Happy birthday, Ms. Zeisel

It’s not uncommon for me to read a newspaper or magazine article and find myself shocked to learn that some writer or artist who did brilliant and groundbreaking work in the 1940s or ’50s (and whom I had long assumed to be dead) is still actually alive. When people stop doing what they’re known for, it’s easy to forget about them.

Yesterday Eva Zeisel, a Hungarian-born industrial designer known primarily for her elegant and minimalist ceramic designs, turned 103.

I was not at all surprised to hear that yesterday was Ms. Zeisel’s birthday. Even in recent years, it would have been nearly impossible for anyone who follows industrial design to have forgotten that she was still alive and still producing beautiful things.

In her eighties, she began designing furniture, like this coffee table:

Eva Zeisel Coffee Table

Two years ago, when she was 101 years old, she released a new range of dinnerware, cleverly named “One-O-One,” for Royal Stafford. The line is carried by sold by Bloomingdales and it includes some absolutely beautiful pieces like this pitcher:

Eva Zeisel Pitcher

Happy belated birthday, Ms. Zeisel.

Posted by PJ on Nov 14, 2009 | Comments

4 comments posted

  1. Posted by Laura - 11/14/2009

    Wonderful post.

    My mother has her grandmother’s Town and Country dishes, still, which are now beautiful collectors items. (Check out this link for photos: http://www.mindspring.com/~dway/town.html )

    Also, Eva has an inspiring TED talk, which you can watch here: http://www.ted.com/index.php/t.....eauty.html

    Sorry for crazy linkage, I just love her work!

  2. Posted by ami | 40daystochange - 11/14/2009

    Wonderful! I LOVE hearing about people who pursue their calling well into what some might call “golden years,” what an inspiration. Thanks for the post.

  3. Posted by Day 16 – Self Acceptance = Growth + Progress « 40 Days to Change - 11/14/2009

    [...] – on a somewhat related note, Erin over at Unclutter posted a wonderful article about Eva Zeisel, who released her dinnerware design for Royal Stafford at the ripe old age of 101!  Do you think [...]

  4. Posted by eva zeisel « molly & mary - 11/14/2009

    [...] design, metropolitan museum of art, MoMA, zeisel | Leave a Comment  I just learned from this article on unclutterer.com that designer Eva Zeisel just turned 103!  I have a set of dishes that are a reproduction of [...]

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