My basic rule of thumb is that if I sit down and can’t enjoy a Mary Oliver poem then it means I majorly need to slow down and check in. Sometimes she can be that reminder to slow down and take a look at things. But if even she can’t get through then things are rough. Anyway Mary Oliver requires no introduction. Just read her books and let her calm your nervous system. And if you never read anything Mary Oliver just read this one line:

Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.

Okay this wrought iron rooster is a FIND! Attributed to the post-war French design collective Les Artisans de Marolles, founded by sculptor Jean Touret in the 1950s. They were celebrated for elevating utilitarian ironwork into highly expressive minimalist art. This piece repurposes a horseshoe for the main body (sick!) and it’s got amazing hammered texture.

Material: hand-forged wrought iron

Measurements: 10” H x 6” L x 4.5” W

Weight: 1.2lbs

Condition: excellent vintage condition. strong welds and structurally sound with a natural, aged patina. no maker's marks, as is typical for these unique artisan-forged regional pieces.

In 1941 Edward Weston traveled across America to visually capture the spirit of Walt Whitman’s famous poems, and here they come together in one historic book. How cool. I really feel that artists should do things like this more. Like a musical artist should just make a whole album in the spirit of their favorite movie. And so on. I think that would be great.

Condition: very good vintage condition. the original black dust jacket is remarkably bright, retaining its high-gloss black luster, with a minor tear at the top. the internal cloth binding is exceptionally firm, and the photographic pages remain crisp, clean, and entirely unmarked.

Specifications:

• Format: Hardcover with Original Dust Jacket

• Publisher: Paddington Press Ltd (1976)

• ISBN: 0846701358

• Language: English

These rare Art Nouveau candle holders were made by the renowned royal silversmiths Mappin & Webb in England in the early 1900s. On top of their gorgeousness they also serve as a sort of chamberstick — the top lifts off of its lily pad base and can be carried around the room for light as needed… and this was much needed in 1900. It’s very romantic and I sort of do dream of creating a new life without electricity so this would be excellent for that or simply my turning off the lights and pretending my life is that while also enjoying the perks of a dishwasher.

The underside of each piece bears the complete authentic stamps for 'Mappin & Webb’s Prince's Plate,' a premium, heavy-gauge triple-deposit plating process unique to the firm’s London and Sheffield workshops. Marked with factory pattern registry code W13606.

Material: silver-plated

Measurements: 5.5” H x 4” W

Weight: 0.7lbs

Condition: excellent antique condition. Normal light surface wear and minor polishing residue consistent with age. No major dents or structural damage. The triple-deposit silver plate retains a wonderful luster with a lovely dark patina in the deep crevices of the leaves.

There’s actually nothing I’m more obsessed with than mugs. It’s sad kind of. But at some point I should do a review of my collection which is becoming iconic. However for now I am sacrificing this perfect, one-of-a-kind handmade mug to the Gods because they require that every once and a while.

Ahh, letter writing. Have you read The Correspondent? I feel like everyone did and now letter writing is all the rage and simultaneously already out of style but really it’s never ever out of style and you should read that book regardless.

Anyway here we are with this Art Nouveau desk letter rack cast in heavy-gauge brass and perhaps this could be your inspiration for letter writing! Because let’s face it if we’re letter-writing then we’re looking for the romance in things and what’s more romantic than this on your desk with the perfect pen and stationary.

I’ve written a few letters lately and let me tell you it’s awesome and basically just as calming as reading Mary Oliver.

Material: brass

Measurements: 3.25” H x 4.5” L x 2.5” D

Weight: 1.1 lbs

Condition: excellent antique condition. structurally sound with tight, secure original connections. the brass shows gorgeous mellow coloration with expected light surface character marks, minor age tarnishing, and faint oxidation to the underside plate consistent with a genuine 120+ year old object.

Animal drawings can really be so bad. The colors usually don’t reflect the feeling you get from real color in nature — a certain magnificence and vibration. And when it’s too realistic it actually just drains the life out of it. You can tell that Carl Rungius didn’t just SEE wilderness — he knew it and felt it.

