Materials Matter Glass Case, Spring 2021
Exhibition Description This exhibition looks at the technical aspects of modern manufacturing—the materials and technology behind the developments in design over the past century—through objects from the museum’s George R. Kravis II Collection. Examples range from the cast iron at the center of the Industrial Revolution to the microchip that triggered the Digital Revolution. Wood, glass, clay, and metals, including iron and bronze, dating back to prehistory enjoy a continued presence as products of new machine technologies
as well traditional handcrafting. Between the two revolutions, the technology for lower-cost, massproduced steel and development of two new materials, aluminum and plastics, mark major milestones. Along with their applications, this exhibition examines the role of historical turning points in generating materials and technologies, particularly the two world wars. Material Matters also explores the impact of materials usage on the environment. The exhibition assesses the life cycles of selected materials, from acquiring raw materials to considering obsolescence and final disposal.
Chair for S. C. Johnson Wax administration building, designed 1938 Miniature, 1992-2008 Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867-1959) Made by Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Metal, cloth upholstery, and cherry wood 5 5/8 x 4 x 3 inches 2018.016.030 Frank Lloyd Wright, like Mies Van der Rohe, exploited the reductive structural possibilities of steel. The curvilinear silhouettes of the enameled coated tubular steel echo the organic structure of his Johnson Wax building. Their repetition along with the Cherokee red palette introduce a more decorative character to Wright’s design in contrast to Mies Van der Rohe’s more austere, machine aesthetic. Throughout his career, Wright approached his architecture as a total design project that included the interiors and furnishings. He custom-designed both interiors and furnishings to be seamless aesthetic extensions of each building he created. By the 1950s, he partnered with manufacturers to provide lines of furnishings and paint for his affordable Usonian homes.
Faro Table Lamp, 1988 Massimo Iosa-Ghini (Italian, b. 1959) Made by Memphis Group, Milan, Italy Chromium–plated steel, aluminum, and glass 16 x 8 x 6 3/8 inches 2018.016.082 Part of an Italian trend to upend classic modernism in the 1980s, Massimo Iosa-Ghini introduced a playfulness that counters to the industrial character of the Faro Table Lamp. In contrast to the austere, geometric silhouettes associated with European-style modernism, the lamp’s elongated bullet-shaped housing alternately suggests the aerodynamic forms of American Streamline Moderne or a toy rocket. The designer, however, employed a blend of modernist materials—chrome-plated steel, brushed aluminum, and opaque glass to add an elegance and sophistication to the lamp.
No. 670 & 671 Lounge Chair and Ottoman, designed 1956 Miniature, 1992-2008 Charles Eames (American, 1907-1978) Ray Eames (American, 1912-1988) Made by Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Bent plywood, cast aluminum, and leather 5 3/8 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 (chair), 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 3 1/2 (ottoman) inches 2018.016.034 What Charles Eames described as the “old English lounge chair” inspired the Eames’ Lounge Chair and Ottoman, designed in 1956. The ponderous form of his inspiration gave way to light, airy shells of veneered plywood. The shells were molded with a combination of heat and pressure, using a machine the designers had engineered and called the Kazam! Machine. The chair was designed for comfort as well as looks, a core premise for all Eames furniture. The rosewood used for the veneer has now been listed as an endangered wood.
Addison Industries Model A2A Waterfall Radio, ca. 1940 Designer Unidentified Made by Addison Industries Ltd., Toronto, Canada Molded Catalin, metal, and electrical components 6 x 10 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches 2018.016.069 From their earliest appearance in the 19th century as cheaper substitutes for luxury materials, plastics have sustained Jekyll and Hyde associations. With the emergence of radio as a global mass medium came unprecedented design opportunities and consumer demand. The development of the plastics Bakelite and Catalin drove radio design from wood furniture prototypes to more compact molded housings. Their softened geometric forms and clustered linear accents echo latest aerodynamic designs associated with Streamline Moderne. Unlike the limited black and brown palette of Bakelite, Catalin offered a variety of bright colors as seen in the Addison radio. The efficient, inexpensive mass production and the colorful options of Catalin enabled manufacturers to offer affordable radios in the latest modern styles to a wide segment of the public. These radios entertained both the eyes and mind during the hard years of the Depression.
