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Erik Magnussen

Cubic Coffee Service

Maker

Erik Magnussen (Danish, 1884-1961), designer
Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, 1831-present), manufacturer

Title

Cubic Coffee Service

Year

1927

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

ivory, sterling silver, gilding

Geography

Place Made: Providence; Place Made: Rhode Island

Dimensions

24.1 x 54.6 x 34 cm (9 1/2 x 21 1/2 x 13 3/8 inches) (overall)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

The Gorham Collection. Gift of Textron Inc.

Object Number

1991.126.488

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Gorham Silver
Designing Brilliance 1850-1970
May 03, 2019 – Dec 01, 2019

Label copy

In 1927, Magnussen created his most radical work for Gorham. Resplendent with a gleaming surface of sterling, gold, and dark-patinated silver facets, the Cubic coffee service was a three-dimensional manifestation of the everyday objects Cubist artists had depicted in drawings and paintings. This bold realization positioned Gorham in the vanguard of Modern American silver design. Consisting of a coffeepot, creamer, sugar bowl, and tray, the service was entirely designed, executed, and marked by Magnussen.

The Cubic service became an immediate sensation when Gorham displayed it in their Fifth Avenue showroom. They described the set as “based on tall buildings seen from various perspectives and . . . sun shadows on set-back skyscrapers” and praised it for reflecting the “Lights and Shadows of Manhattan.”

From the Reserve III
Cubist Painting
Jul 08, 1994 – Dec 04, 1994

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Erik Magnussen (Danish, 1884-1961), designer
Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, 1831-present), manufacturer
Cubic Coffee Service, 1927
Silver with patinated and gilt decoration with ivory
24.1 x 54.6 x 34 cm (9 1/2 x 21 1/2 x 13 3/8 inches) (overall)
The Gorham Collection. Gift of Textron Inc. 1991.126.488

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