Gustave Keller antique French original Art Deco sterling silver serving tureen
Direct from Paris: From the
birth place of Art Deco, a magnificent 3pc."Gatsby Era" original 950 sterling
silver soup / stew serving tureen, in near new condition by France's premier Art
Deco silversmith "Gustave Keller" and no monograms, circa early 1920s.
The history of French silversmithing reached new heights of innovation
during the Art Deco period, and among its most distinguished practitioners was
Gustave Keller. While primarily known for his 19th century creations, Keller's
workshop evolved brilliantly into the 20th century, embracing the bold geometric
forms and streamlined elegance of Art Deco design. His 950-sterling silver
serving tureens from this era represent some of the finest examples of Art Deco
metalwork, combining traditional craftsmanship with avant-garde aesthetics.
From Belle Époque to Art Deco:
The transition from the ornate styles of the
late 19th century to the sleek modernity of Art Deco required remarkable
adaptability from traditional silversmiths. Gustave Keller's workshop
demonstrated this evolution masterfully. While maintaining the technical
excellence that had defined his earlier work, Keller embraced the new design
language emerging in the 1920s - one that favored symmetry, angularity, and
machine-age precision. His workshop became known for pieces that balanced the
luxurious weight and hand-finished quality of traditional French silver with the
progressive visual vocabulary of Art Deco.
This stylistic shift coincided with changing social dynamics in post-war Europe.
The extravagant dining customs of the aristocracy gave way to more intimate but
equally refined entertaining among the cosmopolitan elite. Keller's serving
pieces, particularly his tureens, adapted perfectly to this new environment -
substantial enough to convey importance yet designed with the clean lines that
suited modern interiors. His ability to reinterpret traditional forms through a
contemporary lens set his workshop apart from competitors who remained wedded to
historical revival styles.
The Pinnacle of Craftsmanship:
Keller's Art Deco creations maintained his
signature commitment to material excellence. He continued working primarily in
950 sterling silver (95% pure), a standard that exceeded the typical 925
sterling used by many contemporaries. This higher silver content gave his pieces
a distinctive luminosity and depth of shine while allowing for sharper
definition in the geometric patterns that characterized Art Deco work. The
substantial weight of his tureens - often ranging from 3 to 5 kilograms for
medium-sized pieces - immediately conveyed their quality and permanence.
The construction of Keller's Art Deco tureens demonstrated
extraordinary technical mastery. Unlike the flowing organic forms of his earlier
work, these pieces required precise angular fabrication. Rectilinear bodies with
crisp corners were hand-raised from single sheets of silver, a process demanding
exceptional skill to maintain perfect symmetry. Hand-chased decoration, when
present, took the form of stylized floral motifs, sunburst patterns, or zigzag
borders executed with machine-like precision yet bearing subtle evidence of the
artisan's hand.
Many of his most impressive tureens featured innovative hinged mechanisms for
their lids, often with discreet counterweights to ensure smooth operation. The
interiors were sometimes gilded, both to protect the silver from tarnishing due
to food contact and to create a striking visual contrast when the piece was
opened during service. Handles frequently took the form of stylized geometric
elements or streamlined animal forms, their ergonomic design belying their
artistic sophistication.
Royal and Celebrity Patronage:
While the clientele for luxury silver had changed since the 19th century,
Keller's workshop maintained connections with European aristocracy while also
catering to the new elite of industrialists, entertainers, and cultural figures.
His Art Deco pieces found particular favor among sophisticated international
patrons who appreciated the marriage of traditional craftsmanship with
contemporary design. Notable
commissions included a spectacular lobster tureen created for the Duke of
Westminster's yacht in 1927, featuring a detachable ice liner and a body
decorated with abstracted wave motifs. Another celebrated piece was the "Étoile"
soup tureen made for the reopening of the Hôtel Ritz Paris in 1925, its angular
form punctuated by starburst engravings that caught the light brilliantly in the
hotel's dining room.
The workshop also produced pieces for American clients, including a striking
geometric cocktail set for Cole Porter and a modernist tea service for the
Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. These commissions demonstrated how Keller's
designs, while rooted in French tradition, appealed to the international jet set
who favored Art Deco's universal aesthetic language.
Exhibition Success and Critical Acclaim:
Keller's Art Deco silver gained significant
recognition at major international exhibitions that showcased the new style. His
work featured prominently at the seminal Exposition Internationale des Arts
Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris (1925), the event that gave the Art
Deco movement its name. A monumental centerpiece tureen displayed there earned a
gold medal and was later acquired by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Subsequent showings at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs (1928) and
the Paris Colonial Exposition (1931) further cemented his reputation as a master
of modernist silver. Critics particularly praised his ability to adapt
traditional silversmithing techniques to contemporary forms without sacrificing
either functionality or luxury. The journal Art et Décoration noted in 1929:
"Keller's silver marries the precision of the machine age with the soul of the
artisan - each piece feels both utterly modern and timeless."
