C. Jere Wall Sculpture Is Cool: What To Know If You Want To Collect Plus Affordable Alternatives

By Lynn Byrne. That flock of seagulls is going above the bed in my new master bedroom in Montauk. An Ebay score, I can’t wait for it to arrive.

It is a C. Jere (also known as Curtis Jere) wall sculpture and I think they are fabulous.

I have even managed to sneak one into a home from the Federal period. The husband was a bit dubious, but once we hung it up he was sold.

Photo by Ellen McDermott

I am not alone. Plenty other designers are as enamored as I am.

David Jimenez has one in his Palm Beach house. This one is known as the raindrops sculpture. It is very popular.

Photo from his website

Emma Jane Pilkington has one.

Photo by Edward Addeo via Cote de Texas

Katie Ridder has a very colorful example in her Westchester County dining room.

Photo via Elle Decor

Raindrops also is seen in designer Frank Roop’s Boston home.

Photo from Elle Decor.

Here it is again in a house decorated by Palmer Weiss.

Photo from Palmer Weiss Interior Design

There are many other interesting forms.

Firmament is a colorful example.

Photo from Elle Decor

This one is gigantic! Actually “my” seagulls are fairly large too: 57″ x 22″. When will the package get here???

Photo via Style Carrot

This image is from flickr, which notes that this sculpture was an eBay find. Good one!

More tree forms. There are many varieties.

Next 2 photos via 1stdibs

C. Jere was prolific. There are loads of different designs. Here is a harbor scene.

Have I convinced you that you want one yet?

So what do you need to know if you want to nab an original?

First and foremost, every piece was signed. Pass it up if there is no signature.

Second, just so you sound knowledgeable, Curtis Jere is not one person but two. Jerry Fels and Kurt Freiler paired up as design partners in the 1940s. They even married sisters.

First they made costume jewelry with copper and enameled copper throughout the 1950s and early 60s under the Renoir and Matisse brands.

Around 1964, after a fire destroyed their jewelry factory and inventory, they decided to begin anew.

They launched Artisan House, which quickly became known for its imaginative, quirky wall sculptures. Sometimes Kurt referred to himself as “Curtis” and C. Jere was a creative abbreviation of their two names.

You can hunt for C. Jere sculptures on Ebay, Etsy, Circa Who (link above) and 1st Dibs. I have found some great examples at my Stamford haunts.

If you don’t want to search, go straight to Jonathan Adler. He partnered with Artisan House to reissue some of the more popular pieces.

It is hard to get a bargain on a vintage C. Jere sculpture. They start around $1000. The least expensive Adler reissue is $995.

If you like the look of a metal wall sculpture, and don’t mind if it is not a C. Jere, there are a couple of nice pieces out in the market today for much less.

This large (60″ tall) wall sculpture in gold and pewter tones is available at Charleston Gardens. At $215, it is a particularly attractive steal.

For $529, you can get the Summer Oak sculpture from Frontgate.

And, saving the best bargain for last, Target offers this stunner for a mere $69.99.

So think sculpture the next time you need wall decor for a chic, hip look!