Assorted Collection of Rare Russel Wright "Grass" Dinnerware by Knowles
View Similar Items
Assorted Collection of Rare Russel Wright "Grass" Dinnerware by Knowles
About the Item
- Creator:Russel Wright (Designer)
- Sold As:Set of 44
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1957
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Papaikou, HI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU95371103756
Russel Wright
While industrial designer Russell Wright may be known to modern furniture enthusiasts for his streamlined end tables, dining chairs and other pieces, he is universally revered for a line of tableware he created called American Modern. Efficient, practical, and striking in their elegant forms and warm colors, the American Modern ceramic pieces, which included bowls, pitchers, dishes, and other items, became the best-selling dinnerware of all time. Today, vintage Russell Wright American Modern tableware is an evergreen favorite of art collectors and interior designers alike.
Born in 1904 in Ohio, Wright was surrounded by inspiration for the furniture he would one day design. He was raised in a Quaker household and grew up with the spare, meticulously handcrafted furniture for which the Quakers are known. As a young man, he studied art and sculpture at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the Art Students League of New York, going on to study law at Princeton University in New Jersey. But Wright loved the arts and abandoned his pursuit of a law degree to create stage sets in Princeton and Paris alongside fellow noted designer Norman Bel Geddes.
In 1927, Wright married artist and sculptor Mary Einstein. Together, they moved to New York City, where Wright began to create sculptures. Mary convinced him to create metal bookends from his sculptures, and later, when he began to craft bar accessories from chrome, he turned to aluminum, a much cheaper material for the purposes of mass production (his barware was eventually included in the "Machine Art" show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1934, which was curated by Philip Johnson).
Mary worked on marketing Russell's products, successfully proposing everyday uses for Wright's beautifully designed housewares. She is said to have been a pioneer in the world of lifestyle marketing, coining the terms "American Modern" and "blonde" to describe the charming, light-colored maple furniture he created for Conant Ball, which was known at the time for its reproductions of American Colonial furniture.
While Wright had created some Art Deco furnishings for Heywood-Wakefield, it was this group of bedroom furniture for Conant Ball that got its name, American Modern, from Mary. Under her guidance, Wright's attractive, functional designs for the home gained renown, leading to commissions by prestigious companies like the Steubenville Pottery Company.
In 1935, Wright formed Russell Wright Associates with Irving Richards, an entrepreneur who had worked with Lightolier and would later establish Raymor. In collaboration with Richards, Wright debuted the first line of American Modern dinnerware in 1939, which was initially produced by Russell Wright Associates and then manufactured by Steubenville for two decades. The line sold over 200 million pieces during its 20 years of production. In 1955, Wright was selected by the U.S. State Department to research handicraft industries in Southeast Asia, a trip that influenced his later designs.
Throughout his life, Wright continued to design furniture and housewares, with the works' signature earth tones, curved forms, and clean silhouettes of his floor lamps, lounge chairs, and serveware remaining popular staples in American households. In his later years, he focused on designing and building his home, Manitoga, and working with the National Parks Service to develop the "Summer in the Parks" program.
Upon Wright's death in 1974, Manitoga was given to the Nature Conservancy. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and today houses the Russell & Mary Wright Design Gallery, where many of Wright's works stand on permanent display. In 2011, stamps from the U.S. Postal Service featured Wright's image as one of the United States' twelve most influential industrial designers.
Find vintage Russel Wright lighting, seating, tables, serveware, ceramics and glass on 1stDibs.
- Mis Century Russel Wright American Modern Dinnerware Coral Pink Carafe Jug 1950sBy Steubenville, Russel WrightLocated in Miami, FLMid Century Russel Wright (1904-1976) Coral American Modern carafe / jug / pitcher designed in 1937 and originally produced of sturdy earthenware by Steubenville Pottery (later made ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Pitchers
MaterialsCeramic, Earthenware, Pottery
- Oceana Series Bowl by Russel WrightBy Russel WrightLocated in Sagaponack, NYA long rare hand-carved wood bowl with an indented rim, from the "Oceana" series.Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsMaple
- Black Stoneware Dinnerware - Set of 6Located in Dallas, TXSet of dinnerware in black stoneware, entirely made and decorated by hand, covered with a transparent matte glaze. Each piece is shaped one by one, by ...Category
2010s French Dinner Plates
MaterialsStoneware
$435 / set - 1930s Pewter Swan Dish by Russel WrightBy Russel WrightLocated in Sagaponack, NYA pewter swan nut dish.Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Barware
MaterialsPewter
- Russel Wright "Oceana" Serving BowlBy Russel Wright, Klise Manufacturing CompanyLocated in Hanover, MARussel Wright "Oceana" sculptural serving bowl circa 1938 produced by Klise Woodworking Company, Grand Rapids, MI. Hazelwood in the form of deep-sea fauna. This particular one had a...Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsMaple
$850 Sale Price50% Off - White Dinnerware by Vignelli for Heller - Set of 32By Heller, Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Brooklyn, NYWinner of the prestigious Compasso d'Oro award for Good Design in 1964, Massimo Vignelli's iconic dinnerware for Heller (likely designed with his equally talented wife Lella) has bee...Category
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Dinner Plates
MaterialsPlastic