Waffle Plate

This influential plate, designed by Ward Bennett, combines the earthenware aesthetic with a high style decorative effect, enabling the user to use it in both semi-formal and informal settings, a combination that became increasingly popular in the 1980s and beyond.
The circular shape of the plate plays against the triangular and square elements of the diamond-point pyramidal shapes on the border, using the circle-square-triangle combination that Bennett favored in many of his designs, such as his chair models and design elements for lamps.
The museum holds one of Bennett’s drawings for a teapot the designer created in 1986 as part of a design commission from Bloomingdale’s that was produced by Sasaki to celebrate their 100th anniversary. This plate is from the same pattern. Bennett worked with Tiffany & Co. as well as Bloomingdale’s to produce designs for tableware, including glass, ceramics, and flatware.
The museum holds flatware, models, archives, drawings, and source material for Bennett’s designs. This plate will be the first example of Bennett’s ceramic tableware in the collection and will complement the existing drawing of the same pattern as well as further support the collection objective of acquiring the work of important designers across departments.

Waffle Plate; USA; glazed earthenware; H x diam.: 2.5 x 27.6 cm (1 x 10 7/8 in.); Gift of Paul F. Walter; 2010-33-3