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Inkwell

Designer Eva Zeisel American
Manufacturer Schramberg Majolica Factory German
1929–30
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 903
In 1928 Zeisel began working as a ceramic designer at the Schramberg Majolica Factory in Schramberg, Germany. She had previously worked in Hamburg, where the International Style architecture of many new buildings had a strong influence on her work. While in Hamburg, she became aware of the design principles of the Deutsche Werkbund and the Bauhaus, which emphasized stylistic purity and insisted that form be derived from function. The inkwell consists of two separate units: a combined inkpot and pen tray and a pencil tray. The vibrant orange glaze highlights the strong horizontal lines and undecorated surfaces and by using such saturated color Zeisel transcended the cool "soulless" quality of modernist design principles.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Inkwell
  • Designer: Eva Zeisel (American (born Hungary), Budapest 1906–2011 New York City, New York)
  • Manufacturer: Schramberg Majolica Factory (Schramberg, Germany)
  • Date: 1929–30
  • Medium: Glazed earthenware
  • Dimensions: 3 3/8 in. × 9 in. × 9 3/8 in. (8.6 × 22.9 × 23.8 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
  • Credit Line: Gift of the artist, 1995
  • Object Number: 1995.440a-c
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Eva Zeisel
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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