Grumbacher manufactured this Set No. 9, Series II of their Soft Finest Pastel Colors for Artists , probably pre-WWII, when the maker still offered them in the sticks in round form. In the original oak chest with dovetailed joints, the sticks are arrayed in rows of 22 each, two layers deep, for a total of 132 pieces. Our listing retains 131 of that count, and the sticks remain remarkably well-preserved, with most of the cotton packing still in place and almost no evidence of use. We note only one other casualty beyond the missing stick, that of the black stick in the bottom layer, which is split in two. Grumbacher does an excellent job of describing the pastels with the pastedowns affixed to the box, and mentions among other things that the material will work with water if desired. Each item has a label with a color name and number, along with an initial indicating admixture of white or black, with “A” being darkest and “M” lightest. Of the very few examples of this set offered online in previous years, we see the Set No. 9 advertised as the “Degas” — but we don’t find that reference in the labeling on this one, so it may have preceded or succeeded that appellation. We will make every effort in the packing of this time capsule to keep it in the same condition as displayed in our gallery. (Broken pieces remain perfectly useful anyway). The item “VINTAGE GRUMBACHER SOFT PASTEL SET #9 FINEST COLORS 131/132 STICKS IN OAK BOX” is in sale since Sunday, January 6, 2019. This item is in the category “Crafts\Art Supplies\Drawing & Lettering Supplies\Art Pastels”. The seller is “goldzinger” and is located in Redondo Beach, California. This item can be shipped to United States, Australia, New Zealand.
- Brand: Grumbacher
- Model: DEGAS #9
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- MPN: Does Not Apply