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Material Culture Auctions a Selection of Items from Tolstoy Descendant Left: Countess Natasha Ogden Tolstoy (1943-2014).  Right: Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) "Countess Natasha Tolstoy was married to Count Sergei Tolstoy, great grandson of the famous author, at the Tolstoy Foundation in Nyack New York in its magnificent Russian Orthodox Church on November 22, 1970. She wore the exquisite taffeta wedding dress with hand stitched pearls for the elaborate marriage ceremony designed for her at the iconic Fifth Avenue, New York store, Henri Bendel, and a double strand of graduated cultured pearls adorned her neck. She and the Count enjoyed her stunning antique American Gorham Sterling silver tea and coffee service having Rococo style Repousse decoration depicting cherubs, florals, fruit and scrolls which she  brought to the marriage along with the intricate Repousse sterling silver dressing set and the Russian Icons designed  by the famous Russian artist, Henryk Winograd. Her sterling silver English carriage clock always sat on her desk in her study, and its chimed hours were reminiscent of Big Ben. She and her “Count” would sit on their porch using her lovely patio table and chairs, enjoying the sounds of nature and perhaps some fine champagne and caviar. Occasionally they would eat [...]

Many people ask me for my personal favorites. While that’s like asking me to choose my favorite child, here are a few: Spring Prosciutto & Fig Salad: thin-sliced prosciutto, Turkish figs, goat cheese, shaved fennel, baby arugula, Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette Dates in Blankets: Medjool dates stuffed w/almonds & cheddar in cheddar-curry pastry Roast Heirloom Carrots with Tomato Kasundi Chutney Moroccan B’Stilla of Grain-Fed Chicken with Almond-Cinnamon Topping Homemade Ricotta, Sun-Dried Fruit & Dark Chocolate Cannoli Summer Green Gazpacho with Grapes, Almonds & Cucumber Sea Scallop Ceviche with Pineapple, Mango, Avocado and Passion Fruit with Popcorn Hazelnut-Crusted Zucchini Blossoms: burrata & basil Moroccan Ras el Hanout-Spiced Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Preserved Lemon Local Strawberry Shortcakes with Buttermilk Biscuits & Greek Yogurt-Vanilla Cream (June) Fall African Yam & Peanut Soup Shooters: toasted peanuts, diced tomato & cilantro garnish Chive Scones with Scottish Smoked Salmon & Dill Crème Fraiche Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower: Tahini Sauce & Pomegranate Molasses Roast Jail Island Salmon, Braised French Green Lentils, Lemon-Saffron Aioli & Crispy Leeks Warm English Sticky Toffee Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce Winter Roasted Brussels Sprouts with North Country Bacon, Shallots & Balsamic Syrup Moroccan Lamb Cigari in Fillo Pastry with Ras al Hanout Spice [...]

The Collector’s Eye: Art and Artifacts From American Estates Live Auction: Saturday, March 26, 2016, 10AM EST Exhibition: March 24-25, 11AM-5PM Material Culture's upcoming auction, "The Collector's Eye: Art and Artifacts From American Estates", on Saturday, March 26 (10am est), offers a far-ranging gathering that crosses cultures, mediums, and time periods in a manner that is becoming a curatorial hallmark for the auction house. Categories in this sale include: American, International, Folk and Self-Taught art; Antiquities; Chinese and Asian Arts; Ethnographic and Tribal Art; Antique Carpets and Textiles; Rare Books, Photography, Works on Paper, and Posters. Lot 2. Rare 1st Edition: Roll, Jordan, Roll, Signed/No. 230, Est. $6,000-$8,000 The sale begins with rare books, including, from an Illinois estate, a signed first edition of the classic study of early 20th century plantation life in the American south, Roll, Jordan, Roll, written by Julia Peterkin, and illustrated with a complete set of 90 full-page, hand-pulled copper photogravures after photographs by Doris Ullman. Published in 1933 by Robert O. Ballou, in an edition of 350 numbered copies, this one is numbered "230" and signed by both Ullman and Perterkin on the colophon (est 6000-8000) Photography and Posters are next in [...]

The Collector’s Eye: Art and Artifact Live Auction: Saturday, March 26, 2016, 10AM EST Exhibition: March 24-26, 11am-5pm

Throughout the history of Material Culture and its associated companies, our work has been rooted in the lives and the art of the craftspeople in the far-flung countries we visit. Their dedication, artistry and spirit has always served as our inspiration, and we seek to honor them by study and to create projects that foster their work. This, as much as our desire to connect their humanity with yours through the objects of their creation, has formed the backbone of our organization. Consequently, we invite you to explore our projects and studies in the field, to put places, faces and stories behind the artifacts you can find in our store. From our work encouraging weavers in Turkey to bring forth designs of their own imagination, to the Asoso Project for the creation of unique wooden furniture in Ghana, to the sponsorship of the late Nigerian artist, Twins Seven-Seven as artist-in-residence here at our Philadelphia location, to many others, our goal as ever is to bind continents together through the power of the creative will.

Thursday Night Supper Clubs At Baba Olga’s Kitchen... Great Food, Live Music, Old World Hospitality! Tickets: $55 per person/per dinner (+tax) Live Music, BYOB Limited Reserved Seating 7:00 to 10:00pm Free Parking Recent Philadelphia Inquirer Story Afro-Centric Cuisine of Bahia Thursday Night Dinner, March 17th, 7 to 10pm Live Music by Patricia King & Orlando Haddad of Minas Order Tickets Acaraje: Black-Eyed Pea Fritters Stuffed with Shrimp-Cashew Vatapa & green and red tomato relish Hearts of Palm Salad with Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes & Chile-Lime Dressing Feijoada Completa: braised black beans, spiced slow-cooked pork shoulder, chouriço sausage & tasso ham; sliced navel oranges, garlic-braised kale, molho hot sauce, rice Brazil Nut & Espresso Torte with Tropical Fruits in Passion Fruit Sauce

Aliza Green, Chef Manager Cook to make people happy: Sharing a meal is a sacred act that brings people together, encourages conversation, and helps us relax, digest, and take pleasure in the small joys of civilized everyday life: friendship, good food, lively discussion, and maybe a bottle of wine to share. Food that calls too much attention to itself and demands quiet adulation gets in the way of lusty enjoyment. Cooking on the Spot: I am inspired to cook food from places that I’ve traveled to or have had the opportunity to learn directly from local cooks. Earlier in my career, as chef of a Northern Italian restaurant, I studied Italian for five years to connect with Italian culinarians and learn their stories and culinary secrets. Here at Baba Olga’s, I emphasize food from the Mediterranean region, especially Greece and Turkey, where I’ve studied cooking;; from Tunisia and Morocco, cuisine that I learned by working with local chefs; from Mexico where I lived in my early teens: from Israel where I attended first grade; and from Brazil, India, and the Caribbean, all places where I’ve had the opportunity to travel and cook. Food should look like what it [...]