: Earthly Delights, Snowy Owl Minaudière, ca. 2000, Multicolored Swarovski crystals, jet, gold plated metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.085 TRAVELING EXHIBITION PROSPECTUS
: Earthly Delights (American, born in Budapest, Hungary in 1921) known for the creation of exquisitely designed couture women s accessories which blur the boundaries between function and art, adorns minaudières and compact cases with semi-precious stones and crystals. Her creations also include day bags, belts and pillboxes. Beautifully detailed both inside and out, each tiny minaudière takes months to fabricate with special attention paid to the construction Rosalie K. Shaftman and including the interior details and hardware. Considered one of the largest repositories of bags in the United States, the Taubman Museum of Art embraces its diverse collection which includes replicas of monkeys, dogs, cats, and babies, as well as several minaudières inspired by such other countries as China and Russia. The Leiber bags are the result of the immense philanthropic generosity of a Roanoke based couple, Sydney and Rosalie Krisch Shaftman. Sydney Shaftman gave his wife Rosalie a Leiber minaudière in the 1980s, which began the collection and resulted in gifts from 2005 to 2008 of more than 130 minaudières and pillboxes to the Taubman Museum of Art. Mrs. Shaftman s first acquisition was a fruit basket minaudière, and when asked why she collected the Leiber bags, she stated, I thought they were beautiful. Mr. Shaftman also commissioned Leiber to create two unique custom minaudières for his wife. The first was an Inrō, inspired by Japanese nesting boxes with her name Rosalie set with gold crystals; the other, a clutch with a star and the name of her hometown Roanoke emblazoned with white crystals on a jet beaded background. The Leiber bags are a favorite for the visitor. The exhibition s works are culled from over 130 Leiber creations in the Taubman Museum of Art s collection and showcase the limitless range of Leiber s artistic legacy.
Judith Peto Leiber Artist Biography was born Judith Peto in 1921 and was raised in an upper middle class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary. Her father, Emil, was a commodities trader and her mother, Helene, was a homemaker. In the late 1930s beginning with the Nazi occupation in Hungary, the family faced severe restrictions due to imposed anti-jewish measures including limits on how they could earn income and consequently, Leiber decided to learn handbag design. She began work as an apprentice at Pessel, the finest handbag company in Budapest, and it was a decision that sparked a lifelong career in couture bag design. During the War and Nazi occupation from 1939-1945, the family suffered greatly and Leiber is quoted as summarizing that tumultuous time we were lucky to be alive. In 1945, she met Gerson Leiber, an American GI stationed in Budapest and in 1946, they were married. Shortly thereafter, the couple immigrated to United States to make their home in New York. Disappointed with the quality of handbag fabrication in the fashion houses of New York City and with the encouragement of her husband, Leiber opened her own company, Inc., in 1963. Although Leiber is no longer active with the company that she founded, it continues to produce couture bags under her name today. Recognized for both her originality in design and impeccable handcrafted quality, Leiber imports materials for her bags from Europe and then constructs them in the United States. Beautifully detailed both inside and out, each tiny minaudière takes months to hand fabricate with special attention paid to the construction including the interior details and Judith Peto Leiber, photo from http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/leiber hardware. Attached one by one with tweezers, the bag s skin is bedazzled with thousands of semi-precious stones and crystals such as garnets, carnelian, rose quartz, amethyst, and jet. Each bag contains a tiny mirror and comb either fashioned in silver or gold metal and a change purse just large enough to hold a small object. Her designs range from the abstract to the whimsical; the Taubman s collection holds a diverse range that includes owls, frogs, monkeys, cats, dogs, baskets of fruits, and several inspired by other countries such as China and Russia. In addition to the collection at the Taubman Museum of Art, Leiber s creations are owned by renowned institutions such as the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Leiber is the recipient of notable awards such as the Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in 1980 and the Coty Fashion Award in 1973. Considered luxurious collector items, her bags have been acquired by such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, Jennifer Lopez, and Sarah Jessica Parker as well as being commissioned by almost every first lady of the White House including a special custom creation for Hilary Rodham Clinton modeled in the shape of the first cat Socks.
