As a Mid Century Modern interior décor fan, you probably have run across metal sculptures signed “C. Jeré” before. The “C.” is short for “Curtis.” Who was Curtis Jeré? It may surprise some to learn that Curtis Jeré was not a single person, but the name of a metalwork company. Behind the Curtis Jeré name were a pair of artisans, Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels.
The Artists Behind the Name
Brothers-in-law Curtis (Kurt) Freiler and Jerry Fels founded their brand Curtis Jeré in 1963, with Fels working as head of design, and Freiler serving as production chief. The name “Curtis Jeré” was formed from their first names put together.
C. Jeré was not their first business. Previously, they created costume jewelry. The name of their costume jewelry business was Renoir and Matisse. If you look up this brand, you can see examples of their jewelry. You will notice some similarities between their jewelry and their later wall art. Many of the pieces are metal, and feature similar shapes and lines to their wall art.
When the pair went into wall décor, they created a company called Artisan House, which launched in 1964. Through Artisan House, they sold their C. Jeré wall art.
Fels and Freiler were very successful with Curtis Jeré and Artisan House. Their sculptures were made with materials like brass, copper, stainless steel, glass, chrome and enamel. The company’s heyday spanned from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. They designed their pieces to be high in quality, but affordable.
Buying C. Jeré Wall Sculptures Today
In 1972, Freiler and Fels sold Artisan House. Fells died in 2008, and Freiler died in 2013 (he lived to 103).
What became of Artisan House and the C. Jeré brand after the duo left the business? They still exist, but they have changed hands multiple times since 1972.
If you want to display C. Jeré wall décor in your own home, you have a couple of options.
The first option is to purchase a vintage C. Jeré piece from the 1970s or earlier, usually at auction. Prices typically exceed $5,000.
Take care if you shop for early pieces. There are some imitations out there, and you need to be able to tell the difference between an original and a fake. Some sellers may also reside in foreign countries. If you purchase from a collector abroad, be sure to account for import fees.
The second option is to purchase a newer C. Jeré piece. Remember, Artisan House still exists, and continues to actively produce C. Jeré wall art. You can find these modern pieces for sale through a number of different online stores. Pricing tends to range from around $500 up to more than $1,500. A few pieces are significantly more expensive.
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