From stocking-stuffers to furniture, here are gifts I found to buy from seven more museum stores.
This season, I chose more than a dozen gifts form 8 different museums for my Museum Store Christmas Gifts post. But I found so many wonderful things, I decided to add another group. Here is another dozen or so museum store Christmas gifts I would love to give or receive. Happy holiday shopping to all!
The Art Institute of Chicago
Baah Humbug Sheep Ornament [top] Christmas tree ornaments tend to be serious but I fell for this tongue-in-cheek blown-glass sheep created by artist Linnea Riley. At 4″ x 5″ by 2″ this holiday humbug character will show well on a tree. $26.
Woven Drops Throw
An elegant blend of wild Tussar silk with wool gives this handmade throw the look of a fine Indian tapestry. Subtle colors, the woven pattern and generous size make each one unique. 70″ x 52″. $125
Wright Magazine Rack
With a design based on a triptych stained glass window in a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Riverside, Illinois, this magazine rack is a perfect accessory for Craftsmen, Arts & Crafts and Wright-inspired homes — or even a contemporary loft! 18″ x 15″ x 16″ $68
Cooper Hewitt Museum
Kontextur Plunger
Only a museum devoted to design would consider selling a hipster plumbing accessory in their store. This sleek oak and silicone toilet plunger, designed by Josh Owen, comes complete with a storage container — a bath-decor snob’s dream. $65
Black Porcelain Bowl
The beauty of porcelain is evident in this handcrafted bowl by ceramic artist Lawrence Spitz. The Asian-inspired design combines a black porcelain body with glamorous gold spatter glaze accents. The big plus: it’s dishwasher durable. 12″ x 2.5″ $225
American Folk Art Museum
Metal Fish Sculpture
Reclaimed farm machinery parts lend their color and grit to a one-of-a-kind sculpture of a fish from Gatski Metal in Pennsylvania. So lively. 21″ x 13″. $281
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Candle Sunflowers
Citrus-scented tea lights add color and fragrance to any room. Candles in this boxed set of ten are 1-1/2″ d. A perfect stocking stuffer. $7.95
Winterthur Museum
Swivel Bar Stools
Kitchen stools come in many shapes and sizes but it’s rare to find this classic American style with a swivel top. Colors include white, red, blue, black, green, or natural wood. 30″ h. $49.95
Willow Tree Metal Wall Art
Normally I’m not a fan of “wall decor” but this graceful mixed metal wall tree is a notable exception. $99.95
Metropolitan Museum
Louis C. Tiffany Grapevine Double Old-Fashioned Glass
Nobody does glassware better than the Met. And few museums have greater inspiration than a Tiffany window, which provided the grape vines-against-the sky motif for this double old-fashioned glass — a good place for mixed use of the grape and the grain. 14 oz. capacity, 4 1/8″ h. x 3 1/4” d. $12
Steinlen Poster Cat Panel
Late 19th century French advertising posters are a type of art I’ve long admired but never could afford. The Met’s giclée print mounted on a wood panel is a good solution. Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923) created this ad for La Compagnie Française des Chocolats et des Thès (The French Chocolate and Tea Company) in 1895. This poster oozes the typical French charm of art from the period. $175
National Museum of the American Indian
Handcrafted Cookie Cutter
Another sweet stocking stuffer is a tin-coated steel cookie cutter. The handmade shape represents an American Indian composite of the sun, humans and the land. Designed exclusively for the museum, it measures 5″ l. x 4″ w. x 1″ d. While it comes with a cookie recipe on the tag, I’d be tempted to use this as a tree ornament. $10
Museum of Modern Art
No museum shop tour would be complete without a visit to MOMA — the mother of them all for modern design. So it’s logical that MOMA would sell Washi Paper Masking Tape, a fabulous line from Japan. Designed by Koji Iyama in 2010, the tape can be torn by hand, written on and is removeable — a boon for creative gift-wrappers. .75″ wide, set of six tapes. $24
Kipik Toothpick Holder
Fashioned in the form of a whimsical ardvark this clever French ABS plastic toothpick holder can perch on the edge of a bowl. Designed by Erwan Péron in 2011, it’s an ideal accessory for bowls of olives, shrimp, cherry mozzarellas, and pickles. Yum. $25
The Obsessive Chef Cutting Board
Can’t you just hear Top Chef TV show judge Tom Colicchio complaining that soup ingredients are not evenly cut? Here’s the solution – Paul Williamson’s 2011 kitchen cutting board with an integral measuring grid as a guide. I’m not buying any new kitchen equipment these days but I must admit, this small board tempts me mightily! 9.5″ h. X 12″ w. X 1″d. $26
Par4 Coffee Table
One of the most stylish, colorful and practical coffee tables I’ve seen in years, Bernard Vuarnesson’s 1996 Par 4 oak beauty features four sliding and reversable color laminate panels, each at different heights. Yes, it’s an investment. Made in Italy, it requires simple assembly. 18″ h. x 14.5″-29″ w. x 15″d. $1800
(Source: The Art Institute of Chicago, Cooper Hewitt Museum, American Folk Art Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Winterthur Museum Store, Metropolitan Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Modern ArtCopy and paste link to quick-share this post:
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