ELIEL SAARINEN | Centerpiece

Patrick Parrish, New York
Wright Auction, Chicago, December 7, 2003, lot 174
The Collection of Sue Kohler, Washington, D.C.
Thence by descent

The Architect and the Industrial Arts: An Exhibition of Contemporary American Design, New York, exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1929, p. 61 and pl. 8 (for the model prototype)
Stewart Johnson, American Modern 1925-1940: Design for a New Age, New York, 2000, p. 45 (for the 15-inch diameter version in the John C. Waddell Collection, now in the permanent collection of Yale University Art Gallery)
Jewel Stern, Modernism in American Silver, New Haven, 2005, pp. 105 and 353, cat. no. 87 (see previous)
John Stuart Gordon, A Modern World: American Design from the Yale University Art Gallery 1920-1950, New Haven, 2011, p. 288-89 (see previous)
Patrick Parrish, The Hunt: Navigating the Worlds of Art and Design, Brooklyn, 2018, pp. 123-25 (for a discussion of the present example)

Overall very good condition. Surfaces with minor fine scratches throughout consistent with age and gentle handling. Traces of polish residue to the recessed areas of the design. The upper rim with a hairline scratch slightly bigger, measuring approx. ¼ inch. A superb example of a highly rare form.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

One of the most acclaimed American modern silver designs, Saarinen’s centerpiece was produced in three diameters by International Silver following its debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1929.  Only one example of the 15-inch diameter is known to exist, now in the collection of Yale.  Two 13-inch examples have been discovered, one of which is in the Cranbrook Art Museum, the second sold at Sotheby’s in 2012.  Two 11-inch examples are known to exist, and at one time Sue Kohler owned both of them.  She acquired her first from a Washington, D.C. dealer in 1975 and sold it at Sotheby’s in 2009.  The second one was discovered by Patrick Parrish on a table at Brimfield in 2003, just ahead of Mrs. Kohler’s son Eric, who was footsteps away from securing it. When Parrish auctioned it at Wright later that year, Mrs. Kohler acquired it.  There is also a much smaller 7-inch compote, of which two examples have been sold at Sotheby’s in 2014 and 2017. JAMES ZEMAITIS