The collection shown here — decorative figurine-bells — is devoted to the subjects, the fashion and the style of the early twentieth century, which in the maker's view caught the spirit of that time most precisely.
Women of fashion, a hundred years ago.
The figurines were designed by Lena Liu under the patronage of the Bradford Exchange in the USA, and made in Taiwan, where the artist comes from.
Lena Liu is a well-known Taiwanese-American artist, celebrated for her exquisite watercolours of flowers and of nature.
A still life by Lena Liu.
Liu was born in Taiwan in 1951, showed a talent for art early, and went on to study at Taiwan's National College of Arts. Later, in 1972, she emigrated to the USA, where she continued her education and took a master's degree in fine art at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The artist at work.
Liu's style is marked by a fine brush, vivid colour and close attention to detail, conveying the beauty and the calm of the natural world. Flowers, birds, butterflies and other elements of nature recur in her work, shot through with a sense of serenity and harmony.
A work by the artist; the signature.
Over her career Liu has won wide recognition and renown, and her work is held in galleries, exhibitions and collections around the world. She also works with various companies, releasing a range of licensed goods — engravings, figurines, items of home decor, prints and so on.
There are several companies in the world hoping to repeat their predecessors' success and to put out the finest decor.
I have written about Franklin Mint already. Now it is the Bradford Exchange's turn.
The Bradford Exchange is a company specialising in collectables, jewellery, home decor and other out-of-the-ordinary things. It was founded in 1973 by J. Roderick MacArthur, and is headquartered in Illinois, USA.
The company began as a trading firm selling collectors' plates, but over the years it widened its range to take in figurines, ornaments, dolls and even personalised gifts.
The Bradford Exchange sells chiefly through direct-mail catalogues, online retail channels and partnerships with affiliated companies. It has built a solid reputation for high-quality gifts, often marked by intricate design and attention to detail.
This maker of gifts and home decor has a collectors' line called Heirloom Porcelain, known for its refined craftsmanship and timeless design. The collection generally takes in a range of porcelain pieces: plates, figurines, ornaments and other decorative objects.
In the 2000s the company decided to release a series of narrative figurine-bells devoted to the "elegant era" — and the cherry on the cake was Lena Liu's paintings on these young women's dresses and accessories.
Allow me to introduce them.
Sunday Best.
Bon Voyage — the handbag comes off, like a real accessory.
Beautiful Day.
Perfume Shopping.
A Day at the Races.
Croquet Anyone?
Picnic for Two.
Gift from the Heart.
Afternoon Tea.
This one is Bon Voyage as well — most likely a marking error.
Stroll in the Park.
They are all beautiful from the front, but the last one is also staggering from behind. Just look at that parasol!
The porcelain parasol rings softly.