fitted with a tea-light to keep the liquid hot. Wagenfeld’s thoughtfulness toward the use of the teapot is apparent in the removable infuser, interchangeable lid and inclusion of a tea warmer. Aesthetically, the teapot exhibits lightness in both its material and shape. The soft conical shape of the body is further enhanced when set upon the tea warmer. The ease of the design masks the initial difficulty designers had adapting glass for use in kitchen wares. Forms previously used for metal pots and dishes did not translate to glass. Wagenfeld commented, “The student saw in the glassworks how little melted glass had in common with the cylinder . . . nowhere could he discover a straight line.”4 Wagenfeld adapted to the properties of this new material by shifting away from the hard lines of metal work, and utilizing an optical gauge to create pieces that were largely free of tension. The Janaer teapot exhibits ingenuity in both design and material. Janaer offered a complete tea set designed by Wagenfeld, which also included teacups, saucers and cake plates. It is worth noting that the survival of the pot with its original stand, as in this case, is rare. Wagenfeld was able to unify art and technology by adapting his training at the Bauhaus to changes in manufacturing and materials. Wagenfeld left Jena in 1935 to become artistic director at Vereinigte Lausitze Glassworks, Weisswasser, Germany. In 1938 Wagenfeld created the Kubus Stacking Containers, which became an immediate design classic. Designed for flexibility, the set can be used for food storage in the refrigerator, pantry or on the table. The containers are made of heat-resistant glass and can be stacked together, like building blocks, to create a unit, or used separately. The set contains ten components in varying sizes. As with the teapot, the heat-resistant glass serves a functional purpose by permitting the storage of both hot and cold foods and allowing the consumer to see what is being held in each. The set exhibits a functionality, which is striking in its simplicity. The clean lines and modular forms achieve a modern solution to an everyday need. During Wagenfeld’s prolific career he was recognized with numerous medals at international fairs including a gold medal at the Paris World’s Fair of 1937, the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale in 1940, and a Grand Prix for his life’s work at the Milan Triennale of 1957. Wagenfeld’s designs are collected by museums internationally, and his work has been the subject of multiple exhibitions. The “Museum” Teapot and the Kubus Staking Containers exemplify Wagenfeld’s success in adapting the Bauhaus methods to the industrial and commercial requirements of the machine age. ■ Notes: 1. Koch & Bergfeld supplied silver to the House of Fabergé along with other well-known design firms. 2. Stephen Bayley, “MT8 table lamp.” V&A. No date. V&A Museum. 20 July 2008. <http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/10025popup. html >. 3. Beate Manske, “A Design Makes History: Wilhelm Wagenfeld’s Bauhaus Lamp,” Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900-1990), ed. Beate Manske (Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2000), 28. 4. Walter Scheiffele, “The Experiment: Schott & Gen. in Jena,” Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900-1990), ed. Beate Manske (Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2000) 42.
Kubus Stacking Containers, designed 1938 Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke (German, active 1899–present) Designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld (German, 1900-1990) Glass Collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art Museum Purchase, George S. Frierson Jr. Fund. 2000.64.1-.10 Photos by Judy Cooper
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