Traveling Exhibition Specifics Traveling Exhibition Specifics: Includes 30 Objects, wall cases, pedestals and mounts Space Requirements: 76 linear wall ft. Gallery size: 38 square ft. depending on the layout used Rental Fee: $12,000 Rental Fee Shipping Costs: The Taubman Museum will make all arrangements. Exhibiting venue pays pro-rated one-way shipping costs Insurance: To be carried by venue Supporting materials: Includes Exhibition didactics, gallery guides, MP3 video produced by the Leiber brand Availability: July 2017 July 2021 in eight week displays
Illustrated Checklist
Pug Dog Handbag, 1988 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, jet, onyx, semi-precious stones, gold plated metal 4 x 4 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (10.2 x 10.8 x 7 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.046 Personalized Geometric Clutch, ca.1999 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, jet, onyx, gold plated metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.076 Fan Handbag, 1989 Swarovski crystals, jet, gold plated metal, silk tassel handle 5 x 7 1/4 x 1 1/4 in. (12.7 x 18.4 x 3.2 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.032 Russian Pop Art Box Handbag, 1990 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, gold plated metal, onyx 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (12.1 x 12.1 x 4.4 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.030 Butterfly Box Handbag, 1986 Gold plated metal, Swarovski crystals, semiprecious stones 2 1/4 x 3 5/16 x 5 in. (5.7 x 8.4 x 12.7 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.060 Cheetah-Pattern Clutch, 1990 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, onyx, gold plated metal 4 x 7 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (10.2 x 19.1 x 3.8 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.051 Notepad and Pen, undated Swarovski crystals on gold-plated metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman 2005.018
Lion's Head, 1994 Gold plated metal, Swarovski crystals, onyx 5 1/4 x 5 x 3 in. (13.3 x 12.7 x 7.6 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.036 Diamond-tone and Red Criss-Cross Pattern Egg, ca.1999 Swarovski crystals, garnets, onyx, gold plated metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.097 Frog Handbag, 1979 Swarovski crystals, gold plated metal, semiprecious stones 2 1/4 x 3 5/16 x 5 in. (5.7 x 8.4 x 12.7 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.061 Snail Shell Pillbox, 1979 Swarovski crystals on gold-plated metal 1 3/4 x 1 7/8 x 1 7/8 in. (4.4 x 4.8 x 4.8 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2005.019 Nautilus, 1995 Nautilus shell, vermeil on metal 3 x 3 1/4 x 6 in. (7.6 x 8.3 x 15.2 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.053 Snowy Owl Minaudière, ca. 2000 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, jet, gold plated metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.085 Miser's Purse Pillbox, ca. 1996 Swarovski crystals on silver metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2005.014
Miser's Purse Handbag, 1996 Swarovski crystals on silver metal 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (14 x 6.4 x 11.4 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.011 Lipstick Compact, undated Swarovski crystals on silver metal Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2005.004 Elephant Box Handbag, 1997 Swarovski crystals, garnet, gold plated metal 3 3/4 x 6 x 3 in. (9.5 x 15.2 x 7.6 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.064 Japanese Inrō Box Handbag [custom-decorated for Rosalie K. Shaftman], 1967 Jet, Swarovski crystals, gold plated metal, silk tassel fringe 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 3 5/8 in. (7 x 10.8 x 9.2 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.047 Black Floral Miser's Purse, 1992 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, jet, onyx, gold plated metal 4 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (12.1 x 11.4 x 6.4 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.056 Chinese Pillow (Baby), 1988 Multicolored Swarovski crystals, jet, gold plated metal 3 1/2 x 7 x 3 3/4 in. (8.9 x 17.8 x 9.5 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.021 Blue Triple Book Shoulder Bag, 1991 Swarovski crystals, amethyst, enamel, gold plated metal 3 1/2 x 6 1/4 x 2 in. (8.9 x 15.9 x 5.1 cm) Gift of Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman, 2008.067
: Earthly Delights TRAVELING EXHIBITION PROSPECTUS For more information, please contact: Amy G. Moorefield, Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Collections amoorefield@taubmanmuseum.org 540.204.4103 Or Kimberly C. Piland, Exhibition Associate kpiland@taubmanmuseum.org 540.204.4126 Taubman Museum of Art 110 Salem Ave, SE, Roanoke, VA 24011 540.342.5760 www.taubmanmuseum.org