Eva Zeisel, a personal chronology

I attempt to reconstruct two decades of work with Eva Zeisel

  In my years as a freelance ceramic designer/modelmaker/moldmaker I worked on many projects for Eva Zeisel, in the final phase of her career after she was “rediscovered”  in the mid-1980’s.

 Not long ago, I went through my old date books and accounting records to see how much of this history I could recall. It has been a long time and I’ve forgotten some specifics, but I reconstructed most of this history as best I could.

  Eva’s story and career has been throughly documented in at least four monograph books, a film, and numerous magazine articles, so this ground is well covered.  But in case anyone is interested, or is still researching or archiving Eva information, I present here a chronology of my involvement in Eva’s later work:

1985- 

  Project described in my invoice as “models and molds of two bells and rectangular piece”. The bells were two sizes of a “Hershey’s kiss” kind of shape. 

Later in the 1980’s- 

  Model and mold for a stacking “X” -shaped module for an architectural screen. This was later manufactured, perhaps from different model. 

  Development models for a suite of vases- cylinders of various heights which nest against another vase of a “dog bone” shape.

1986-7

  Models for International China- place setting and serving pieces, which became the “Pinnacle” pattern. Eva came over from New City to my studio in Dobbs Ferry and worked with me on these models  on several occasions. The photo of this collection in the book “Eva Zeisel” by Lucie Young  shows a photo of my plaster models.

  Castleton Coffee Pot reproduction- I made a plaster model and one mold based on a sample that Eva provided. Marek Cecula made a few porcelain pieces from my mold. I was amused and proud to hear from Marek that when Eva came to his studio to see the sample, he had the finished piece from my mold sitting next to the original Castleton production piece. Eva hemmed and hawed that it was not as nice a shape, the handle was not as graceful, etc. Then Marek informed her that she was criticizing the original, not our reproduction ! 

  Castleton reproductions were later put into production, but I have no idea if my work was used for that.

  I also have an invoice for exploratory models for four shapes, or families of shapes, that she named “Bold”, “Bud”, “Architectural” and “Metropolitan”.

c. 1992

  Three shapes that Eva called “Peaks”.  These were three sizes of a “Hershey’s Kiss” sort of shape, similar to the bells mentioned above. They were meant to nest in each other to form a fountain.

1997

  Models and molds of two Schramburg pitchers from her early career (a design based on a short cylinder on its side.) Eva sent me the two pieces from her retrospective show, (possibly the only existing ones) and asked me to make molds from them. I refused to pour plaster molds directly on these rare samples, for obvious reasons.  But I did tell her that I would make measured drawings, make new models, and a block-and-case set. This I did, and shipped to the World of Ceramics studio, I believe for production for the MOMA store

  I also have a record of making molds for reproductions of the Hallcraft creamer and the Redwing ladle, pitcher, and large bowl. I do not recall if I made new models or just made molds from provided samples. (Note that if the molds were made directly from production samples, the new pieces would be smaller due to ceramic shrinkage. If made from new models, the shrinkage would have been compensated for in the model.)

1999

  First Eva project for Nambe. My invoice says “two versions of Large Bowl”  I don’t recall the pieces, but I believe they were models for Nambe’s aluminum alloy process.

 Sometime in the 1990’s

    Models and molds for a teapot of a sort of squashed-down shape, and also a similar three-lobed vase, I believe for Szolnay.

2001

    Plaster models for Nambe porcelain dinnerware. These were early-stage concept models, designated on my invoice as “#8”, “#9” and “Organic” 

2005

  Model of a mug (?)

2006

  Design models for Nambe dinnerware: place setting, platter, 3-piece centerpiece, s&p, fruit bowl, three-section serving dish.

2008

  Bird salt&pepper, for Eva Zeisel Originals. I was given an existing epoxy model, which I corrected to accommodate the stopper and also make it rock back-and-forth as intended. Then I made master patterns and working molds for World of Ceramics production

  Baby feeder and spoon, for Neue Gallery, models and molds

  For Royal Stafford- models of a two-necked vase and a vase with curled rim and flattened sides.

2010

  Set of 10 production molds for the bird S&P

2014

  For Eva Zeisel Originals- models for reproduction of the Redwing Salt & Pepper shakers

   

Click the images below to enlarge