Designer: Carlo Scarpa (1906 – 1978)

Item: Sterling Silver Salad Servers

Manufactured by: Cleto Munari

Country of origin: Italy

Year made: Designed in 1977 but these were manufactured in 2004

Materials: Sterling Silver

Dimensions: 8 ¾” x 5 ¾” x 5”

Condition: Excellent. Retains its original red felt pouch.

Description: According to the Cleto Munari website, this important flatware was designed by Scarpa at the direct request of Murani who was seeking the most beautiful flatware in the world. Munari believed that Scarpa was the only person who could elevate such a utilitarian object into a modern masterpiece. Both are marked with Scarpa’s engraved signature “C. Scarpa” “Cleto Munari” and all the correct Italian sterling silver and date touch marks. These are quite heavy and substantial. Using our postal scale these weigh in at 300 grams or 10.5 ounces of sterling silver. This pattern is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

This flatware was never placed into full production and was only obtained by special order from Munari. It can still be special ordered today at a cost of about $1,400 per place setting. The price of these special and important serves may fluctuate based on the cost of silver.

References: Alessandro Vezzosi, Il tesoro dell'architettura Cleto Munari 1980-1990 Gioielli-argenti-orologi, Edifir, Firenze, 1990, p. 86; Enzo Biffi Gentili, Cleto Munari, Dandy Design, Electa Napoli, p. 56-57.