Tommi Parzinger Silver Plate Objects by Dorlyn Silversmiths

This pair of silver-plated objects by Tommi Parzinger for Dorlyn Silversmiths represents the designer at his most refined. The larger piece is a flower frog centerpiece bowl. A wide, shallow bowl rests on a solid cylindrical pedestal. The pierced lid features evenly spaced circular openings for floral arranging, topped with a small cup finial on a slender stem. A delicate chain drop adds a quiet sculptural detail to the side of the base. The smaller piece is a footed compote with a scalloped edge and radiating incised lines that give it an organic, petal-like quality. It sits on a turned pedestal and flat circular foot. Both pieces share the clean geometry and restrained elegance that define Parzinger’s silverware. They are available for purchase together or individually.

Tommi Parzinger (1903–1981) was a German-born designer celebrated for his “high-style modernism.” He studied at the Kunstgewebeschule in Munich, focusing on ceramic, glass, metal, wood, and painting. After immigrating to New York in 1932, he began his American career designing metalware for Rena Rosenthal’s Madison Avenue shop. He went on to design for Dorlyn Silversmiths, Reed and Barton, and Lightolier, among others. A 1939 Life magazine article named him the “most creative original designer of silverware in the United States.” His clients included Marilyn Monroe, Billy Baldwin, and the Rockefeller family.