90. Alexander And Lorelei Gruss
Brooklyn, New York.: “Jerusalem” mural, Artist’s collection.Dimensions: 18” x 59” x 1″.Handcrafted from wooden veneers and abalone shell. The mural depicts the old city of Jerusalem. The city’s walls are made of exotic wood veneers, the building’s windows are cut of abalone shell. A yellow Osage sun shines behind David’s tower while a miniature Israeli flag flaps on top of one of the Jerusalem buildings. Far beyond ebony, Judean Hills appear below a ripple maple sky. Lorelei and Alex Gruss specialize in inlay and marquetry work, the technique is also called intarsia. The artists illustrate all of their original designs and then hand cut each tiny piece of wood to create a perfect puzzle resulting in a stunning piece of art. This particular piece was made circa 2007 and kept at the artist’s studio. In addition to the beauty of this mural, there is, also, the unequivocal statement of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state.
Estimate: $8,000 – $12,000