Coffeepot from a Tea and Coffee Service

Currently not on view

Coffeepot from a Tea and Coffee Service

Designed 1980-1983; made 1985

Designed by Robert Venturi (American, 1925–2018) Made by Alessi S.p.A., Crusinallo, Italy (1921–present)

In 1980, Venturi sent Alessi a proposal for this "stylized traditional" service, in which every piece was inspired by a silver form from a different historical period. Each was intended to be decorated according to its historical model and colored. "You will see that I have kept the historical symbolism," Venturi wrote to Alessi, "but made the aesthetic involve a more disparate eclecticism with a more or less Rococo coffee pot, a Queen Anne tea pot, a Neo-Classical sugar bowl and Art Nouveau cream pitcher. The Piazza Campidoglio remains the tray." The service was introduced in 1983.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

Coffeepot from a Tea and Coffee Service

Date:

Designed 1980-1983; made 1985

Artists:

Designed by Robert Venturi (American, 1925–2018) Made by Alessi S.p.A., Crusinallo, Italy (1921–present)

Medium:

Silver with gilt decoration

Dimensions:

8 7/8 x 7 3/4 inches (22.6 x 19.7 cm) Weight: 28 ounces 1 dwt

Classification:

Containers

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Richardson Fund, 1986

Accession Number:

1986-15-1a,b

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view