Walter von Nessen Art Deco Bookends
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Von Nessen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.75 in (22.23 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 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:1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good original condition. Various surface scratches, age spots, and wear, commensurate with age and use. Retain warm original patina.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU871818615862
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: Atlanta, GA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Art Deco Style Verdigris Bronze SculptureLocated in Atlanta, GAArt Deco Style Verdigris Bronze Sculpture, signed Casey Wright, American, circa 2007. Beautiful form with excellent verdigris patina. Heavy ...Category
Early 2000s American Art Deco Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- French Art Deco Iron Floor Lamp in the Manner of Edgar BrandtBy Edgar BrandtLocated in Atlanta, GAFrench Art Deco iron floor lamp, in the manner of Edgar Brandt, French, circa 1930s. It has been rewired for US usage and is ready to use.Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Floor Lamps
MaterialsIron
- Selection of French Steamer Trunks Goyard and Romand ParisBy Goyard, Paul RomandLocated in Atlanta, GASelection of French Art Deco Steamer Trunks, France, circa 1930s. They are a versatile size and can be used as side tables or coffee tables. They are pric...Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Trunks and Luggage
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Hand Painted Abstract Expressionism Calligraphy Asian ScreenBy Sōfu TeshigaharaLocated in Atlanta, GAHand painted abstract expressionism calligraphy Asian folding screen, in the manner of Robert Motherwell, Sofu Teshigahara, et al, believed to be Japa...Category
Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Paintings and Screens
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Paper
- Colorful Hand Painted Watermelon Folding ScreenLocated in Atlanta, GAColorful hand painted Folk Art watermelon folding screen, Yucatan, Mexico, circa 1970s. This piece is a versatile size and can be used as a folding screen, room divider, or headboard...Category
Vintage 1970s Mexican Folk Art Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsWood
- Hand Painted Asian ScreenLocated in Atlanta, GAHand painted Asian folding screen, probably Chinese, believed to be circa 1950s, possibly much earlier. It depicts two scholars playing a game un...Category
Vintage 1950s Chinese Chinoiserie Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Paper
- 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
- Art Deco Walter Von Nessen Bookends for Chase, Toy Soldiers in Brass & BakeliteBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Bedford Hills, NYVery rare pair of Walter Von Nessen toy soldier bookends in brass and bakelite. All original with beautiful patina and age. Hallmarked. Very slight separation at one corner, see photo.Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
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
- Art Deco Copper bowl Walter Von Nessen StudioBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Montreal, QCWalter Von Nessen Studio, Art Deco copper bowl c. 1927, USA, hammered copper sheet metal, the exterior and interior bowl decorated with Nordic st...Category
Vintage 1920s Decorative Bowls
MaterialsCopper