Jeweled Objects of Desire/Glorious Goldsmiths and Designers
February 24, 2009 to July 31, 2009

Jeweled Objects of Desire featured objects from the gem collection of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Included in the exhibit were pieces created by San Francisco jewelry designer, Sidney Mobell. He became famous for his 24k gold jeweled Monopoly Board, a jewel-encrusted trashcan and a gold mousetrap with a diamond wedge of cheese.

Improbable Baubles: Fabulous Faux Bibelots by Fayette County Eighth Graders
December 5, 2008 to January 15, 2009

The exhibition and opening reception commemorate the culmination of the First Annual Faux Bibelot Design Competition – Middle School Edition. Inspired by the Museum’s permanent collection of precious bibelots, the participating students were charged with the task of working in non-precious media to create their own “faux bibelots.” The exhibition will showcase the three finest works from each participating school. During the reception, the top three overall prize winning pieces will be announced.

The exhibit highlights contemporary pieces of art glass from the Daum Collection. Daum has been producing various glassworks near Nancy, France since 1878. Starting as a family-owned company specializing in watch glasses, windows, and glassware for taverns, they began producing strictly decorative glass objects in 1890. They eventually became the forerunners in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles of glass designs, winning International awards and working alongside contemporary artists including Georges Braque, Salvador Dali, César, Paloma Picasso, Emilio Robba, and many others. Contemporary artists such as these are continually invited to design limited editions for the Daum Collection, establishing Daum glass as the leading avant-garde art glass producer. Daum is considered the most artistic of luxury decorative art glass.

Flowing Beauty: Glass from the Permanent Collection
July 25 , 2008 to September 22, 2008

Historically, ostrich eggs have served both functional and decorative purposes. The Ancient Egyptians hollowed the eggs to store oils and perfumes. In the 1800’s, the Irish and Germans mounted ostrich eggs on decorative metal bases for use as goblets and steins. The sheer size of these eggs, about twenty-four times that of a chicken’s egg, also provides an ample canvas for decoration. Some groups in Africa carve elaborate designs on their very thick surfaces for ornamental purposes. A 2004 trip to South Africa introduced artist Lenné Nicklaus-Ball to this form of artwork. That year also marked the death of her grandmother, Margaret Nagy Nunn. The loss left her wanting a tangible memory of her grandmother’s glamorous life, therefore Nicklaus-Ball chose her collection of lavish costume jewelry as her inheritance.

Rather than wear the jewelry, Nicklaus-Ball decided to commemorate her favorite relative in a more artistic and eternal manner. The ostrich egg was chosen for the foundation of her tribute series. She noted its aesthetic potential in South Africa, and the ample armature also seemed serviceable to bear layers of additions. With its maternal references, the use of an egg in these sculptures also strongly reflects the relationship shared by Nicklaus-Ball and her grandmother.

In this collection, each piece represents a specific time or event in Margaret Nagy Nunn’s life: a time of big bands, society balls, and Sunday hats. The sculptures are carefully adorned with vintage costume jewelry appropriated for each concept. These pieces evoke a lifetime of memories for Lenné Nicklaus-Ball, while manifesting themselves as incredible sculptures. Each assemblage offers a visual banquet of color, texture, and form meant to summon the viewer’s own recollections of times past.

Dramatic Design: Vintage Scaasi Couture and a Collection of Decorative Buttons
February 1, 2008 to March 16, 2008

“The designer’s eye changes all the time, and what looked great to you a year ago might look wrong today. Of course, that’s what keeps your adrenaline going and what makes fashion really exciting!”
Arnold Scaasi

Arnold “Scaasi” Isaacs has been dressing women in innovative patterns and luxurious fabrics for over fifty years. Actresses such as Joan Crawford and Elizabeth Taylor, First Ladies like Mamie Eisenhower and Barbara Bush, and music divas such as Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand have all turned to Scaasi for a one-of-a-kind look.

Born Arnold Isaacs, he grew up in Montreal where his father, Samuel Isaacs, was a fur merchant. In 1950 Arnold took his love for fashion and enrolled at a design school in Paris. Despite receiving a promising job offer from designer Christian Dior, in 1952 Arnold moved to New York to begin his clothing line. By 1955 “Isaacs” became Scaasi, and with his new Italian style name, he launched his made-to-order couture clothing business and his future as a major award winning designer.

