Gustav Manz

Gustav Manz was born on May 18, 1865 in Stuttgart, next to Germany’s major jewelry manufacturing center, Pforzheim. Despite this convenient location, Manz originally wanted to be a detective, but was considered too short, and as such choose to become a jeweler’s apprentice in his second year of high school. His education complete, he decided to travel to Paris and then South Africa to investigate new designs and materials, before immigrating to the US in 1893. Though the exact dates of his travels are unknown, different bits of information suggest that Manz was in Paris during the rise of Art Nouveau – a style that would come to influence much of his work.

71772 - Art Deco Egyptian Revival Manz Gold Citrine Tourmaline Double Hinged Bangle Bracelet

Despite being highly sought after in the jewelry business, Manz remains relatively unknown outside of it – a consequence of being a manufacturing jeweler. Though subcontracting has been around for a long time, it became very popular at the turn of the 20th century, and many craftsmen were forced to forgo marking and selling their work independently in order to survive. Traditional craftsmanship was integrated into mass market business structures, and though Manz was not completely lost to history thanks to certain surviving documents (i.e. his journals, a couple scrapbooks…), many others were. As a result of this industry, virtually none of Manz’ many pieces were stamped with his name, but rather with the marks of the retailers to whom he supplied them (i.e. Marcus & Co, Tiffany & Co, Yard, FW Lawrence…). His recovered journals indicate that he completed thousands of pieces, and sold his work not only on the east coast, but in the west as well, and even abroad.

Copy of Manz stock book page- from Winterthur Library, Delaware

In 1904, entry forms for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition reveal that he crafted twenty-five of the twenty-seven pieces displayed by F. Walter Lawrence, including the mermaid hair comb, famous for its detailing and Cyprian glass composition. It is a point of contention, however, how much of the design in such pieces are truly his, and how much is the retailer’s (in this case, Lawrence), making attribution of the pieces challenging. Despite this, recovered information suggests that Manz had a much bigger influence on the design of his pieces than simply crafting what he was told to.

71773 - Art Nouveau Manz Gold Sapphires, Peridot, Zircon, Garnet, Amethyst Grape Leaf Cuff Bracelet





Manz was particularly well known for his use of animals (especially as pins) in his work, a skill he derived from studying live animals, notably at the Bronx Zoo.  An F. Walter Lawrence employee stated that he was “the finest carver of animal jewelry during his years in the jewelry business”, from elephants, to bulls, to snakes, or even peacocks. He was, however, most known for his panthers, and his “fighting panther” rings were sold to a number of firms. He also incorporated many naturalistic depictions of plant life – leaves, branches, reeds, lily pads, lotuses, grape vines – as well as symbols and scenes from many different cultures. Over the years, his pieces have been described as Japanese, Persian, Aztec, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman. During the World War I era, he even created a couple patriotic pieces, featuring eagles, engraved flags, red, white and blue gemstones, and even the letters “USA” on a couple rare occasions.

71774 - Victorian Manz Gold Silver Green Tourmaline Diamond Floral Open Work Bracelet

One of his most recognized works was a 1932 commission for the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in New York. It was a solid gold ostensorium set with a hundred diamonds, and the commissioner described it as a “masterpiece of the goldsmith’s craft… a labor of love on the part of Mr. Manz and considered his crowning triumph as well as a brilliant fulfillment of his highest ambitions”. Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Great Depression, Manz developed cancer and his business suffered, and though he would eventually recover, his business would not. He died on February 16, 1946, his obituary recognizing him as “one of the last of the master goldsmiths in New York”, stating that “as an artisan [he] was unexcelled and today there is no one to take his place”.

Sources:

Antiques, Sept/Oct 2010
Courtney Bowers - Where Credit is Due, The Life & Times of Gustav Manz, Pgs 168-175

Rapaport, January 2015
Phyllis Schiller - The Manzian Touch, Pgs 162-163

Winterthur Library, Delaware
Copy of Manz stock book page