Art Deco Walter Von Nessen Bookends for Chase, Toy Soldiers in Brass & Bakelite
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Von Nessen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Width: 4 in (10.16 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Original aged patina. Very rare.
- Seller Location:Bedford Hills, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU970718798242
Walter Von Nessen
Art Deco industrial designer Walter von Nessen is best known for his glamorous Machine Age lighting designs and for his invention of the swing-arm lamp. Von Nessen was born in Germany, where he studied under Bruno Paul at Berlin’s Kunstgewerbeschule. After World War I, he worked for the architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin. He left in 1919 for Stockholm, where he designed furniture until emigrating with his wife, Margaretta, to the United States in 1923. In 1927, the couple opened Nessen Studios in Manhattan, designing and selling sleek, modern architectural lighting.
Art Deco was both novel and exciting in the late 1920s — as, indeed, was electricity itself — and Nessen Studios was at the forefront of the movement. Electric lighting designers at the time had no direct models to follow. The shapes and silhouettes of gas lamps, lanterns and chandeliers had been influenced by those of the kerosene-, oil- and candle-lit fixtures that preceded them, which in turn were informed by the fuels they used. Electric lighting required designs that accommodated essentials of the new technology, like cords and sockets. Von Nessen and his contemporaries thus had to create fixtures that addressed these challenges and looked modern without appearing overly mechanical.
Along with industrial-design visionaries of the period like Raymond Loewy, Gilbert Rohde and Donald Deskey, von Nessen crafted a style that was emblematic of the Machine Age. He produced lamps and home accessories from spun aluminum, with smooth surfaces that evoked the polished gleam of streamlined automobiles and airplanes. And he experimented with other popular materials of the era, such as Bakelite, chrome and fiberglass. His ingenious design for the now-ubiquitous swing-arm lamp earned him a reputation as an innovator.
Von Nessen’s work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, among other institutions. Designed to complement the luxurious interiors of the 1920s and ‘30s, still look fresh nearly a century later.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Bedford Hills, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Mid Century Brutalist Nude Male Wire Sculpture "Man Art"Located in Bedford Hills, NYBrutalist nude male wire sculpture spun from medium gauge wire, beautiful natural patina.Category
Vintage 1970s Unknown Brutalist Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsWire
- Large Memphis Style Abstract Pop Art Sculpture, Room Divider, Italian, 1980'sLocated in Bedford Hills, NYAmazing large abstract pop art free standing sculpture in the style of Memphis, Italy, 1980s Signed Rossi 1984.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsAcrylic, Wood
- Bronze Brutalist Square Sculptures In The Style of Harry Bertoia & Paul EvansLocated in Bedford Hills, NYBeautifully Mid Century textured bronze plate sculptures mounted on custom iron stands. Finely crafted and ready to place. Perfect for a mantel, in front of a fireplace, or tabletop....Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Brutalist Sculptures
MaterialsBronze, Steel
- Four Art Deco Streamline Modern Club Chairs in the Style of KEM Weber, 1930'sBy Theo A. Kochs, Kem WeberLocated in Bedford Hills, NYFantastic and very rare set of 4 1930s club chairs by Theo A. Kochs Chicago in the style of KEM Weber. Aged patina chromed frames, reupholstered in nutmeg colored waxed canvas. Pleas...Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Club Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Brutalist Metallic Glazed Ceramic Sculptural Vase, Man and Woman, Mid CenturyLocated in Bedford Hills, NYVery cool Mid Century metallic glazed sculptural vase with protruding male and female figures. Artist unknown.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsCeramic
- Mid Century Modern Black Buddha Head by Alexander Backer, 1950'sBy Alexander BackerLocated in Bedford Hills, NYVery cool mid-century black Buddha head by Alexander Backer, 1950's, made of plaster composite, hallmarked.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Busts
MaterialsPlaster
- Walter von Nessen Art Deco BookendsBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of sculptural Art Deco bookends, designed by Walter Von Nessen for Chase, unsigned, American, circa 1930s. They are believed to be constructed of brass, but have taken on a warm...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Chase Walter Von Nessen Horse Bookends StatueBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in Oakland, CAExtremely rare set of chase Equestrian bookends sculpture designed by Walter Von Nessen in 1932. Industrial Design incorporated with the latest mat...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Ring Bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase USABy Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von NessenLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of nickel and copper art deco machine age bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of bookends feature two circles, one larger in a black satin enameled c...Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsNickel, Enamel, Copper
- Art Deco Stylized Cat Door Stop by Walter Von Neesen for Chase, circa 1935By Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.Located in Port Jervis, NYFabulous simple yet elegant design by Walter Von Neesen for Chase circa 1935. Brass & copper stylized in the form of a arching cat. Rare find. In excellent vintage condition with min...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
MaterialsBrass, Copper
- Art Deco 1930's Walter Von Nessen for Chase Brass & Enamel Dinner Bell W/BirdBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.Located in San Diego, CAFine Art Deco Walter Von Nessen designed bird figural dinner bell made by Chase. The bess was made in the 1930's. Made of chrome plated brass. The bird is brass with a black enamel o...Category
Early 20th Century American Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBrass, Chrome
- Pair of Brass Vases by Walter Von Nessen for ChaseBy Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of brass vases by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of solid patinated brass Art Deco vases feature a tulip opening ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBrass