Kettle with Stand and Lamp
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 kettle with stand and lamp shows one of Puiforcat’s earliest attempts to break away from the preceding generation’s taste for naturalism; the only vestige is the lapis lazuli blossom acting as a knob on the lid. The lapis lazuli on the kettle is decorative as well as practical, adding to the insulating effect of the ivory spacer that separates the handle from the heat of the kettle; the hard-stone handle remains naturally cool to the touch.
