About this artwork
After studying metalwork at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, silversmith William Frederick spent decades producing beautiful and functional objects for clients in Chicago. This teapot exhibits a sleek, undecorated surface and organic curves, an aesthetic popular in midcentury silver due to the influence of Scandinavian designers. The cantilevered finial recalls Frederick’s background in engineering, while the harmonious sweep of the body and spout provides a dynamic appearance. The lack of hammer marks is atypical for Frederick’s work, however, as he often marked his pieces with explicit evidence of the maker’s hand.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Arts of the Americas
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Artist
- William Frederick
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Title
- Teapot
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Place
- Chicago (Object made in)
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Date
- 1960
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Medium
- Sterling silver, ebony
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Inscriptions
- Marked on bottom: HANDWROUGHT STERLING FREDERICK
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Dimensions
- 19.7 × 23.5 cm (7 3/4 × 9 1/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society through the Mrs. Myron F. Ratcliffe Fund in memory of Myron F. Ratcliffe
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Reference Number
- 1991.108a-b
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