Olivetti Logos 9 Calculator, 1981 Mario Bellini (Italian, b. 1935) Made by Olivetti, Ivrea, Italy Plastic and electronics 4 5/8 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/8 inches 2018.016.067 Released in 1981, Olivetti promoted the Logos 9 Printing Calculator as having the company’s first Liquid Crystals Display and being the world’s smallest printing calculator. The four basic functions included calculating averages, totals, and percentages along with showing the time. Its pared-down design and capabilities were the outcome of a combination of technological advances and new materials, starting with the development of the microchip. Then came the microprocessor and thermal printing device. The plastic body was formed using an injection molding process and housed liquid crystals, which could supply small scale displays. This revolution has led to a worldwide problem with cast-offs. E-waste is growing exponentially and is expected to reach 57 million tons in 2021. This upsurge is due to newly added semiconductors and sensors. Built-in obsolescence and dropping prices have also resulted in more rapid turnovers in products. The situation is not without hope. It can be addressed through more responsible recycling, production, and consumption.
Ribbonaire Fan, Model 6–1, ca. 1935 Wilfred O. Langille (American, 1895-1996) Invented by Fredrik Ljungström (Swedish, 1875-1964) Made by Diehl Manufacturing Co. for Singer Sewing Machine Co., Elizabeth, New Jersey Bakelite and ribbon 10 x 4 1/2 x 7 inches 2018.016.074 In 1882, Schuyler Skaats Wheeler invented the table-top electric fan, consisting of two radial blades attached to a central rotating shaft and motor. Its design was essentially an assembly of exposed parts. Subsequently, he added more blades and a cage, the latter intended to protect the costly blades. The design of the Ribbonaire Fan reflects the use of the new material Bakelite. This moldable plastic housing concealed the mechanisms in a sleek, modernist shell. Diehl Manufacturing was one of a several companies that substituted flexible fabric strips for metal blades, promoting this fan as “safe, silent, vibrationless.”
One from the Heart Table Lamp, 1989 Ingo Maurer (German, 1932-2019) Made by Ingo Maurer GmbH, Munich, Germany Metal, plastic, and glass 22 x 15 3/4 inches 2018.016.081 In the late 1950s and 1960s, several Italian furniture designers countered associations of plastics with low quality, bad taste, and cheapness. Rebelling against modernism and its disdain for plastic, these designers embraced advances in technology and materials born of wartime developments. They paired them with forms that drew on historical examples, popular culture, bright color, and pattern. Plastic is literally the heart of Ingo Maurer’s lamp, which was created originally as a wedding gift for friend. A movable mirror above and a multi-mirror reflector below sandwich the red plastic heart, relaying light and projecting variable patterns of heart shadows onto surrounding walls. Known as the “poet of light,” Maurer embodies the postmodern spirit of irony and irreverence through his unconventional combination of a scaffolding of exposed electrical leads and a provocative juxtaposition of a plastic pop culture heart and found toy crocodiles.
Panton Chair, designed 1967 Miniature, 1992-2008 Verner Panton (Danish, 1926-1998) Made by Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Molded plastic 5 1/2 x 3 1/4 x 3 3/8 inches 2018.016.027 Designer Verner Panton departed from the classic features of Danish Modernism—reinterpretation of craft and folk traditions and natural materials—with what has become known as the Panton Chair. After approaching between fifteen and twenty manufacturers, he partnered with the Swiss firm Vitra in 1960 to produce his iconic chair, which was fabricated in fiberglass reinforced polyester. Ten prototypes later, the chair debuted in 1967. It marked a milestone in plastic technology as the first cantilevered chair made from a single piece of injection-molded plastic. Since then, this chair has been produced in four different versions in four different plastics using a variety of production technologies. Panton used one of the latest synthetic materials—a thermoplastic developed during World War II. The injection molding production that produced his chair allowed for rapid, volume production.
