Designer: Robert A. M. Stern (born 1939)

Item: Water Pitcher

Manufactured by: Cleto Munari for Swid Powell

Country of origin: Italy

Year made: 1985

Materials: Silverplate over brass

Dimensions: 11 ½” x 9 ¾” at its widest including the handle

Condition: Very good, with several noticeable but not deep surface abrasions. Appears to have been used as a flower vase with some wear on the interior.

References: Tapert, Annette. SWID POWELL: Objects by Architects, Rizzoli (1990); pages 15, 31, and 101.; Jewel, Modernism in American Silver: 20th Century Design, Yale Stern University Press (2005); page 311.

Description: Stern’s Water Pitcher is another one of the most iconic designs by Stern for Swid Powell, and it pitcher has a full page devoted to it in both Tapert’s and Stern’s books. These elegant, but heavy and well-made objects also can be used as floral vases, as pictured in the Tapert book on page 31. This retains the “Swid Powell”, “Made in Italy” marks and Stern’s signature on the underside. Examples can be found in the collections of the Dallas Art Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The Yale University Art Gallery has its example on permanent display in its silver collection. These were expensive objects when new with the price of $250 when first introduced and raised to $300 in 1989. the original design drawing for this candlestick in its collection. These pitchers are getting harder to find.