This period also saw Keller's workshop collaborating with notable designers
outside the silversmithing field, including glassmaker René Lalique and
furniture designer Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann. These partnerships resulted in
extraordinary mixed-media pieces that pushed the boundaries of decorative arts.
Signature Art Deco Serving Tureens:
Keller's Art Deco tureens represent the apex
of his interwar production. These pieces typically fell into three distinct
stylistic categories, each demonstrating different aspects of his design
philosophy: The
"Architectural" series featured strong vertical lines and stepped forms inspired
by contemporary skyscraper design. A notable example is the 1926 "Gratte-Ciel"
(Skyscraper) tureen, its lid forming a ziggurat-like pyramid that could be
removed in sections to access different compartments. The body was decorated
with alternating polished and matte-finished bands that created dramatic light
play. "Organic Modern"
designs incorporated streamlined natural motifs. The 1928 "Flora" tureen used
overlapping leaf forms in high relief, their surfaces hand-hammered to produce a
dappled texture resembling sunlight through foliage. Despite its natural
inspiration, the overall effect was thoroughly modern, with the leaves arranged
in precise geometric repetition.
The most avant-garde were the "Pure Geometric" pieces, such as the famous 1927 "Cubis"
tureen. This startling design comprised interlocking rectangular volumes in 950
silver and ebony, with hidden hinges allowing the piece to unfold almost like a
puzzle box. While visually radical, it remained entirely functional, with
excellent heat retention properties and cleverly integrated serving ladles.
What united all these variations was Keller's insistence on perfect
functionality. Even his most sculptural tureens were designed by chefs to
maintain food at ideal serving temperatures, with thoughtful details like
condensation channels and insulated handles. This marriage of artistic vision
and practical consideration made his pieces equally prized by collectors and
serious gastronomes.
Technical Innovations in Art Deco Silver:
Keller's workshop developed several technical
innovations specifically for their Art Deco production. Most significant was
their perfection of the "silver lamination" technique, which allowed for the
creation of dramatic two-tone effects. By carefully controlling the oxidation
process, they could produce pieces with alternating zones of polished silver and
darkened patina, creating striking visual contrast that enhanced the geometric
designs. They also pioneered
new approaches to silver annealing that permitted sharper angles in their
designs without risking stress fractures in the metal. This technical
advancement enabled the crisp, almost architectural quality that distinguished
their most modernist pieces from the work of competitors.
Perhaps most impressively, Keller's craftsmen developed a specialized
silver alloy (still based on 950 purity) with enhanced malleability for their
most complex designs. This proprietary formula, the exact composition of which
remains unknown, allowed for more radical forms while maintaining the material's
structural integrity and tarnish resistance.
Craftsmanship Standards:
Even as Keller embraced modern design, he
maintained traditional workshop structures that ensured exceptional quality.
Each tureen was the product of multiple specialists - a designer created the
initial concept, a master silversmith formed the basic shape, a chaser added
decorative elements, and a finisher perfected the surface treatments. This
division of labor, a hallmark of French luxury craftsmanship, allowed each
artisan to focus on their area of supreme expertise.
Quality control was rigorous. Pieces underwent multiple inspections
during production, with particular attention paid to the precision of joins in
angular designs and the smooth operation of moving parts. Finished tureens were
tested for balance when full, heat retention properties, and ease of cleaning -
practical considerations that distinguished truly great silver from merely
decorative showpieces. This
meticulous approach meant that even during their most productive Art Deco
period, Keller's workshop only produced about 20-25 substantial tureens per
year. This limited output contributed to the exclusivity and enduring value of
his pieces.
Keller’s Influence on Modern Design:
Though the Great Depression and subsequent war years
curtailed production of such luxury items, Keller's Art Deco silverware left an
indelible mark on 20th century design. His geometric tureens in particular
influenced later industrial designers working in metal, from the streamlined
products of the 1930s to the postwar modern movement.
Today, Keller's Art Deco silver is highly sought after by collectors, with his
most important tureens commanding prices comparable to museum-quality paintings.
Major pieces reside in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Musée d'Orsay, testament to their artistic
significance beyond mere craft.
Contemporary silversmiths continue to study Keller's technical solutions to
modernist design challenges, particularly his innovations in angular
construction and surface treatment. His ability to honor tradition while
embracing innovation remains a model for luxury artisans across disciplines.
Gustave Keller's Art Deco silver tureens represent a perfect confluence of
material excellence, technical innovation, and design daring. In these
magnificent pieces, the centuries-old tradition of French silversmithing met the
modernist vision of the 20th century, creating objects that were both of their
moment and timeless. For collectors and connoisseurs, they embody the highest
ideals of decorative arts - beauty married to function, craftsmanship elevated
to art, and luxury that transcends fashion. As we continue to rediscover and
reappraise the Art Deco legacy, Keller's silver stands as some of its most
enduring and admirable achievements.