Acrilica Table Lamp, Model no. 281, 1962 Cesare (Joe) Colombo (Italian, 1930-1971) Gianni Colombo (Italian, 1937-1993) Made by O-Luce, Milan, Italy Acrylic and painted metal 22 x 15 3/4 inches 2018.016.111 During World War II, acrylic sheeting replaced glass for submarine periscopes, aircraft windshields, canopies, and gun turrets because it produced less harmful injuries than glass when shattered. While retaining the modernist aesthetic of simple form, refined surfaces and a neutral palette with the Acrilica Table Lamp, Joe Colombo introduced plastic as a prominent part of the design in place of the glass preferred by Modernists. Joe and Gianni Colombo exploited the conducting properties of acrylic, which at the time had been used in sheet form for lighting for approximately a decade. A thermoform process of heating and pressing was used to shape the thick acrylic into a curved plane that extended upward from the side of a painted steel base to form an overhang. Light from a fluorescent tube concealed within the base moved up through the acrylic to the head to give off direct and ambient light. Just two years into a design career, they won the Medaglia d’Oro at the 1964 Triennale in Milan.
Bowl, Model TW 476, 1974 Tapio Wirkkala (Finnish, 1915-1985) Made by Kultakeskus Oy, Finland Hammered bronze 3 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches; 3 x 10 inches 2018.016.172.1-.2 Following the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, the Bronze Age (3000 – 1000 BCE) represents the centuries when this alloy of copper and tin came into use in Europe, China, and the Middle East. Later adjustments in ratios and additions of other metals have provided different types of bronze that can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from sculpture and coins to bells and turbine blades. Bronze objects are formed by hammering or a range of casting processes. Tapio Wirkkala was a leading Finnish modernist and sculptor who worked in a variety of mediums including ceramics, metal, glass, plastic, and laminated plywood. For these fruit bowls he combined the simple forms and traditional craft process that aligned him with the internationally renowned Scandinavian Modernism. His use of bronze and a hand-hammered technique here also reflects the aesthetic vision he had introduced to The Goldsmith’s Center (Kultakeskus Oy), established in 1915. He had updated its traditional design style with his modernist approach while retaining the precious metals and workmanship on which the company’s reputation was built.
Modernist Bauhaus-Style Teapot, 20th century Designer Unidentified [Attributed to Cowan Pottery Studio, Rocky River, Ohio] Maker Unidentified Glazed earthenware 6 x 7 1/4 inches 2018.016.143 Due to clay’s wide availability, clay technology developed in many parts of the world at different times. The first discovered vessel dates from approximately 16,000 BCE and signaled the shift from a hunting to an agricultural way of life. Either baked in the sun or fired in a low temperature kiln, ceramics were used for storage, food preparation and service, and ceremonies as well as bricks and tiles. Key advances include the wheel in 3500 BCE, high temperature kilns, and machine molding. Today nanotechnology has provided manufacturers new materials and products like transparent ceramics, ductile ceramics, and hyperplastic bones. This teapot recalls the metal and ceramic designs associated with the German modernist school and workshop The Bauhaus. It shares examples of bold geometric form and oversized angular spout and handle. While one-of-a-kind pottery still continues, for the most part, ceramics are mass produced, resulting in low prices making it possible for anyone to purchase high quality designs like this teapot.
Lead Pipe Expanding Pliers, ca. 1896 John Anderson (American, 1861-1941) Made by C. H. Bell and J. Anderson, Portland, Connecticut Steel 11 1/2 x 2 3/8 x 3 1/2 inches 2018.016.138 An inventor and manufacturer of hand tools, John Anderson patented these Lead Pipe Expanding Pliers in 1896, which were for used for plumbing. When inserted into the end of a pipe and the handles squeezed, the two sides of the split-cone top would expand outward to make the pipe opening wider. Steel is an ideal material for hand tools due to its hardness, wear resistance, toughness, and resistance to softening at elevated temperatures. Lead was used for water pipes for many centuries. While they were identified as a source of lead poisoning and health concerns raised in the late 1800s in the United States, efforts to ban or limit lead plumbing only began in the 1920s. At that time, most cities moved away from lead watersupply piping. Lead pipes, however, were approved by national plumbing codes into the 1980s.
