Free Form Fruit Bowl

Free Form Fruit Bowl

1955

fabricator

Frederick A. Miller

(American, Cleveland, 1913–2000)

Silver

Overall: 16.6 x 26.8 x 21 cm (6 9/16 x 10 9/16 x 8 1/4 in.)

Silver Jubilee Treasure Fund 1956.116

Location

Did you know?

Fred Miller made this bowl by hand from a single disc of silver.

Description

Frederick Miller was an exceptional silversmith who reintroduced the look, if not the technique, of hand-wrought fabrication to an industry that had fully mechanized its production by the 1950s. His work was often raised from a single disc of silver, beaten until stretched into a biomorphic or free form shape, such as in this fruit bowl. These unique shapes, gracefully lifted onto ebonized feet, were adapted and standardized by larger silver companies without his permission and became statements of modern design in the home. Designers and critics alike admired his work, but because of its expensive and time-consuming manner of production, Miller never achieved the commercial success of his peers whose designs were made by large manufacturers.

See also
Collection: 
Decorative Arts
Type of artwork: 
Silver
Medium: 
Silver

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.