Compote, 1927
Made in Providence, Rhode Island
Sterling silver, ivory and ebony, 11 in. (27.9 cm) diam.
Mabel Brady Garvan Collection, by exchange
2002.34.1
The 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris introduced modern styles known today as Art Deco. Among the designers working in this mode was Erik Magnussen, born and trained in Denmark. When the Gorham Manufacturing Company brought Magnussen to America in 1925, he already had an international reputation. Gorham charged the Dane with developing a line of modern silver tablewares for the firm. The American public did not embrace the new style, thus the designs were not commercially successful, and Magnussen left Gorham in 1929. The vessel bears Magnussen's monogram, suggesting that it was one of his more experimental designs. This compote represents Magnussen's more lavish work in the stylized Art Deco manner; the ornate stem incorporates ivory and ebony, while the bowl is in the form of a flaring, lobed trumpet flower.
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