Eva Zeisel
Castleton China, New Castle, Pennsylvania (1901-1991)
Eva Zeisel, designer (American, b. Hungary,1906-2011)
Mandalay pattern teapot, cream, sugar, cup & saucer, ca. late 1940s
porcelain, glazed, with decals
teapot H: 5.75” cream H: 4.5” sugar H: 3” cup H: 2” saucer Diam: 6.75”
The Dinnerware Museum, Promised Gift of Margaret Carney and Bill Walker
Eva Zeisel (American, b. Hungary, 1906-2011) was one of the leading industrial designers of the 20th century. Her Castleton China line of dinnerware, called Museum, was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in 1942. The Museum shape tea service on exhibit here was decorated in a design pattern by Ching Chih-yee called Mandalay, in production from circa 1951-62.
There are many books written about Eva Zeisel. She had a long productive career and a fascinating life. Born in Budapest, she studied painting at the Hungarian Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She was apprenticed to the last pottery master in the medieval guild system and she was the first woman to qualify as a journeyman in the Hungarian Guild of Chimney Sweeps, Oven Makers, Roof Tilers, Well Diggers and Potters. Eva worked for companies in Germany and Russia, before being arrested in Moscow in 1936 – falsely accused of participating in a plot to assassinate Stalin. She was imprisoned in solitary confinement for 16 months. She was deported to Austria, where a few months later the Nazi’s invaded.
After arrival in the U.S., she designed for Hall China, Rosenthal China, Castleton China, Western Stoneware, Federal Glass, Heisey Glass, Red Wing Pottery, among others. Her first solo exhibition was in 1946 at the Museum of Modern Art, titled Eva Zeisel: Designer for Industry. The full story about Eva Zeisel, along with images of her work, can be found in the book Eva Zeisel: Life, Design, and Beauty.