GENERAL DESCRIPTION
At the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, Gorham Manufacturing Company introduced a limited production line of handwrought wares named Martelé, the French word for "hammered." In the spirit of the British Arts and Crafts movement, each Martelé design was raised, chased, and finished by hand, processes evident in conspicuous hammer marks. While Gorham utilized methods of production based on 19th-century precepts, it rejected styles of the past in favor of a fashion that evoked the new century: Art Nouveau. Chief Designer William C. Codman and other designers applied Art Nouveau details, such as exuberant handles and everted feet and lips with undulating edges, and decorations, such as organic ornament, to traditional forms at once progressive, yet palatable to conservative American consumers.
This pair of Martelé vases (1991.33.1 and 1991.33.2)was probably produced in preparation for the 1900 Paris World's Fair, though ultimately not exhibited. Nevertheless, it is an exceptional example of Martelé with a production cost of $300 and a retail price of $600 per vase, an enormous sum in 1900.
Adapted from
- Charles L. Venable, Silver in America, 1840-1940: A Century of Splendor (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art; New York, New York; Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994), 251-258.
- DMA unpublished material.
- Samuel J. Hough, DMA unpublished material.
NOTES
formatted, added images, updated sources, wrote rule, included canonical links - 8/30 (JBA)
I updated the title of the object in TMS to include Martelé in carets to indicate italics.
I removed techniques from the Medium fields in TMS. Techniques are listed as tags.
I added the current label copy to TMS as a Text Entry.
I edited, updated, or entered the Provenance, Exhibition History, Bibliography, and Published References fields in TMS.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1991: The Oberod Collection, Centerville, Delaware [1]
From 1991: Dallas Museum of Art, anonymous gift
[1] See Collections Records Digital Object File.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
YouTube~Watch a video about Gorham Manufacturing Company
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
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Apply to objects where number equals 1991.33.1
Apply to objects where number equals 1991.33.2
Category
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General Description
At the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, Gorham Manufacturing Company introduced a limited production line of handwrought wares named Martelé, the French word for "hammered." In the spirit of the British Arts and Crafts movement, each Martelé design was raised, chased, and finished by hand, processes evident in conspicuous hammer marks. While Gorham utilized methods of production based on 19th-century precepts, it rejected styles of the past in favor of a fashion that evoked the new century: Art Nouveau. Chief Designer William C. Codman and other designers applied Art Nouveau details, such as exuberant handles and everted feet and lips with undulating edges, and decorations, such as organic ornament, to traditional forms at once progressive, yet palatable to conservative American consumers.
This pair of Martelé vases (1991.33.1 and 1991.33.2)was probably produced in preparation for the 1900 Paris World's Fair, though ultimately not exhibited. Nevertheless, it is an exceptional example of Martelé with a production cost of $300 and a retail price of $600 per vase, an enormous sum in 1900.
Adapted from
- Charles L. Venable, Silver in America, 1840-1940: A Century of Splendor (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art; New York, New York; Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994), 251-258.
- DMA unpublished material.
- Samuel J. Hough, DMA unpublished material.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
formatted, added images, updated sources, wrote rule, included canonical links - 8/30 (JBA)
I updated the title of the object in TMS to include Martelé in carets to indicate italics.
I removed techniques from the Medium fields in TMS. Techniques are listed as tags.
I added the current label copy to TMS as a Text Entry.
I edited, updated, or entered the Provenance, Exhibition History, Bibliography, and Published References fields in TMS.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1991: The Oberod Collection, Centerville, Delaware [1]
From 1991: Dallas Museum of Art, anonymous gift
[1] See Collections Records Digital Object File.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1991.33.1
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1991.33.2
source file
object_notes_2_b-0019.xml.nores