of his paintings, which showed at the Kimball Arts Center in Utah, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Arvada Center in Colorado. 1978 brought more exhibits, notably in Aspen and Denver, as Rigsby's work continued. He took an extended trip to visit his mentor, Tatsu Heima, in Japan, where he climbed Mt. Fuji, followed by travels to Tehran, Delhi, and several European countries. He chronicled his impressions from his travels in a small collection of paintings upon his return to the U.S. - the beginning of a practice which would continue through the rest of his life. In 1979, Rigsby's marriage failed, and at the same time he lost the lease to his Evergreen studio to redevelopment plans. In response to the personal chaos around him, Rigsby began a series of what he called "hard-nosed process paintings," the watercolor paintings of dots which marked his work from this period. The paintings gained him an NEA Individual Artist grant in 1980, as well as a Yaddo fellowship in 1981. The polka dot paintings were followed by a series of cupcake-like images, again examining space and color. During the early 1980s, Rigsby lived in a suite of old dentists' offices in a rundown part of Denver, with a studio in an area that reminded him of the Bowery in New York. In 1984, Rigsby founded the Progreso Gallery in the building where he lived, using the space both to show his own work and also to mount shows of the work of many Colorado artists. The gallery also served as a focal point for Denver's local arts community, hosting weekly discussion groups and classes. In 1984, Rigsby traveled to the Baja Peninsula and then in 1985 to Yugoslavia. After each sojourn, Rigsby returned to create vibrant and explosive paintings based on his experiences, showing them at his Progreso gallery and another alternative gallery in Denver, the Edge Gallery. The economic recession of the mid-eighties hit the art market and Rigsby hard, however, and although he continued to create new works of art, major exhibitions were difficult to come by. In 1987, Rigsby decided to leave Denver and spent six months in Barcelona, Spain. It was an electrifying trip for him. Rigsby wrote of that time: "The streets alone are a visual feast, and the additions of museums from Saarinen, Picasso and Miro to 12th century icons produced artistic indigestion. My paintings are always about the way things look and feel. Barcelona was a time machine extending those sensory and emotional concerns back to the Middle Ages. I felt the need to reduce my work to essential elements of color, scale, drawing and format. The [resulting] color studies speak eloquently for themselves, and in doing so, redefine all of the work I've done in the past 35 years of painting." Rigsby completed over a hundred paintings while in Barcelona - color studies, street portraits of the characters he encountered on a daily basis, and a number of dark landscape paintings. He found time to run with the bulls in Pamplona, and began writing stories about his adventures that were later published. Upon his return to Denver in 1988, Rigsby continued to explore the alter egos of the color studies - he concentrated on a series of dark paintings, all prominently featuring back. He commented about these black paintings that he " decided it was time to explore the perception of the eye and physical space as defined by low -light conditions…I find these paintings elegant, joyous and light-filled, with no feeling of heaviness at all." In mid-1988, Rigsby moved permanently to Houston, Texas, where he would spend the last five years of his life. Once in Houston, Rigsby made a discovery that would serve as the inspiration and material for some of the last works of his career. In 1989, he discovered a salvage yard filled with scrap rubber, and he began working on black rubber sculptures, as well as paintings with rubber elements incorporated. He made strong connections in the Houston alternative arts scene, and became a regular contributor and art critic for a local weekly newspaper, The Public News. From 1989 through 1992, he exhibited his sculptures and paintings at Houston's Brent Gallery, Fountainhead Gallery, and Blaffer Gallery. He also produced an installation of his rubber sculptures on the roof of the Diverse Works Gallery in Houston. 1992 also marked Rigsby's return to Denver when he exhibited his sculptures at the Payton-Rule Gallery in Denver, leading to an Absolut Rigsby commission by Carillon Importers. The 1990s were a tremendous struggle for Rigsby, with financial crises compounded by physical trauma (he accidentally sawed off the top joint of the index finger of his left hand while working in his studio). Although his work was being shown, it wasn't selling, and the tremendous financial pressure he felt weighed heavily upon him. He spent an increasing proportion of his time going to flea markets and garage sales, rehabilitating and repairing the things he bought there, and then re-selling them simply to raise enough money to keep a roof over his head. He had little time to paint or sculpt, the things in life that had always, no matter what the circumstances, brought him joy. Rigsby's final works were a series of intricate paintings and drawings on used books that he purchased at the flea market. Most of these drawings, which he referred to as sculptural form drawings, were executed on page after page of science texts, music books, and a Korean bible and fill hundreds of pages. Additionally, Rigsby created an exquisite book he titled 28 de los Angeles, in which his twenty-eight simple and elegant drawings of angels resonated with the influence of Rembrandt he had so admired in his early days. In a sense, Rigsby's final works, art created on used books which were the only materials he could afford, brought his work and life full circle from his childhood days. Rigsby's life, though begun and ended in adversity, was nonetheless illuminated and enriched by the irresistible impulse he had to create art and beauty. John David Rigsby was killed in a one-car accident in Colorado in August, 1993. Biography from the Archives of askART Following is a review by Michael Paglia of the artist's July 2004 retrospective at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art. It was submitted by John Rigsby, Jr., son of the artist. There's a magnificent retrospective at Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art devoted to the work of the late John David Rigsby, who was a major powerhouse in Colorado's art scene. "Dots, Blobs and Angels" surveys more than forty years' worth of the remarkable artist's paintings and sculptures. The year 1993 was strange, and by that I mean terrible. Many of the city's galleries closed because of bad economic times, and then the artists started dying. In a matter of a few months, Denver lost three significant artists: Rigsby, experimental photographer Wes Kennedy...

This is a set of ten Foley China, England dessert plates with an unusual and distinctive Arts and Crafts pattern that takes your breath away. The striking combination of colors in co...

This is a an early 19th c. pair of hand blown crystal vases with a combination of complex elements of decoration. They are composed of one piece of glass to look like the vases are r...

The mid-20th century sofa has wood cabriole legs with padded feet set within undulating front and side edges. The upholstered arms are fronted by inlaid curved wood panels. Seats fou...

Vintage industrial rustic rolling cart made of wood planks and cast iron wheels and brackets, the loader has two end wheels that swivel and are slightly shorter than the larger sides...

1950s-'60s cropped ivory sweater covered in ABA sequins and studded throughout in a turquoise bead and pearl motif; turquoise beaded edging is further ad...

Stylish Mid-Century Modern deco style white washed rattan lounge chair made of bent bamboo wrapped at the joints with faux raffia. Loose back and seat cushion with ties to attach to ...

For the late British designer's Spring/Summer 1999 fashion show, this Vivienne Westwood runway-look three-piece ensemble of a black corset-sty...