The 3650 Campaign

STOP THE DEMAND
STOP THE KILLING
STOP THE CLOCK

The African Elephant is in a race against time. With as many as 35,000 being poached each year – ten percent of the total population of elephants on the continent of Africa – this magnificent species may only have ten years (3650 days) left.

GUSTAV MANZ

Elephant Bracelet

In partnership with the artist’s descendants, Tusk USA is offering a limited edition of the Elephant Bracelet, from which one third of the sales proceeds will be donated to support an end to the ivory trade.

Artist bio

GUSTAV MANZ (b. 1865 – d. 1946) was born in Stockach, Germany, near the border of Switzerland. After design school in Baden he studied with master goldsmiths in Paris, Italy, and London. At 21 he boarded the fast mail-boat from Southampton to Cape Town, South Africa, and found work in the area’s diamond and gold mines. He reemerged in Paris in time for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 and absorbed the unique designs of Rene Lalique and other Art Nouveau artists who would inspire his own jewelry obsession: fauna and flora in their natural habitat. After further travel, including an extended trip to Cairo, Egypt, and the Nile Valley to sketch and assist at tomb excavations, he settled permanently in New York City. In the early 1920s he moved his workshop to West 48th Street, opposite today’s Rockefeller Center, remaining at that location until shortly before his death at 81. 

A jeweler’s jeweler, Manz gained a reputation for his remarkably lifelike animal figures carved in precious metal. His craftsmanship attracted orders from Tiffany & Co, Black Starr & Frost-Gorham, Cartier, Raymond C. Yard, and Shreve Crump & Low, as well as commissions for many artists of the day, including actress Sarah Bernhardt, sculptor Sally James Farnham, and tenor Enrico Caruso. His wildlife and Egyptian-themed pieces were exhibited at arts and crafts shows and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An early member of the New York Zoological Society (now World Conservation Society), Manz befriended the keepers and spent hours observing and drawing his favorite animals—bison, panthers, bears, and other large mammals. His familiarity with their individual physiques and personalities is evident in this silver cuff depicting elephant mothers and calves walking through a leafy setting.

To place an order, please contact Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson (meredith@tusk.org)

 * Bracelet will ship within 4-6 weeks upon receipt of payment.

To read more about the artist please visit the New York Times article:
'Giving a Craftsman His Due'

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