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Spring is here with this old globe angling us to catch more of the sun. Spring could not have come at a better time. Let's start here by celebrating the plump, perky-eared ones who put a smile on our face.

"Consider the bunny - God's cockeyed creation patently purposed for pure decoration," writes the poet.

We do consider the  bunny, the hare, and the rabbit as Gump's has always cherished artists whose works are well-known to add color and beauty - like Spring itself - to our homes. Not to mention the twinkle in our eye and the knowing smile when observing a cockeyed creation.

Rabbit & Cherry Blossoms by Judi Vaillancourt

"Rabbit & Cherry Blossoms" is a Gump's exclusive from famed artist Judi Vaillancourt. Hand painted details of the Rabbit perched on a half-egg-shaped base covered with cherry blossoms coordinate with another cherry blossom on its tail.

Painted in Massachusetts, Vaillancourt Folk Art was set up in 1984 by Judi, a classically trained artist with a passion for antiques. She combined the Victorian art form known as chalkware with vintage confectionary molds used to form candy, ice cream, and chocolates. Starting with the three antique chocolate molds that her husband, Gary, had given her for Christmas, Judi experimented with how figures could be revived from vintage forms and appeal to our taste for small-scale sculpture.

Vaillancourt's own process developed by pouring liquid chalk into these molds, then applying her fine-art skills to the resulting three dimensional canvas. Considered a contemporary chalkware art, figures like Santas and rabbits were quick to be acquired when featured at Folk Art craft fairs around the country. Gump's is pleased to offer her figures online.

Four Bunnies Hoisting Delft Egg by Judi Vaillancourt

Artist Judi Vaillancourt

SHOP VAILLANCOURT

 Limoges, France

Vive le lapin!

Is the charm quotient for rabbits and bunnies from Limoges enhanced by the fact that they are hand painted with a Gallic eye that endows them with French allure? Judge for yourself!

Bunnies on Carrot, Limoges, France

The Carrot opens to reveal a version of the Lover's Knot.

Miniature masterpieces, Limoges boxes known as bonbonnieres are treasures to be touched. These charming hinged containers derive from an earlier snuff box tradition and later were a decorative enclosure for little sweets and other bibelots.

Limoges porcelain dates back to the late 18th century. The kaolin clay found in the region made Limoges one of the important centers for making hard-paste porcelain, which is fired at high temperature and a luminous finish results, perfect for decoration, Capitalizing on the availability of the kaolin clay, boutique porcelain factories opened in the area surrounding Limoges.

At Gump's, we continue a long tradition of offering only the finest examples of this quintessential French art form.

SHOP LIMOGES

The art of hand painting remains a vibrant tradition in Limoges enhancing the details unique to every creation.

Feel free to pronounce this Danish silversmithy’s name as “George Jensen,” American style. Gump’s does, too, since Jensen’s extraordinarily pleasing forms and high-quality fabrication are the point. Pronunciation won’t get in the way.

SHOP GEORG JENSEN

While we relish the Danish pronunciation as well, we’ve been home to Jensen’s notable designs for some time. Gump’s celebrates Jensen’s ability to harmonize with contemporary lifestyles, whether fashioned from precious silver or no-nonsense materials like stainless steel.

Take the company’s move to stainless steel. It’s only enhanced Jensen’s appeal while making good design within reach for many more Gump’s clients.

BERNADOTTE BOWL

Savor this mirror-polished stainless steel Bowl, originally in sterling silver from designer Sigvard Bernadotte’s original 1930s concept. It’s not every firm that enjoyed such a distinctive and rewarding relationship with a Swedish prince who developed into an influential modernist designer, born Sigvard Oscar Fredrik Bernadotte, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, grandson of Queen Victoria.

More to the point, the Bowl is classic Scandinavian design at its most timeless.

COBRA CANDLESTICKS

2017 saw the introduction of the Cobra collection, exemplified by the sinuous curves and gleaming surfaces of these candlesticks, created for Georg Jensen by award-winning designer Constantin Wortmann. Crafted of stainless steel with a mirror-polish finish. 

BLOOM BOWL

Inspired by the shape of Japanese cherry blossoms in full bloom, this stunning bowl designed by Helle Damkjær is made of stainless steel with an 18-karat gold plated finish.

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Was it serendipity or mere coincidence that allowed San Francisco to play a big role in Georg Jensen’s international success? Jensen recognizes its fame grew from early success in the United States, specifically here in San Francisco when Jensen brought his Danish silver to the 1915 World’s Fair, called the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition. Jensen walked away with both a gold medal for original design, and the Grand Prize for silver jewelry. Georg Jensen was naturally encouraged to invest in a larger marketplace than Denmark or Northern Europe.

A. Livingston Gump, “Mr. Gump of Gump’s,” (as he was often called) and his merchants would have noticed this breath of silvery Nordic inspiration. There are competing legends of what happened next: that Gump’s bought many of Georg Jensen’s pieces, including the jewelry. There is also a rumor that William Randolph Hearst – he of the Hearst newspaper chain - purchased the majority of the Georg Jensen works brought from Denmark. Sadly, sources to confirm either legend are thin on the ground.

What is true is that A.L. invested heavily in goods from around the world that were, in a way, an adjunct to the galleries of the Exposition. Also true was Gump’s continuing appreciation of the Georg Jensen collections, represented by Jensen’s decision to advance the company’s “air of luxury” by working with select stores like Gump’s, Neiman Marcus in Dallas, and Chicago’s Marshall Field in the 1950s.

Today, Georg Jensen is still a Gump's tradition, one that we’re happy to share with everyone for the sheer appeal of how the use and appreciation of good design will enhance any environment and elevate your entertaining.