Plumb Bob, ca. 1930-1960 Designer Unidentified Maker Unidentified Cast iron 4 3/4 x 2 x 6 1/2 inches 2018.016.132 The namesake of a prehistoric age, iron first appeared in Southwest Asia around 1380 BCE, reaching Europe, Asia, and Africa in the next millennium. Its dominance was due to advances in the smelting process, the abundance of iron ore, and its mass production capabilities, notably for agricultural and military purposes. In the 1700s, the introduction of coke—a fuel made from coal—enabled the production of enormous quantities of cast iron and the rapid technological developments that launched the Industrial Revolution. Cast iron became the staple material for utility objects ranging from bridges to this plumb bob. Suspended from a string, this type of weight was used in Ancient Egypt onward as a vertical reference, for a variety of purposes ranging from constructing buildings to hanging paintings.
Elephant Chair, designed 1945 Miniature, 2007 Charles Eames (American, 1907-1978) Ray Eames (American, 1912-1988) Made by Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Molded plywood, natural maple veneer, and nickel-plated screws 3 5/8 x 5 x 3 5/8 inches 2018.016.029 Building on the bentwood technology associated with the chairs of nineteenth-century Viennese designer Michael Thonet and Finnish designer Alvar Aalto in the 1930s, Charles and vRay Eames started experimenting with molded wood shells in 1940. They first did chairs and then leg splints commissioned by the United States Navy. With this military experience in hand, after the war the Eameses began creating their first molded wood furniture, including the Elephant Chair. Its tight compound curves made it one of their most challenging designs to fabricate. Due to the original manufacturer’s lack of technical knowledge and marketing resources, this chair was not commercially produced until 2007 by Vitra.
Ice Bucket, 1961 Jens Quistgaard (Danish, 1919-2008) Made by Richard Nissen, Langaa, Denmark Sold by Dansk Designs, Great Neck, New York Palisander and plastic 18 x 8 3/4 inches 2018.016.094 Jens Quistgaard brought his sculptural training to the organic forms of this Ice Bucket. Its staved construction is informed by the Danish designer’s study of the wood hulls of Viking ships. The overall shape and bridging handle reflect Japanese ceramic prototypes. Making it fully functional, the plastic insert reflects mid-twentieth century technology. Today, this ice bucket would likely not be made in either palisander—rosewood—or the teak option, as these two species are on endangered wood lists.
Wiggle Side Chair, designed 1969 Miniature, 1992-2008 Frank O. Gehry (Canadian/American, b. 1929) Made by Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Corrugated cardboard and fiberboard 5 5/8 x 2 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches 2018.016.028 Manufactured between 1969 and 1972, the Wiggle Side Chair was one of 14 options in the Easy Edges series, all created from corrugated cardboard. Architect of the Guggenheim Bilbao (199397), Frank O. Gehry, was inspired by furniture he had designed for department store displays. “Edge Board,” made from glued layers of corrugated cardboard positioned in alternating directions, die-cut into eccentric forms, and edged with hardboard. The lightweight furniture was strong enough to support the weight of a Volkswagen Bug as an ad demonstrated, but also offered sound-baffling properties. The Wiggle Side Chair echoes the unconventional, playful spirit of Pop Art. Reminiscent of the molded plastic Panton Chair, Gehry’s design embraced the ecological concerns of the period. It answered the call for responsible design through its use of recycled materials and high-end design at an affordable price. The Easy Edges series also offered a lower cost alternative to plastic, which had risen in price due to the 1970s oil shortage and crisis in the United States.
Campbell’s Tomato Soup Shopping Bag, 1966 Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) Screen print on paper Printed for exhibition Andy Warhol – Institute of Contemporary Art Boston 26 3/8 x 19 1/4 inches 2018.012.482 Originating in China around 105 CE, paper has become a staple of knowledge, art, communication, and commerce. The Industrial Revolution and mechanized, mass production made it affordable for packaging and transit. In the second half of the 1800s, shopping bags were invented. Over the course of the 20th century these bags assumed an advertising role for their merchants and became a status for their consumers. Replaced by the now environmentally challenging plastic versions, paper bags are making a comeback. Andy Warhol turned brown bags into “canvases” for his art, in keeping with his Pop Art appropriations of commercial processes like screen printing and mass media like advertising. Printed in a limited edition for his solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, the bag was a rare example of his affordable art in the 1960s. Bearing one of Warhol’s trademark soup can images, the bag is highly sought after by collectors and can be found in many museum collections.
