I'd like to know if there are reproductions being made of chrome and glass art deco pieces; especially Chase and Deskey designs. I recently purchased a trolley bar made by swank that has a distinctive machine age flavor. I'm curious if other "contemporized art deco" designs are available.

thanks

-- JOHN MCFARLAND (JLMCFARLAND24@AOL.COM), January 27, 2005

Answers

Chase designs were copied by several companies following World War II. A company known as National Silver produced many Chase designs under the brand names Cavalier and Emerald Glo in the early 1950s, Cavalier in Chrome and Emerald Glo in bronze with green glass or plastic accent. The Keystone Silver Company also modified and reproduced several Chase designs including the triple tray.

More recently, the Napier Penquin cocktail shaker was reproduced for Restoration Hardware. Initially, the shakers were engraved "Made in India" making it hard to pass them off as originals. They now have only an easily removed paper label, making it easy to pass them off as vintage by simply pulling off the label. Be careful.

Target stores also sell many items with a contemporary Art Deco feel thanks to the design work of Michael Graves. They are not copies of old designs but are well designed with a distinct Deco-era flavor.

Other stores, such as Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and Conran's have periodically produced items based on Art Deco design elements.

-- Jim Linz (j.linz@cox.net), January 27, 2005.