Harry Bertoia Sculptures

A 1970s Harry Bertoia Bush Sculpture consisting of welded bronze branches with added patina. Red patinated ball tips accentuate the ends of the branches. This sculpture was added to ...

WEARABLE ART AN IMPORTANT DESIGN FOR A NECKLACE The necklace is unique and extraordinary. Because of its specific design elements it lays beautifully and comfortably on any body structure. This piece comes from a private collection. Provenance will accompany the piece. It has been authenticated by Val Bertoia and is listed in the Harry Bertoia Foundation Catalogue Raisonne # D.JE.49 having been authenticated as a Harry Bertoia piece. REPLY FROM CHRISTIE'S: "Dear Charles, thank you for contacting Christie's. I am absolutely stunned to see the necklace by Harry Bertoia you have submitted for feedback from us, and I would love to speak with you about the work at your earliest convenience. I am a great fan and a known expert in the work of Harry Bertoia, and I have handled over 600 of his sculptures, jewelry and art over the last 22 years. I have never seen a better piece of his jewelry, and it stands as one of the greatest objects in any category that he made. Michael Jefferson Senior Vice President International Senior Specialist Design" The following is from Beverly H. Twitchell, PhD, author of Bertoia: The Metalworker, London: Phaidon, 2019. She provides a very informative critique of Bertoia and his jewelry. Wearable Art an Important Design for a Necklace “Before Harry Bertoia enrolled at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1937 he had already mastered traditional jewelers’ techniques, but his engagement with Modernism led him to invent and use more direct methods. Instead of precious metals and gems, Bertoia made jewelry that appealed through its design, craftsmanship and the nature of its materials. That approach would make Bertoia a direct predecessor of the American Studio Crafts movement. So complex and cumulative are human perception and memory that we often do not know from where our own ideas come and without firm evidence, it is impossible to think we can establish the origins of an artist’s ideas. While his jewelry is entirely modern, chokers with multiple small pendants had come from ancient Mediterranean cultures: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Italy, even from Europe and America at the turn of the last century. Did Bertoia see works in books, journals or at the Detroit Institute of Arts that resonated with him or did he invent this on his own, as he would so many other forms? Bertoia found inspiration in nature from an early age on a small farm in Italy and later in Cranbrook’s woods, on the beaches of southern California and in the fields near his home in eastern Pennsylvania where he lived after 1950. The fluidity and motion of the his jewelry characterize much of his art. In that spirit, too, he made jewelry that suited human anatomy and was animated by its wearer’s movement. Bertoia had the instincts of an engineer, as the intricacy of the present lot’s clasp and overall construction of the jewelry demonstrates. Large jewelry by Bertoia is very rare. A delight to the eye, and like all of Bertoia’s work it is timeless. Bertoia had the instincts of an engineer, as the intricacy of the present lot's clasp and the overall construction of this piece demonstrate. Closed, the necklace sits on a table in a surprisingly conical shape, but it is so flexible that it conforms to its wearer from her neck nearly to her shoulders. Each handmade section is riveted to its neighbors, allowing it to adjust to the body while the pendants curve in many directions: one fits the left clavicle so precisely that Bertoia likely tried it on Brigitta Valentiner, who became his wife in 1943. Other pendants face toward or away from each other, bending up or down. Each element has been hammered into multiple curves and worked in Bertoia’s hands. Large jewelry by Bertoia is very rare. A delight to the eye, this necklace no doubt caused a sensation in its day as it might at the 2022 Met Ball in ours, for like all of Harry Bertoia’s work, it is timeless.” Harry Bertoia (1915 – 1978) was an Italian-born American artist, jewelry creator and modern furniture designer. He was born in San Lorenzo d...

An elegant and timeless Sonambient known as a “sound sculpture” by the mid-century modern designer, Harry Bertoia. Circa 1970s. The work is documented in the “Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonne” and assigned the following catalogue raisonne number: SO.TO.370. The sculpture is comprised of 16 beryllium copper rods and cylinder silvered to a brass base. Thin rods are topped with a cylinder coined as the “cattail” design and when struck the reverberations create a sound that quintessential to Bertoia’s sculpture. Per the Bertoia foundation, Harry loved music and spent endless hours experimenting and finding new sounds to incorporate into Sonambient, the auditory and visual environment created by the tonals. A dramatic composition that invites the viewer to interact with the art. A modern masterpiece and highly sought after by modern collectors. From a private collection. Dimensions: 22.5”h x 8”w x 8”d (12”w x 12”d base). In very good condition. Harry Bertoia (1915-1978) was an Italian-born American artist, sound art sculptor, and modern furniture designer. Bertoia was born in San Lorenzo d...

Whimsical sculpture with green-patina base and blackened twist form by Harry Bertoia. Please inquire about Red Modern's other small sculptures available by Bertoia.

Harry Bertoia patinated free form bronze sculpture. Sold with letter of authenticity from the foundation.

Harry Bertoia Phosphor bronze sculpture with applied patina from 1965. Wonderful early example that is masterful from every angle. Please see our other listings for two other works b...

Wire sculpture on pedestal by Harry Bertoia (1915-1978), circa 1950's. Overall dimensions including pedstal: 79.5"H x 16.25"W x 16.5"D Wire sculpture dimensions: Approx. 38"H x 17"...

An atypical form for Beartoia's (1915-1978) sonambients given it's split in the centre of the rods. A desirable size for display in the home and a typically wonderful sound quality.

Design Harry bertoia for Knoll, Model Bird armchair with ottoman, 1980, retains original label. Harry Bertoia for Knoll. Vogel armchair and ottoman i...

Original miniature melt pressed bronze sculpture by Harry Bertoia of a 2 eyed figure, with certificate of authenticity from Val Bertoia. Unsigned.

Harry Bertoia, American (1915-1978). Kinetic stainless steel wires bundled with steel stem, inserted in base on free standing tube and mounted on square base. Gathered wire sculture ...

An astounding example of Bertoia's sonambient sculptures. The monumental scale of this piece creates a powerful lasting resonating sound.