The Art Deco style of the early 1930s can be seen as domesticated Cubism. As with cubist paintings, the elements of design were reduced to their minimal essence and applied to everyday items for public consumption. Here Bakelite plastic jewelry and boxes are studied as reflections of this style. The book is a visual garden of Deco design, with hundreds of items photographed in color and described with their useful purposes, materials, and current values. Bakelite is collected because it is different and fun. This book is important because it demonstrates how the new Art Deco style provided the Depression-ridden world with color and style in a form most people could afford. AUTHOR: Deborah and Peter Keresztury have collected Bakelite items for many years, specializing in unusual designs in jewelry and boxes. They deal in Art Deco era decorative arts at major shows nationwide. Nancy Schiffer has written many books on decorative arts, including Plastic Jewelry**.
