Designer: Charles Gwathmey (1938 – 2009) and Robert Siegel (born 1939)

Item:  Courtney Prototype Bud Vase/Candlestick

Manufactured by:  Cleto Munari, Milan

Country of origin: Italy

Year made:  Ca. 1984

Materials:  Silverplate over brass

Dimensions:  7 ¼” x 3 ½” x 3 ½”

Condition:  Excellent, but needing some additional polishing

References:  Tapert, Annette. SWID POWELL: Objects by Architects, Rizzoli, 1990.

Description:    The Courtney candlestick and the Courtney bud vase by Gwathmey and Siegel are among the most iconic first phase designs for Swid Powell.  This important early prototype has elements for both the bud vase and candlestick and demonstrates and helps document the development of the final designs for both objects.  The cruciform base and how it attaches to the top are identical to the final product of the bud vase, minus the vase part, but the top is clearly for a candlestick.  At some point a decision was made to shorten and widen the candlestick design, but retaining its cruciform base and overall construction.

The designer’s original drawing for this exact example, and listed as a candlestick, can be found in the Yale University Art Gallery collection, as donated by Nan Swid.  This prototype is likely the only of its kind.  The original drawing for this also contains another candlestick design, the prototype of which is also in the Yale University collection.  The final drawings for the final products can be found in the Tapert book, but other developmental prototypes can be found in the Yale University Art Gallery also donated from the personal collection of Nan Swid.

Provenance: Marc Hacker, Vice President for Design and Development at Swid Powell.  Hacker is an architect who studied with Michael Graves at Princeton University.  Upon graduating he moved to New York City and was recommended for a job working for architect Richard Meier.  As a result of his work for Meier, Hacker was hired by Swid Powell, because they needed a formally trained architect to work with their stable of architects and designers to achieve the final objects produced for sale.  Hamel20, LLC is honored to represent the Hacker collection of Swid Powell objects, which includes prototypes and designs that were never produced for sale.