Erik Magnussen
Centerpiece

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Designer Erik Magnussen Danish, 1884 –1961

ManufacturerManufactured by Gorham Manufacturing CompanyProvidence, Rhode Island, founded 1831

CultureAmerican

Titles

Centerpiece

Datec. 1925

PlaceProvidence, Rhode Island, United States

MediumSterling silver and ebony

DimensionsOverall: 12 × 9 1/4in. (30.5 × 23.5cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by friends of Susan Lapin, with additional funds provided by the W. A. and Madeline Smith Charitable Trust, Jeffrey A. Shankman, Sue Rowan Pittman in memory of Mary Lynch Kurtz, and by various donors in memory of Marian Thompson Deininger

Object number99.640.A,.B

Not on view

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Department

Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design

Object Type

METALWORK

DescriptionThe designs by Danish silversmith Erik Magnussen for Gorham Manufacturing Company have long been recognized as some of the most elegant and accomplished metalwork objects made in America during the Art Deco period. Magnussen trained as a silversmith in Denmark and was part of the same circle of craftsmen as Georg Jensen. He was hired by Gorham in 1925 to produce silver in the new modern styles. For the next four years, Magnussen created designs that reflected the influence of the Art Deco style, the American city, and his own classical Danish heritage. This centerpiece is particularly noteworthy for its size, luxuriousness of materials, and modern styling. As seen in its finnial, Magnussen often incorporated ivory, semiprecious stones, or exotic woods into his designs.

Provenance[Historical Design, Inc., New York]; purchased by MFAH, 1999.
Exhibition HistoryExhibited in "American Modern: 1920's and 30's Design" at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, March 15 to July 20, 2003.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Magnussen's monogram is stamped on the underside of the base: "EM"

Stamped on the underside of the base: "GORHAM / [symbol of a lion] [symbol of an anchor] [G] / STERLING / E H J".

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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