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CRYSTAL CLOUDS
New York-based designer Jonathan Hansen has released a whimsical collection of handcrafted crystal glassware inspired by clouds.
MANDI KEIGHRAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOSEPH KRAMM
Staring at the clouds as they move across the sky and seemingly melt into different shapes has captured the human imagination for millennia, inspiring countless works of art, poetry, and music. Recently, New York-based designer Jonathan Hansen expressed the ephemeral magic of clouds in a collection of handcrafted and engraved crystal glassware that will bring a touch of whimsy to the home.
“Capturing in a transparent material a subject that is itself a mass of water drops, constantly moving and alive, was a big part of my idea behind the In the Clouds collection,” reveals Hansen. “The engravers were able to create a beautiful sense of movement through the varying engraving depths, and in combination with the refraction of light and transparency of the crystal, the clouds come to life.”
The collection, titled In the Clouds, is the designer’s first signature glassware collection and has been brought to life by master craftsmen of the Bohemian crystal tradition in the Czech Republic. It features ten pieces, ranging from stemless wine goblets and old-fashioned glasses to a classically formed water jug, and each piece is available in either clear or stormy grey-tinted crystal.
Hansen has previously explored the theme of clouds in a collection of bespoke hand-painted Limoges porcelain tableware for prestigious French brand Marie Daâge. While the Jonathan Hansen x Marie Daâge Ciels Bleus collection set the clouds against a clear blue sky, the finely engraved clouds of the In the Clouds collection float against a translucent crystal sky, giving the pieces an otherworldly lightness. This sense of fragile beauty is emphasized by the layered depth of the hand-engraved clouds.
The collection is now available for pre-order on leading design and fashion retailer Moda Operandi, ranging from $180 for a tumbler to $630 for the jug
Patek Philippe 2499 3rd series Geneva Watch Auction XII
This 4th series is from the last year production for this reference, 1985. It features a rather unusual German calendar (the watch sold originally in Germany). It is one of six timepieces known of this series with the German calendar.
Patek Philippe 2499 4th series Geneva Watch Auction XIII
These iconic watches were made close to 35 years ago and only 349 pieces are known. “We are thrilled and honored to offer for the first time in close to two decades all four series of the reference 2499 in one sale, making our Spring 2021 sale a once in a generation event,” jointly said Aurel Bacs, Phillips’ Senior Consultant and Alex Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Continental Europe & Middle East. “The Patek Philippe reference 2499, in any dial or case combination, is considered one of, if not the most iconic and desirable trophy watches to crown any collection. It was made for close to 35 years and only 349 examples are known - a production of less than one piece a month. It therefore hails as one of the rarest collectible items in the world, on the same level as a Jackson Pollock painting or a vintage Ferrari sports car.”
On the other side of the world, at the Hong Kong Watch Auction XII, an elusive reference 3974 Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar timepiece in pink gold—one of only five known to the market and often described as one of the most important watches ever made—will go up for sale. “To satisfy the robust demand of finest timepieces in the global watch community, we are proud to have also been entrusted with the exquisite and incredibly rare Patek Philippe reference 3974 in pink gold, one of only five examples known to the market, for our Hong Kong auction in May,” says Thomas Perazzi, Head of Watches, Asia. “Reappearing at auction for the first time in 13 years, the present lot is perfect and in unspoiled condition, with all four stamped hallmarks still present behind the lugs. It is certainly a unique opportunity for any watch connoisseur to acquire a Patek Philippe masterpiece.”
As Alex Ghotbi, Phillips’ Head of Watches, puts it: “There are collectible wristwatches, then there are watches woven from the fabric of dreams.” This will be the night to add the latter to your collection – making you a part of an ultra-exclusive, privileged community.
