Erik Magnussen
Centerpiece

Centerpiece
Centerpiece
DesignerDanish, 1884 –1961
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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Object Type
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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