1996 Signed Cari Jaye Sokoloff Sóko Manhandles Bronze Door Pulls – Pair

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Description

Exceptional pair of early signed bronze “Manhandles” sculptural pulls by artist and designer Cari Jaye Sokoloff for Sóko, each dated … Read more Exceptional pair of early signed bronze “Manhandles” sculptural pulls by artist and designer Cari Jaye Sokoloff for Sóko, each dated 1996.

These striking elongated human figures blur the line between functional architectural hardware and sculpture. Sokoloff’s celebrated Manhandles collection was conceived as a series of sculptural human forms engineered to function as pulls for cabinetry, furniture, doors and appliances.

This pair is particularly noteworthy for its 1996 dating and artist signatures. Published accounts place the launch of Sokoloff’s Sóko business in 1997, making these 1996 examples exceptionally early works from the formative period of the Manhandles design. Contemporary reporting describes Sokoloff creating the original bronze figures before adapting them into functional hardware.

Each figure is individually signed/marked by the artist and dated ’96, distinguishing this pair from later production examples typically identified through Sóko’s commercial markings and model numbers.

Hand-cast in bronze, the figures retain the tactile, subtly irregular surface characteristic of individually cast sculptural work. Their long, attenuated limbs create a dramatic silhouette when mounted, transforming an ordinary cabinet, door or piece of furniture into a functional art installation.

Details:
Date: 1996
Quantity: Pair / 2 pulls
Size: approximately 11 inches long each
Marks: Signed/marked and dated 1996

Excellent vintage condition with surface variation and patina consistent with hand-cast bronze and age. These were never used and remain in original boxes with original mounting screws. Please review photographs closely for condition, markings and mounting configuration.

A rare opportunity to acquire a matched pair of very early, signed Manhandles predating Sóko’s documented 1997 business launch. Equally compelling as functional architectural hardware or displayed as small-scale contemporary bronze sculpture. See less