Tea and Coffee Service

Designer Jean E. Puiforcat French

Not on view

Puiforcat's name is synonymous with Art Deco glamour; even in his day, the important French silversmith was renowned for the elegant, often mathematical simplicity of his geometric forms and the unexpected combination of flawless metalwork with brilliantly polished hard stones, semiprecious stones, or glass. This tea and coffee service shows one of Puiforcat’s earliest attempts to break away from the preceding generation’s taste for naturalism; the only vestiges are the lapis lazuli blossoms acting as knobs on the lids. The introduction of lapis lazuli on this service is decorative as well as practical, adding to the insulating effect of the ivory spacers that separate the handles from the hot pots; the hard-stone handles remain naturally cool to the touch.

Tea and Coffee Service, Jean E. Puiforcat (French, Paris 1897–1945 Paris), Silver, lapis lazuli, ivory, gold

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.