Modern Art in Your Life, 1949 Exhibition Publication Robert Goldwater (American, 1907-1973) René d’Harnoncourt (Austrian/American, 1901-1968), authors The Museum of Modern Art Bulletin, Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, publisher Printed paper 9 1/4 x 7 1/4 inches 2018.016.021 Since the 1960s, museum exhibition catalogues have been expanding, in their physical size and length, at times upwards of 400 pages in length. They have also become important vehicles of scholarly publication and showcases of book design. As a result, these catalogues have gained the status of collectible books—for their content, design, consumer demand, and limited print runs. On the other hand, increasing material and production costs, along with environmental concerns, have also encouraged growing digital publications online. The catalogue for Modern Art in Your Life functioned not only as a record of the exhibition but also as a vehicle for educating the general public. It was part of a programming series extending into the 1950s that the Museum of Modern Art developed to acquaint the general public with modern art and industrial design.
Kubus Stacking Containers, from set of 11, 1938 Wilhelm Wagenfeld (German, 1900-1990) Made by Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke, Weißwasser, Germany Pressed glass 3 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches; 2 1/7 x 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 inches; 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches (with lids) 2018.016.045.1, .6, .7 Heat-resistant industrial glass was central to the design and success of Wilhelm Wagenfeld’s Kubus Food Storage Containers. The glass was first developed in Germany in the late nineteenth century and manufactured by Corning Glassworks beginning in 1915. It enabled the mass production of their standardized forms and interchangeable lids, offering hygienic food storage at affordable prices. Their cubical designs could be stacked to optimize storage space and used in the pantry or refrigerator. While highly functional and efficient, their geometric, modular designs also epitomized the German Modernist design associated with the Bauhaus school and workshops. With the introduction of Tupperware in 1948, plastic storage containers became the more popular option. In recent years, however, health problems associated with the plastic as well as recycling issues have encouraged a return to glass.
IL Conico Kettle, 1986 Aldo Rossi (Italian, 1931-1997) Made by Alessi S.p.A., Crusinallo, Italy Stainless steel 8 3/4 x 9 inches 2018.016.188 A signature material of modernism, steel enjoyed was ever present in the second half of the 20th century. In the decorative arts, the rust-resistant stainless variety offered a low maintenance, more affordable alternative to silver. Aldo Rossi scaled down his childlike geometric architectural designs to the playful, cone silhouettes of coffee and tea makers, represented here by the Il Conica Tea Kettle.
Vase Tinta from Just for Flowers Collection, 2001 Ettore Sottsass (Italian, 1917-2007) Made by Serafino Zani, Lumezzane, Italy Cast and polished pewter 13 x 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches 2018.016.165 Since tin was first mined in the Ancient Roman outpost of Cornwall, England, the tin-based alloy of pewter has been used for tableware, decorative and ritual objects and utilitarian purposes. Its molded and spun fabrication methods did not adapt well to mass production, and pewter declined by the end of the 19th century, enjoying intermittent revivals. Today, the metal is used primarily for gifts along with industrial and electronic soldering. Italian designer Ettore Sottsass created the Just For Flowers Collection as part of the Metallia line of pewter launched in 1999 by Serafino Zani. Roberto Zani, member of the Zani family, known for metal ware since the 15th century, created NUMA, New Ancient Materials. NUMA creates contemporary designs using traditional materials. This vase is the product of NUMA’s collaborative process, which pairs their in-house craftspeople with the designers. Sottsass’s designs here relies on a combination of pierced and project planes whose shiny, polished surfaces generate complex patterns of surface reflections.
MR 90 Barcelona Chair, designed 1929 Miniature, 1992-2008 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (German/American, 1886-1969) Made by Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Steel strip, leather belts, and leather cushions 4 7/8 x 5 x 5 inches 2018.016.031 Valued for its flexibility and hardness, steel was discovered in the 13th century BCE, when a higher carbon content was introduced to iron. Sites in India and Sri Lanka produced high-quality steel which was exported to ancient Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Due to small production capacity and the skills required, steelmaking was limited until the 1850s when Henry Bessemer introduced a process that enabled lower-cost mass production. Since then it has become a mainstay. Steel gradually moved into interiors and inspired the rethinking of chair design. Furniture was reduced to exposed frames with upholstered seats and backs. German modernist Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created a pared down silhouettes using tubular steel and steel bars, the latter produced with a factory cold pressing fabrication process. For the Barcelona chair, he created a cantilevered design, using two flat, chrome-plated steel bars for the chair back and front legs. They intersect with another pair of bars to form the seat and back legs. Two leather cushions infill the steel framework as the seat and chair back.