This scarce 1985 first-edition hardcover monograph is the definitive retrospective on North America's most celebrated wildlife master. Spanning 184 pages it documents Rungius' life journey from Germany to the rugged Canadian Rockies and American West. It is generously illustrated with full-color plates and detailed black-and-white field sketches.

Condition: very good vintage condition. the interior pages are clean, crisp, and tightly bound with no loose pages or writing. the original illustrated dust jacket is present, showing light shelf wear, minor rubbing, and slight crinkling along the top and bottom edges consistent with age, but it remains bright and completely intact.

An original, signed Arthur Durston line drawing from 1932 — amazing find. Durston was a New Deal artist paid a tiny weekly wage by government programs that were intended to support artists and bring them into the workforce. An LA times review criticized his work for being “too depressing” — in 1933… lol. The paper has some staining/tanning consistent with its age, but the frame seems newer and is in wonderful condition. 

Material: ink on paper

Measurements: 20” H x 17” W

Weight: 4 lbs

Condition: the drawing is structurally sound but displays prominent, vintage liquid staining/tanning to the upper-left edge and lower-center edge of the paper, consistent with its age and history. the lines remain completely crisp and dark. the ornate gold frame is in excellent, sturdy condition, with a small tear to the paper backing behind the frame.

Folk art is probably becoming a core part of privacy gallery at this point. I love anything that feels amateur but manages to evoke so much, as this landscape does. It’s both striking and charming, and I suppose its off-kilterness gives it a bit of a sadness for me as well. When I look at it I don’t imagine the painter sitting on a hillside capturing this moment. Though that’s what it may be, it feels more like a memory to me. A place from this person’s past, from a sweet and quiet time that no longer exists. That doesn’t take away from its beauty though.

I found this piece in a frame that suggested the painting didn’t think much of itself. I always imagined it in a rustic wood frame, so that’s what I found for it and now it seems much happier and proud — standing up a little straighter. Now it just needs a good home and someone to love it.

Condition: excellent vintage condition. the oil painting is stable with no signs of flaking, paint loss, or cracking. the colors remain deep and saturated. the wood frame is new.

Material: wood frame, oil painting on board

Measurements: 18.75” W × 14.75 H

Weight: 2.2lbs

This charming little stoneware hen was hand-made by an LA-based ceramicist. It’s one of my favorite pieces and I can’t really explain why. I love the weight of it, and the high gloss contrast of the crown and tail, but honestly it’s just got a good energy.

Condition: excellent vintage condition. free of any chips, cracks, or structural repairs. the unglazed body retains its beautiful coarse texture, and the glaze work on the comb and tail remains glossy and fully intact.

Material: ceramic

Measurements: 4.5” H x 4” W x 2.5 D

Weight: 1 lbs

This item is hand-made and one-of-a-kind.

I am VERY reluctant to give this one up because although it’s seen better days (some tearing and toning on the dust jacket) you literally cannot find this hardcover anywhere and it’s SUCH a good book with the most incredible photographs. I covered it with plastic so as to protect its current state, but other than that the inside pages are in great condition.

This book is based on the landmark winter 1975–76 exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and this definitive volume was personally curated and selected by the legendary British master photographer Bill Brandt.

This volume presents 48 rich duotone plates from legendary masters including Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, Harry Callahan, Paul Caponigro, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Provenance: The title page features an elegant, blind-embossed 'Ex Libris' library stamp belonging to the prominent New York art collectors, Shelley and Arthur Sas.”

Condition: good vintage condition. the internal binding is tight and sturdy. the 48 duotone plates are pristine, crisp, and completely clean with no internal ink marks, highlighting, or underlines. the title page features a crisp, un-inked blind-embossed private collector's library stamp. the original dust jacket remains intact and presents beautifully with a natural, uniform amber age-toning and mild foxing near the borders, adding excellent vintage character.

• Format: Cloth-bound Hardcover with Original Removable Dust Jacket

• Publisher: Da Capo Press, New York (First American Edition, 1976)

• ISBN: 0-306-70753-5

• Illustrations: 48 duotone photographic plates