Wednesday, February 6, 2008

"Liquid Lace": Dresden China


Dad's early collecting years included European antiques that made their way across the "pond", and a few into our Guest Room. A favorite was Dresden figurines. Around 1700's, the Chinese' secret of hardpaste porcelain made its way to Europe, enabling more detailed, delicate formed creations. One spectacular new form was Dresden "lace" porcelain, developed in Germany (Dresden, thus the name). The process involved dipping real lace into a liquid porcelain and then adhered by hand to the base of a figurine. The lace burned off in the subsequent firing process. The result looks like beautiful flowing fabric, but it's so fragile its rare to find one not broken (at least the lace part). Popular figurines depicted idealized "guy-meets-girl" scenes, called crinoline groups (see photo). Some themes really do transcend time and culture.
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The Guest Room's Window: Art Travels

Keep checking the Guest Room Window for art adventures outside the house.

LONG ISLAND: Nassau County Museum of Art's OpArt exhibit features 1960's paintings with optical designs that create fluctuating spatial depth (with potential for retinal after-images, without a hangover). If the OpArt's abundance of geometric form and color is too much, the adjacent Tee Ridder Miniatures museum brings your retina down to scale. "Tee" was a fine arts miniaturist who created over 100 miniature rooms with period precision, many on display here. Nassaumuseum.com gives more info.

WYOMING: Dad's art interest began with American firearms art. If you start your art journey there, one of the most comprehensive American firearms collection is at Buffalo Bill Historic Center in Wyoming; you can check out their searchable digital firearms collection at http://www.bbhc.org/collections/BBHC/index_CFM.cfm.