ON VIEW

Description

A dramatic composition of curves and angles, the Flying Cloud teapot evokes thoughts of the famous clipper ship for which it is named—the fastest in the world when built by Donald McKay of Boston in 1853. The most distinctive feature of the teapot is its long handle in the form of a whiplash curve (called a “tendril” by the artists), which arcs back over the body of the vessel. A small rosewood insert that serves as an insulator tells the user to grip the handle above the insert when pouring. The angular spout juts forward proudly, like the prow of a sailing ship. A small, detachable lid allows access to the body of the vessel. The maker’s mark, “Banner Handwrought Sterling 09,” is stamped on the bottom of the pot.


Context and Analysis

Silver’s amazing properties as a metal, such as its purity and thermal conductivity, have made it an ideal material for the fabrication of works of art for centuries. Flying Cloud, created by the wife-and-husband team of Maureen and Michael Banner, shows how this tradition continues to flourish in the early twenty-first century. Recent decades have seen a rise in the cost of silver, accompanied by a lessening of consumer demand. As a result of these trends, relatively few silversmiths now fashion large vessels for tea and coffee, such as this superb example, or for other purposes. The Banners are an important exception.

The Banners work individually to create jewelry and other objects. In addition, since the 1980s they have collaborated on commissioned tea and coffee services. They have gained a national reputation for their hollowware collaborations, which now feature in many museum collections. Normally, Maureen Banner does the drawing, while Michael Banner handles the fabrication of high-quality sheet silver. Their silver vessels, including Flying Cloud, emphasize line and form rather than ornament. Despite its striking, modernist appearance, Flying Cloud is entirely functional: the Banners place great emphasis on creating well-balanced tea- and coffeepots that pour easily and admirably fulfill their intended purpose.


Connections

The purity and thermal conductivity of silver make it an ideal material for brewing and serving tea, coffee, and other hot beverages. Flying Cloud takes its place as a contemporary expression of a long series of related silver objects in the Currier Museum of Art collection. That distinguished line includes English and American examples of the 1700s, as well as factory-produced versions of the 1800s issued by Tiffany & Co. of New York and the William B. Durgin Co. of Concord, New Hampshire. The Banners’ pot relates more closely, however, to a group of handwrought versions by Arts and Crafts masters such as Arthur J. Stone, Karl F. Leinonen, and George Christian Gebelein (Currier, 2005.14.1, , 2005.14.2, 2005.14.3), and the modern studio artist Winifred Clark Shaw (Currier, 2012.41).

Flying Cloud was presented to the Currier Museum in 2010 by collector Nancy Tieken (1940–2013). Ms. Tieken noted that although she had enjoyed the teapot every day since she had bought it, she felt that “her pleasure should be shared” by the visiting public at the institution where she used to work. Ms. Tieken served as the Currier’s director of education from 1988 to 1991 and was a trustee of the museum from 2008 to 2012.


Written by Gerald W. R. Ward


Bibliography

Banner, Maureen, and Michael Banner. Website: www.mmbanner.com (accessed December 4, 2013).

Crnkovich, Ruth Burkes. “Profiles of Modern Day Silversmiths.” Silver Magazine 35, no. 5 (September–October 2003): 20–21.

Harris, Patricia, and David Lyon. “In the Balance: Michael and Maureen Banner.” Metalsmith 21, no. 3 (summer 2001): 28–33.

Smith, Paul J., ed. Objects for Use: Handmade by Design. New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with the American Craft Museum, 2001.

ON VIEW

Description

A dramatic composition of curves and angles, the Flying Cloud teapot evokes thoughts of the famous clipper ship for which it is named—the fastest in the world when built by Donald McKay of Boston in 1853. The most distinctive feature of the teapot is its long handle in the form of a whiplash curve (called a “tendril” by the artists), which arcs back over the body of the vessel. A small rosewood insert that serves as an insulator tells the user to grip the handle above the insert when pouring. The angular spout juts forward proudly, like the prow of a sailing ship. A small, detachable lid allows access to the body of the vessel. The maker’s mark, “Banner Handwrought Sterling 09,” is stamped on the bottom of the pot.


Context and Analysis

Silver’s amazing properties as a metal, such as its purity and thermal conductivity, have made it an ideal material for the fabrication of works of art for centuries. Flying Cloud, created by the wife-and-husband team of Maureen and Michael Banner, shows how this tradition continues to flourish in the early twenty-first century. Recent decades have seen a rise in the cost of silver, accompanied by a lessening of consumer demand. As a result of these trends, relatively few silversmiths now fashion large vessels for tea and coffee, such as this superb example, or for other purposes. The Banners are an important exception.

The Banners work individually to create jewelry and other objects. In addition, since the 1980s they have collaborated on commissioned tea and coffee services. They have gained a national reputation for their hollowware collaborations, which now feature in many museum collections. Normally, Maureen Banner does the drawing, while Michael Banner handles the fabrication of high-quality sheet silver. Their silver vessels, including Flying Cloud, emphasize line and form rather than ornament. Despite its striking, modernist appearance, Flying Cloud is entirely functional: the Banners place great emphasis on creating well-balanced tea- and coffeepots that pour easily and admirably fulfill their intended purpose.


Connections

The purity and thermal conductivity of silver make it an ideal material for brewing and serving tea, coffee, and other hot beverages. Flying Cloud takes its place as a contemporary expression of a long series of related silver objects in the Currier Museum of Art collection. That distinguished line includes English and American examples of the 1700s, as well as factory-produced versions of the 1800s issued by Tiffany & Co. of New York and the William B. Durgin Co. of Concord, New Hampshire. The Banners’ pot relates more closely, however, to a group of handwrought versions by Arts and Crafts masters such as Arthur J. Stone, Karl F. Leinonen, and George Christian Gebelein (Currier, 2005.14.1, , 2005.14.2, 2005.14.3), and the modern studio artist Winifred Clark Shaw (Currier, 2012.41).

Flying Cloud was presented to the Currier Museum in 2010 by collector Nancy Tieken (1940–2013). Ms. Tieken noted that although she had enjoyed the teapot every day since she had bought it, she felt that “her pleasure should be shared” by the visiting public at the institution where she used to work. Ms. Tieken served as the Currier’s director of education from 1988 to 1991 and was a trustee of the museum from 2008 to 2012.


Written by Gerald W. R. Ward


Bibliography

Banner, Maureen, and Michael Banner. Website: www.mmbanner.com (accessed December 4, 2013).

Crnkovich, Ruth Burkes. “Profiles of Modern Day Silversmiths.” Silver Magazine 35, no. 5 (September–October 2003): 20–21.

Harris, Patricia, and David Lyon. “In the Balance: Michael and Maureen Banner.” Metalsmith 21, no. 3 (summer 2001): 28–33.

Smith, Paul J., ed. Objects for Use: Handmade by Design. New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with the American Craft Museum, 2001.