Prototype creamer
An internationally renowned architect and designer, Saarinen immigrated to America in 1923 and settled in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 1925. He designed this prototype creamer, part of a larger tea service (see MMA 1999.27.1a-c-.5), in the early 1930s for use in his Michigan home. The sophisticated design relies on geometric forms, with fine proportions offsetting austere decoration. Saarinen insisted on brass plating for his personal pieces because the color appears warm, while the International Silver Company produced a limited commercial run of the design in less expensive, cooler-looking silver plate.
Artwork Details
- Title: Prototype creamer
- Designer: Eliel Saarinen (American (born Finland), Rantasalmi 1873–1950 Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)
- Manufacturer: International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut
- Date: 1935
- Medium: Electro-plated nickel silver
- Dimensions: 3 × 6 × 3 7/8 in. (7.6 × 15.2 × 9.8 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork
- Credit Line: Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Saarinen Swanson and John C. Waddell Gifts, and Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, by exchange, 1999
- Object Number: 1999.27.3
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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Eliel Saarinen
International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut
1935
Eliel Saarinen
International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut
1934
Eliel Saarinen
International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut
ca. 1932–35
Eliel Saarinen
International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut
ca. 1932–35
Eliel Saarinen
International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut
1935
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