Wall Street Journal Features Ackerman Designs in Off Duty Holiday Gift Guide: 50 Rare Finds

The Wall Street Journal selected Jenev Bird Candleholders for inclusion in the December 2017 Off Duty Holiday Gift Guide which focused on one-of-a-kind, rare, or limited edition gifts. Jerry Ackerman hand-cast three pairs of candleholders from the original 1953 molds.

From the Wall Street Journal Collectible Candleholders, Reissued: “Birds lend themselves to design beautifully,” ceramicist Jerome Ackerman said of the lovebird candleholders he designed in 1953. He and Evelyn Ackerman (1924-2012), his partner in work and life, pioneered post-WWII California crafts with ceramics branded Jenev (an amalgam of their first names), which have become prized among collectors. Design Within Reach recently reissued six Jenev classics. But the indefatigable Mr. Ackerman himself, now 97, hand-cast these black satin-glazed porcelain candleholders in an extremely limited edition of only three pairs for the holidays. –David A. Keeps

For more than 50 years, Los Angeles based artist/designers Jerry and Evelyn Ackerman played a central role in the distinctive aesthetic of California mid-century modernism. Their designs are in many private and museum collections including the Smithsonian and LACMA.