Scaasi’s creative, dramatic cuts and patterns are innovative enough to turn heads, but always flattering to the female figure. This is a key element that he has used throughout his career, and as a result women have sought him to create a design for their special occasion. He continues to impress with the soft, feminine lines of his unique styles, and women continue to love slipping into his form of decorative art. Scaasi truly brings an element of drama to the world of fashion.

Decorative buttons date back to ancient times. However, the use of buttons as fasteners only goes back centuries to the increasing use of tailored clothing on men, particularly for use beneath armor. Though used frequently on men’s attire, buttons were uncommon on women’s clothing until the nineteenth century.

The “Golden Age” of buttons, when workmanship and artistry were of very high quality, occurred in the eighteenth century. Artisans like painters, potters, silversmiths, weavers, and cabinet makers made buttons from their extra materials. As a result, buttons took on a whole new dynamic, with hand-painted surfaces, turned wooden design, and delicately blown glass shapes. Antique buttons come in a variety of styles and can be found in metal, glass, wood, ceramic, and more.

Today a button is rarely a focal point. Most modern buttons are utilitarian, designed to be unobtrusive and blend into the clothing. They might only be noticed when one is missing. However, for many centuries buttons were more than just functional; they were very decorative and made a statement through size, material, and subject about the values and fashion of an era. Buttons were created as small works of art, with intricate detailing and colorful designs.

Bohemian Waters
October 26, 2007 to January 14, 2008

“There are secrets in the seas, the sands, and the stars...
I’ve heard them whispered in the wind.” ~Sharon LaPine

Having grown up along the northwest panhandle of Florida, Sharon LaPine has been combing beaches and building shell castles since she was three years old. Although she has been a Lexington resident for the past ten years, she frequently returns to Florida to visit her old stomping grounds and to gather material for future pieces. A self-proclaimed “Puzzle Master,” LaPine carefully constructs the rooms and levels of her shell sculptures. Precisely placed glass accents give the pieces their unique but fragile fluidity.

With her ocean-inspired architecture, LaPine wishes to present something fresh and mysterious to the observer. She would like her audience to take away a sense of wonder at the eternal beauty the ocean possesses, an awareness she has had from a very young age.

The Making Of…

As she has developed artistically, Sharon LaPine’s sculptures have grown in complexity. Her interest in the internal structures of shells was peaked at a young age when she saw an x-ray image of a shell in an issue of Smithsonian Magazine. LaPine began cutting shells to expose the natural partitions and “rooms” within the structures, and she now uses these elements in the meticulous composition of her artwork. Until recently, LaPine’s castles were constructed completely of shells. After apprenticing with local glass blowers, she was
inspired to begin incorporating recycled pieces of glass into her creations. This has brought a whimsical touch to her work that delicately compliments the rigidity of the shells.

Gemstone Animals & Floral Sculptures
from the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
July 6, 2007-September 9, 2007

The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst, Illinois hosts a collection of some of the most exquisite carved gemstones in the world. More than 200 pieces of jade and other hard gemstone carvings are represented in the collection, featuring several internationally famous pieces and artists. The Headley-Whitney’s collection of bibelots include some of the same lapidary artists.

Lapidary is the art of cutting and polishing stone. It has its roots in prehistory, as early humans began fashioning tools and weapons from stone. In time, these techniques were also used for items of personal adornment. They also served as status symbols and were acquired for both beauty and power. Stone carving evolved as an art in many cultures throughout the world.

In the collection represented in the exhibition, “Gemstone Animals and Floral Sculptures” there are examples of the work done in Idar-Oberstein today. Many pieces were inspired by Fabrege pieces made famous during the 19th century. German lapidarists have become masters of this type of work. There is no doubt that the craftsmen of Idar-Oberstein today not only have the capacity to rival but surpass the workmanship of the Fabrege shops in the handling of lapidary work. The advantage of modern equipment and technology and the availability of a greater variety of stones, is in part the reason for this accomplishment.

As you view the exhibition, take note of the special treatment and precise cutting and polishing the artist employs in the creation of the work. The floral pieces are especially significant as the technique approaches the realistic in color, form and texture. The bases of the floral arrangement also contribute to the beauty and realistic feel of the piece. An interesting point is that where the vase is transparent, the drilling for the stem is at a slight angle to give the look of refraction similar to the light refraction noticed when a flower stem is placed in a glass of water. The bases of clear, rutilated or smoky quartz are carefully ground and polished to perfection, completing an overall harmonious composition.

