The Art Crafts Shop formed around 1902 in Buffalo, New York, by Bernard Carpenter and Otto Heintz. The company only produced enameled items for a few years before moving on to silver overlay and changing the name to the Heintz Art Metal Shop. Obviously influenced by the European design journals of the time that showcased the marvels of Art Nouveau or Jugendstil, the shop’s work is one of the few true American art metal examples from the period (with a hint of Gothic), alongside Tiffany.
DESIGN / FORM
The shop’s early work primarily consists of handmade, hammered copper trays and hand-cut copper ware, all in keeping with the functionality of the piece in true Arts & Crafts fashion:
Edges cut in a matching pattern to the enamel work
Whimsical handles and hinges
Curled or rolled feet and legs
Riveted adornments
Detailed with stylized floral motifs (some with bird patterns or peacock feathers designs)
Almost no two pieces are exactly alike as they seem to be manipulated at the hand of individual artists. That said, there are consistent patterns and forms, many with model numbers on the bottoms. The design patterns evoke the high style of Art Nouveau while remaining very restrained and conventionalized at the same time.
FINISH / ENAMEL
Art Crafts Shop items display one of two enameling techniques: One is simply laid right onto the copper (a form that damages easily due to it being raised from the surface); the other technique is when the copper item has actually been hand-worked or cast, leaving the enamel sitting slightly “down” in the metal – these forms are rarer and more desirable since the enamel is usually more intact.
The majority of items were finished in a traditional patina, most commonly in a very rich, dark brown to highlight the enamel work. During the transitional period to Heintz, the firm made a few pieces with silver overlay and enamel filled into the open areas.