Designer: Robert A. M. Stern (born 1939)

Item: Century candlesticks

Manufactured by: Cleto Munari for Swid Powell

Country of origin: Italy

Year made: 1984

Materials: Silverplate over brass

Dimensions: 6 ½” x 3 ½”

Condition: Very good.

References: Tapert, Annette. SWID POWELL: Objects by Architects, Thames and Hudson (1990); pages 6, 30, 34, 99, 100, 102 and 103; Stern, Jewel, Modernism in American Silver: 20^th Century Design, Yale Stern University Press (2005); page 310; Swid Powell fold-out catalog 1986; Swid, Nan and Powell, Addie, The Swid Powell Collection 1988; and catalog insert 1988.

Description:  Stern’s Century candlesticks are another one of the most iconic designs by Stern for Swid Powell, and they have a full page devoted to it in Tapert’s book, as well as full page photograph of Stern in his office with a pair of these candlesticks. The original drawing is also illustrated in the Tapert book. These elegant candlesticks are an American Postmodern classic design, that we believe will stand the test of time. 

Each candlestick retains the “Swid Powell”, “Made in Italy” marks and Stern’s signature on the underside.  Examples can be found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dallas Art Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and others.