Idar-Oberstein is known as the City of Gemstones and is located 90 miles south of Frankfurt, Germany in the picturesque twin cities. It has been well regarded for the past 500 years as the premier gem cutting and trading center for gemstones in the world. Although there are new technologies available today in the execution of lapidary art, the traditional methods are still employed here as well as supporting new and exciting discoveries in fantasy cutting and polishing.

Text information courtesy of the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art Publications
Photos courtesy of Bill Seilonen

pelicans rhino

Hayday Hatemi Virtual Exhibition

Stories of the Messengers by Haydar Hatemi
March 30, 2007 thru June 17, 2007

Haydar Hatemi is an extraordinary artist who employs the unique technique tezhip (gilding) and hairline brushes to create outstanding masterpieces. His exhibit includes Stories of the Messengers taken from the Bible, the Torah, the Koran and the Avesta.

Haydar has won many competitions throughout his career which includes the Takht-e-Tavus Medal for the International Cancer Society. The Headley-Whitney Museum is proud to host Haydar Hatemi's first American exhibition.

Birth of the Christ

Noah's Ark

Chinese Impressionism:
Paintings by Wang Dingji

January 20, 2007 - March 19, 2007
Member Preview Party:
Friday January 19, 2007 6-8 p.m.
Opening Weekend:
January 21 - 22, 2007 12-4 p.m.

*Free to the public.

The Headley-Whitney Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition of paintings by Chinese Impressionist, Wang Dingji. The exhibition, which is part of a national tour, is comprised of thirty-two oil paintings, which depict Chinese landscapes or still-life in a vivid palette with striking imagery.

Born in 1938, Wang Dingji graduated from Beijing Art College in 1962, after majoring in canvas. Striving to be realistic in his painting, he created a style aiming to fuse the impressionist approach with the folk culture and customs, which suits both refined and popular tastes. He served as a member of Beijing Artists Association as well as the vice-president of Beijing Haidian Canvas Seminar and also as a member of the World Artists Friendship Union. In 1993, he was awarded the title of World’s Excellent Artist. He died in 2006. His artworks have been exhibited and won awards at the national and regional level in China, and are held in private and museum collections in China and abroad.

GEORGE WILLIAM HEADLEY lll

VIRTUAL EXHIBIT

George William Headley lll was born January 4, 1908 to Louise and George Headley, Jr. in Lynchburg, Virginia. After a childhood in the south, Headley attended the private New Jersey preparatory school Lawrenceville School from 1924 -1926.

In 1927, he enrolled in classes at the Art Student’s League in New York City and after one year moved to France where he enrolled in classes at Parisian L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts and L’Academia Moderne. It was here that Headley began his love for painting and intended to become an artist.

When Headley returned to New York, in 1930, he worked for the jeweler Paul Flato. He found that his talent as a jewelry designer was more profitable then his art sketches. It was this connection with Flato that helped established his career as a designer.

Headley moved to Los Angeles in the late 1930’s. Along with other Flato designers, including the Duke of Verdura and Millicent Rogers, he had a reputation for creating imaginative luxury pieces for the glamorous life-styles of wealthy clients and Hollywood stars. Leaving Flato, Headley went to work with another jeweler, Sol Laykin, et Cie at I. Magnin Co., also a jeweler who outfitted the stars for their movies and private lives.

At the Hotel Bel-Air, in Los Angeles, Headley opened George Headley, Inc., in 1946. It was here where he cultivated clientele including such Hollywood celebrities as Fanny Brice, Mae West and Joan Crawford. Designing under his own name, he enjoyed a more public success. His jewelry was featured in a number of fashion articles for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Ladies Home Journal.

In 1949, Headley moved to Lexington onto “La Belle”, the family farm. He began receiving commissions from people he had met in California and wealthy socialites of Lexington to design jewelry. He engaged jewelers, such as David Webb, Charles Vaillant, Zolos and others execute his designs. His famous bibelot collection began at this time.

George Headley married Barbara Whitney on December 20, 1960. They were married for twenty-two years and enjoyed traveling and entertaining. Through his travels, Headley’s life long delight in discovering and admiring beautiful objects from around the world inspired his own artistic creations.

George and Barbara had a second residence in Palm Beach, Florida. It was here, in 1963, that Headley established the Headley-Webb Jewel Boutique in partnership with well known designer and manufacturer, David Webb of New York.

Back at “La Belle” George and Barbara built what would become the first of three buildings housing Headley’s collections, the Jewel Room and Library. It opened to the public in 1968. The Jewel Room featured his famous jeweled bibelots and boxes. The Library, with its many volumes of books and periodicals, also consisted of fine art, decorative art, natural specimens and objects of curiosity.

