Friday, May 28, 2010

Obadiah Fisher's Miniature Silver Work




I don't think anything is as beautiful as polished metal. ;-) I suppose that had some part in the reason I became a metalsmith. Also nothing looks so nasty as badly tarnished silver. So now you may ask why am I showing you these pieces. Hopefully, you will look beyond the state they are in, to see what I think was the finest work in miniature silver that has ever been done.

Obadiah was a friend. It has been many years since I have spoken to him. I can't find anything on the Internet about any recent work made by him. If anyone knows what happened to him I hope you will let me know. I hope you enjoy seeing his work.

29 comments:

  1. Beautiful pieces Catherine. While I didn't know him, I own several of his things but haven't seen anything of him in many years. I recall talking with a dealer several years ago and he said this wonderful artist all but disappeared from the miniature scene and he did not know what had become of him.

    Tabitha

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is an Obadiah Fisher age 69 living in Brooklyn. You would have to pay a fee to get the address and phone numbers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful silver! Hope the artist is somewhere feeling well:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those things are a small treasures, I can't believe they are miniatures! You probably disagree with me, but I love the tarnish on the pieces and even if you don't like tarnished silver, you should be blind not to see the amazing craftsmanship in these pieces!

    Hope you find him safe and sound :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Que maravilla de trabajos, son verdaderas obras de arte!!!
    besitos ascension

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mmmm.....I think the age and the city might be correct for him. I was told he lived in NY. Perhaps he can be found, Catherine....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tabitha,
    I found something a while ago about a law suit that listed someone called Obdiah Fisher. How many can there be? lol So that may have played a part in his disappearance if in fact it was him involved.

    Yes, he lived in Brooklyn, NY. If he has an unlisted phone number now and is 69 years old... He may not want to hear from anyone he hasn't shared his information with. I will respect that and leave him in peace.

    It is so sad that so many fine miniature artists have vanished due to age, death or what ever reason.

    I was shocked to see Obadiah's work offered in these lots at auction. Can you believe each one of these lots sold for $300. to $350 USA dollars. OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I would have scooped up all of them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ira,

    You like tarnished silver!!!? LOL OMG! hahah...

    Even if I liked it, I can't stand the smell of it. Phew!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes, I love it! Maybe me being a lazy polisher might have something to do with it also :D Well, no, I love old pieces with tarnish - it seems that almost any old piece of metal is fabulous with all the tarnish, rust, bumbs, scratches etc :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your silver pieces are fantastic, pieces of work that will allways be out of my reach, but which I will allways admire and cherish.
    Love, Susanne

    ReplyDelete
  11. What gorgeous little pieces....so amazing!!

    $300/$350 per lot...'be still my beating heart', some one certainly got a bargain! Fancy having those wonderful pieces sitting on your work table to admire....wow!

    I adore all the items, but lot 7 is divine.

    Thank you Catherine for finding such wonderful little treats to tempt us with, some people have such an amazing talent, it is such a shame to think that this may be a talent now lost.

    Linda x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tabitha,

    I hope now that the subject of Obadiah's work has been raised, you will share some pictures of the pieces you have collected of his on your blog.

    Catherine X

    ReplyDelete
  13. They are absolutely stunning. That is real talent.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This story I was very impressed and I hope that Ob contact because I can not stand the thought that something bad happened or sad, although I do not know ... In any case his work is a masterpiece!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is wonderful work, I rather like the tarnished look! I love the mini's in photo 7 the best, I think one of the pots maybe a chocolate pot and I've always wanted a mini one! They are soooo attractive. :o))

    So glad that you showed his work to us and I hope you manage to find out what happened to him.

    Michelle xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would be thrilled to own any of this man's work. I don't mind tarnished silver either, it is kind of like the little ugly duckling you know can be turned into an exquisite swan.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for sharing those photos, Catherine. I'm new to the hobby so had not heard of Mr Fisher, but I'm very glad to see some of his work. I really cannot believe it's in miniature. (And I like a little tarnish, too, Ira :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. HE WAS LIVING AT 81 PEARL STREET
    BROOKLYN NY IN 1995

    ReplyDelete
  19. The silver is absolutely beautiful, so finally detailed! Real little treasures. I will now look for pieces by this artist as the work is divine.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Catherine ... I just finished a post on a few pieces of my miniature silver (photos not so good), and when I went to Goggle Obadiah Fisher (to see if I was spelling his name right) it pulled up this previous post you did ... how wonderful it is to see some of his incredible work again, and I agree, some of the finest ever done. I would have bought more when he was still doing shows, but could hardly afford it even then ... would think work such as his would be going for a small fortune at auction today. Makes me sad it went for so little ... especially when people who are still making pieces (mostly lovely as well, but some nowhere near comparable to Obadiah's) are over the moon for a single piece. He was/is a lovely, charming man. I wish him well in his retirement.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Obadiah passed away in 2005 - so sorry to say.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Gorgeous, thanks. I'm helping my friend clean up his father's estate, and we came across an OF miniature dollhouse (cute!). His parents had a miniature shop since the 70's, probably one of the first in the country. but we can't even find someone to take the dollhouses (even for free). Sad how the hobby has declined :(

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Catherine,
    This piece by Obadiah Fisher is now on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miniature-Dollhouse-Artisan-Obadiah-Fisher-Sterling-Silver-Tea-Coffee-Pot-1-12-/261414039210?pt=US_Dollhouse_Miniatures&hash=item3cdd7daeaa

    I'm not able to buy it (would consider selling husband but doubt if he would bring that much) but I'm so curious about the "hole" in the bottom of the pot. As you are a metalsmith I thought you might have some idea about why it is there.
    Obadiah Fisher's work is so exquisite and in a special category of artistry all its own.
    Thank you. And kisses to Kilmouski.
    Anne

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anne,

    That hole is very odd and should not be there. These teapots were not fabricated, they were cast. From what I can tell from looking at the photos this is a defect in the casting. I am surprised to see Obadiah finished it. Meaning he would have had to have seen it when he added the ebony handle, soldered, then riveted the hinge. i wish I could get a closer look at it. I CERTAINLY would not buy it at that price!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you so much for your answer. The hole seemed so "not Obadiah Fisher" but yet the rest of the piece is his. Tis a puzzlement.

    ReplyDelete
  26. me again, my computer went crazy. Anyway, like I was saying only the brush and the mirror handle are marked, not the comb. I have another brush of his and it is marked with only the O in a square. It was free so I'm not that concerned, but the whole set was quite a bit and I need to know if its a counterfeit. Any light you can shed on this is appreciated. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am not completely familiar with Obadiah Fishers hallmarks. I do have one piece of his which is a water teapot on a stand with a burner. I can look tomorrow at his makers mark. Sometimes the size of a piece is so small the hallmark stamp does not have enough room. Perhaps he was only able to get a part of it on the brush. There is no way he could have stamped the comb. I have seen it and it is too small.

    If you want to send me photos I might better be able to help you. Here is my email written out so that none of these robots can pick it up and use it. I am sure you will understand. cr280z (AT) aol.com

    ReplyDelete