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Reprinted with permission
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EISENBERG ENAMEL |
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Vintage, Vol. 15, No.1, 2005 |
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By Bobye Syverson |
From a 1974 color ad: Explosive hand painted enamels, objects d’art to wear. Designs inspired by the great Surrealis artists."
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I was recently asked if I could
share some information about the enamel jewelry done by the Eisenberg Company.
For some reason, the costume jewelry books have almost ignored this style of
their jewelry.
In 1973, and again in 1974, the company showed full color ads of their "Artist’s Series". These have no rhinestones, but feature geometric and abstract designs in enamel. According to Harrice Miller’s books (especially her second edition) some of the artists providing inspiration were: Braque, Miro, Chargill, Calder, Vesarely, Picasso and Pucci. Sometimes this jewelry was made in sets including bracelets, pendants, pins, earrings, and rings. The color combinations were blue, turquoise, and green, also tan, orange, and brown, plus other variations. Some are solid brick red with black lines; others look as if the painted design was an oriental word. The enamel completely covered the metal. One of the ads states that it was baked 27 times! One color combination was an old rose, brick red, and bright red-highlighted with gold. |
There are also more figural designs such as birds, a frog, a vase of flowers, lily pads, a fish, owls etc. Mostly done in goldtone metal, the mark on all of these pieces is the single word "Eisenberg" stamped on the back. In the 1980s there were some very attractive designs which combined enamel and crystal rhinestones. There were some especially nice figural pins from that period, and I have fish, butterflies, and a pheasant.
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In this group I have considered
only those pieces that are mostly enamel-not ones that have most of the metal
showing, with touches of enamel to highlight the design, for example, the King
Tut pendant, and, in 1998, some lovely figural pins were made in that style-the
giraffe is especially attractive. |
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That enamel was mostly translucent, and allowed the metal to glow through. The later enameled Eisenberg pieces do not seem to have attracted many collectors, although there are some, of course. There may be some examples shown in books that I have missed, but the only ones that I am aware of are Harrice Miller’s, Marcia Brown’s Volume 1 (two sets), and Fred Rezezadeh’s (his book shows one). |
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Eisenberg or other names in vintage fashion and costume jewelry,
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