Sugar Bowl (from Tea Service no. 73)
Item
Title
Sugar Bowl (from Tea Service no. 73)
Creator
Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF)
Date
1909-14 (ca.)
Dimensions
4 3/4 x 5 1/4 inches
Medium
Copper (lined in silver) with brass handles and finial.
Object No.
2009.15.3a,b
Credit line
Gift of Timothy and Kendall Grier
Marks
On base: stamped "WÜRTTEMBERG" over factory mark (running ostrich in rhombus over "WMF/G," inside an arch).
Description
By 1909, Stickley had begun expanding his firm's selection of metalwares by offering works made by outside suppliers like Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF). That year's Craftsman Furniture catalog seemed to anticipate that audiences–accustomed for nearly a decade to Stickley emphasizing his own products–might be puzzled at this sudden shift. Seeking to reassure customers, the catalog told readers: "This teas service was made for us in Germany, and harmonizes so well with Craftsman furnishings that we have put it in stock as one of our regular household belongings, especially as it proves such a desirable wedding or holiday gift." Originally retailing for $12.00 in 1909, the price was raised to $15.00 by the time it appeared in the 1912 catalog Craftsman Furnishings for the Home .