Frederick A. Miller, Mocha Pot, Modern 925 Silver Coffee Pot, United States, 20th Century

Frederick A. Miller - Modern silver coffee pot, United States, 20th century(Silver coffee pot, mocha pot, 925/1000 sterling silver, ebony, handcrafted)

An imposing form in sterling silver and ebony, this coffee pot is attributed to Frederick A. Miller, one of the most outstanding American studio silversmiths of the postwar period.
Trained at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Miller developed a formal language rooted in modernist reduction, precise volumes, restrained ornament, deliberate material contrast. The combination of silver and ebony handle is characteristic of his studio production and of the American studio silver movement centered in Cleveland.

Miller's work is in the permanent collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A closely related piece, also marked Sterling only, is documented in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Design and execution: Frederick A. Miller (attr.), Cleveland, USA, 20th century, 925 sterling silver and ebony
Hooks: Sterling
Dimensions: height 23 cm, 14 × 8.2 cm, weight 563 g
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm
Condition: very good, substantial quality

On the hallmark: The coin bears only the Sterling hallmark, in accordance with Miller's documented practice. A comparable work at the Cleveland Museum of Art bears an identical mark. Full biographical and collection references are available via the Cleveland Arts Prize archive and the Cleveland Museum of Art library.

Literatur: Rainwater, Dorothy T.: Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers. 3rd revised edition. Schiffer Publishing, West Chester 1986.
Literatur: McGoey, Elizabeth (ed.): American Silver in the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago 2017.
Literatur: Gorham Silver: Designing Brilliance 1850-1970. Rizzoli Electa 2019.
Literatur: Harvey, Medill Higgins: Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. 2021.