Designer: Ilonka Karasz (1896 – 1981)

Item: Teapot

Description: This is an unsigned, but we believe to be an original Karasz teapot.  We seen a number of of these misattributed to a reproduction for a show at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).  We have not been able to find anything to support that MOMA ever sold such a reproduction.  However, there were a very limited number of excellent copies made for a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art inNew York City in 1990 that sold from their gift shop.  Those are all marked “MMA" and we have a such a coffee service from that production we will be listing for sale.  

Manufactured by: Paye and Baker Manufacturing Company

Country of origin: United States

Year made: 1928

Materials: Electroplated nickel silver and walnut

Dimensions: 5” x 6 ¼” x 4”

Condition: Very good.  No plate loss, just some persistent tarnish from age.

References: Duncan, Alastair. American Art Deco, Harry A. Abrams, 1986; Duncan, Alastair, Modernism: Modernist Design 1880 – 1940, The Norwest Corp, 1998; Johnson, Stewart J., American Modern: 1925-1940 – Design for a New Age, Harry A. Abrams, 2000; Stern, Jewel.  Modernism in American Silver: 20th Century Design, Yale University Press, 2005; Callahan, Ashley, nchanting Modern: Ilona Karasz, Georgia Museum of Art, 2003.