George Headley added a second building to the museum when he converted his three car garage into a Shell Grotto in 1973. For nearly a year he worked with assistants installing numerous shells and polished stones to the buildings walls, doors, window moldings and furniture. For Headley this was a place for quiet contemplation and entertaining.

The final of the three buildings, the Main Gallery, was completed in 1978. It was constructed using many of the same architectural motifs found in the Library and Jewel Room. It was at this time that the Whitney family graciously contributed to the museum and the two family names joined to form the Headley-Whitney Museum.

George Headley lived until the age of 77. He died in 1985, two years after his wife Barbara passed away.

The museum continues to exhibit Headley’s work as well as other decorative art according to his original vision for the Headley-Whitney Museum.

In keeping with Headley’s passion for the decorative arts the Headley- Whitney Museum continues to exhibit his work as well as offer a stimulating selection of regional and international exhibits.

The Exterior Influence:
Gothic Revival's Interior Expression

June 30-September 3, 2006

The medieval Gothic style re-asserted itself in England as a patriotic impulse in the late eighteenth Century. Its champion was Horace Walpole, son of Sir Robert Walpole, England’s first prime minister. The younger Walpole rejected the importation of classical styles from Italy that followed upon the Grand Tours of the nation’s young aristocrats;he sought out designs based on ancient English sources instead.

The second great champion of the style was William Beckford, son of the Lord Mayor of London. The younger Beckford was a great traveler, builder, and collector of books, art, and decorative objects as well as a writer of importance. Both he and Horace Walpole wrote Gothic novels. In England, the Pugins, father and son, were also influential proponents of the Gothic style.

In America, Andrew Jackson Downing, a nurseryman, writer, lecturer and designer, led the way for an American Gothic Revival. In his writings he published architectural plans for every economic level, from frame cottages to great stone mansions. Among his colleagues in the enterprise was Alexander Jackson Davis, designer of American’s foremost example of Gothic Revival Architecture, Lyndhurst at Tarrytown, New York, as well as the Loudoun House in Lexington. It was architectural historian Clay Lancaster, founder of the Warwick Foundation, who carried out the first scholarly documentation of the Gothic Revival in Central Kentucky. This appeared in his key article, “Three Gothic Revival Houses at Lexington” in The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians in 1947.

The three houses were Ingelside (demolished in 1964), Loudoun (now owned by the city and home to the Lexington Art League), and Elley Villa.

Gothic Revival architecture was accompanied by many related decorative objects, from china and silver to furniture, wallpaper, mirrors, pitchers, prints and ceramic tiles.

Helen Bond Carruthers

1896-1970

Helen Bond Carruthers was the daughter of Colonel Bolivar Bond, an auctioneer and real estate developer, and Helen Dean Bond, both of Versailles, KY.

Born in 1896, Helen Bond married Roy Carruthers, former President of the Book-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit; the Blackstone and Drake Hotels in Chicago; and the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington, among others. He moved to Versailles with Mrs. Carruthers and aided in establishing Keeneland with Hal Price Headley et al.

At this time, Mrs. Carruthers began making sweaters for friends, often incorporating various family heirlooms such as jewels and personal items like the fabric of a friend’s wedding dress into the designs of the sweaters, thus tailoring each sweater to fit not only the physique of every friend but to fit her personality as well.

Her sister Mrs. Jessie Bond Boulton commented that “From a hobby started for friends, it soon became a very satisfying and lucrative career for my sister. Each of her sweaters was like a painting...”

Mrs. Carruthers’ passion for a beautiful design blossomed into what became known as a “cottage industry” in the 1950’s, with her cashmere sweaters sold in Southern resort boutiques, Elizabeth Arden Salons, and various other establishments of note. She also traveled with her sweaters from New York to California, hosting trunk shows. For every major racing event she attended with her husband, her sweaters made a fashionably stylish entrance as well. Elizabeth Taylor reportedly purchased ten original sweaters in one afternoon during this time period. After a successful and enriching career in sweater design, Mrs. Carruthers retired her art.

Chinese Impressionism: Paintings by Wang Dingji

GEORGE WILLIAM HEADLEY lll

The Exterior Influence: Gothic Revival's Interior Expression

Helen Bond Carruthers

Chinese Impressionism:
Paintings by Wang Dingji

The Exterior Influence:
Gothic Revival's Interior Expression