Peter Muller-Munk Hand Wrought Sterling Silver 925/1000 Help

[peakseekers]

I have a divided sterling silver dish. It is marked "PETER MULLER-MUNK" and also "HANDWROUGHT STERLING SILVER 925/1000".
With this dish that I have, can anyone tell me what I have, some history... (admin edit - see Posting Requirements )
Thank you for your time!!!!!!



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[admin]

Hi,
Beautiful piece, although Muller-Munk is well known in the design world, you don't often see examples of his work. Below is his bio from the Industrial Designers Society of America

Peter Muller-Munk, FIDSA

Peter studied as a silversmith at the University of Berlin and emigrated from Germany to the US in 1926. He began his career working at Tiffany�s in New York as a metalworker from 1926 to 1928, exhibiting his work at the 1928 Macy's exposition. He established his own silver studio in New York in 1929 and exhibited at several Metropolitan Museum shows in 1929 and 1930.

His most famous piece was his 1935 Art Deco Normandie pitcher, named after the French ocean liner of the same name that debuted that same year. The pitcher was made by Revere Copper and Brass, Inc, and was produced until 1941.

In 1935 he accepted a position at the Carnegie Institute of Technology to replace Donald Dohner as head of the industrial design program and remained there until he left in 1944 to devote full time to the industrial design office in Pittsburgh he had established in 1938.

His major clients included Dow Chemical in 1943 to stimulate public interest in post-war plastics, and Waring, for whom he designed their now classic 1937 chrome "waterfall" blender.

In 1954, he was president of the Society of Industrial Designers, and in 1957, became the first president of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, through which he became well-known internationally.

In 1959 he won one of the first ALCOA industrial design awards, and consulted with US Steel regarding their newly-introduced vinyl-coated steel sheets, with decorative patterns embossed into the vinyl, and which could be formed, drawn or stamped like any sheet steel. In 1964, he consulted with US Steel regarding their Unisphere symbol that dominated the 1964 World�s Fair, and still remains in Flushing Meadows.

Peter Muller-Munk Associates (PMMA) continues as an active design firm in Pittsburgh, well-known for way-finding design at major airports and public spaces.

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[dragonflywink]

I've only seen a few sterling pieces by German-born American designer and silversmith Peter Müller-Munk (1904-67), he's best known for his 1935 chrome Normandie pitcher made by Revere. Rainwater lists his business as The Peter Mueller-Munk Studio in NY, citing an ad from 1928, not sure how long he continued to produce silver (suspect the company was short-lived), by the mid 1930s he was the Director of Industrial Design at Carnegie Mellon and had opened a design firm there in Pittsburgh (still in business).

Interesting piece, what is the size and does that center sphere move in some way?

~Cheryl
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[dognose]

Several pieces of the unique handwrought silver which Peter Mueller-Munk is showing at the Newport Art Association at Newport have found appreciative purchasers the past week. Among these a beautiful bowl has been acquired by Charles Potter King who intends it for a christening bowl. Mrs. Arthur Curtiss James has purchased another bowl with an inlaid pattern of gold which has attracted much attention from visitors to the exhibition. Both these are masterpieces of the silversmith’s art and have an added value from the fact that Mr. Mueller-Munk does not duplicate his pieces.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 6th September 1928

Trev.