Prototype sugar bowl

Designer Eliel Saarinen American
 Manufacturer International Silver Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Division, Meriden, Connecticut

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 903

An internationally renowned architect and designer, Saarinen immigrated to America in 1923 and settled in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 1925. He designed this prototype sugar bowl, 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.

Prototype sugar bowl, Eliel Saarinen (American (born Finland), Rantasalmi 1873–1950 Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), Electro-plated nickel silver

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.