Zinnhenkelschale
c. 1936
Before Philip Johnson became the legendary architect of the Glass House, he was designing functional objects like this pewter porringer around 1936. The image is a precise technical drawing that highlights a striking contrast: a perfectly smooth, minimalist bowl is crowned by an elaborate, almost baroque handle featuring two mythical creatures flanking a shield. The dimensions sketched at the bottom—5 3/8 inches across—show this was a practical design meant for production, not just a flight of fancy. It’s a charming snapshot of a modernist master experimenting with form and function before he started building skyscrapers.
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