Canapé Tray, from Informal Serving Accessories, 1930-1940 Russel Wright (American, 1904-1976) Maker Unidentified Spun aluminum and cork 7 1/2 x 12 inches 2018.016.162 Starting up in the late-eighteenth-century United Kingdom, the Industrial Revolution sparked the development of many new technologies and materials, including aluminum. Aluminum is a relatively new metal that is derived from the naturally occurring alumina discovered in 1754. Unlike iron and steel, it has a low melting point, 1220 degrees, is lighter in weight, and can be shaped in distinctive ways using automated processes, reusable molds and die casting. American industrial designer Russel Wright adapted the ancient technique of metal spinning to aluminum. He hand operated a lathe to produce his commercial line Informal Serving Accessories in the 1930s. Imprinted with the linear patterns of its fabrication and softened with handles and decorative details in wood, cork and rattan, the simple geometric designs like this Canapé Tray offered a more palatable expression of modernism. In a period of economic hardship, Wright collaborated with his wife Mary to popularize the new trend of informal entertainment with a broad audience through his affordable spun aluminum.
Murrine Opache Bowl, 1940 Carlo Scarpa (Italian, 1906-1978) Made by Venini & Co., Murano, Italy Glass, Murrine Opache technique 2 5/8 x 10 1/4 inches 2018.016.072 Turning away from industrialization, Carlo Scarpa looked for options to the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon where glass had been made since 982 CE. A native of Venice, he established the Venini Glass works and, between 1932 and 1947, collaborated with Venini glassblowers to modernize the techniques, designs, and colors of age-old, glassmaking traditions. Identified in the title, the murrine technique used to create this bowl can be traced back to ancient Rome and was revived in Murano in the 1880s. The process starts with arranging glass canes of different colors in a pre-established pattern and heating them up until they form a single cane. The cane is then cut into small sections that are arranged in the intended design, and then blown into the final object. Along with introducing a vibrant color palette and adopting a Modernist friendly form, Carpa replaced the transparent glass traditionally used with opaque glass, e.g. opache, imparting the appearance of ceramics to the bowl.
Peyrano Chocolate Box, 1990 Alessandro Mendini (Italian, 1931-2019) Made by Alessi S.p.A., Crusinallo, Italy Stainless steel 5 1/2 x 7 x 11 inches 2018.016.190 Alessandro Mendini revisited the elongated, curvilinear forms of 1930s American automobile design for his chocolate box named after a Turin, Italy, chocolatier. His chocolate box belongs to a line of coffee and tea pots designed by contemporary architects and produced by the Italian design company Alessi. The line embodies the architects’ design principles, providing the public with a firsthand preview of their architecture.
Ruba Rombic Vase, ca. 1928 Reuben Haley (American, 1872-1933) Made by Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company, Art Glassware Division, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania Mold-blown glass 6 x 4 x 4 inches 2018.016.046 One of the primary goals of modernism was to produce inexpensive, well designed goods through the union of art and industry. Riding the wave of the ornamental modernism known as Art Deco, Reuben Haley translated French Cubism into decorative accessories for the home between 1928 and 1932. He was one of the few glassware designers to model his forms in clay before sending them to the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company. There they were manufactured using a mold blown technique developed in the 1st century CE. The geometric, faceted surfaces embellished more than forty forms in a variety of colors. The line offered drinking glasses, plates, and candlesticks as well as vases.
Lotus Vase, No. 2428, 1929-1938 George Sakier (American, 1887-1988) Made by Fostoria Glass Company, Moundsville, WV Mold-blown glass 12 7/8 x 4 7/8 inches 2018.016.150 As a design consultant for Fostoria Glass Company, George Sakier created the Lotus Vase series, which offered a variety of different sizes and colors ranging from pink and green to turquoise and violet. Its bold, columnar silhouette and ridged surfaces evoke the aerodynamic forms associated with American Streamline Moderne, while its industrial, molded production insured prices accessible to middle-class consumers.
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