Cup and saucer from a tea service c. 1930

This is a cup and saucer from a tea service made by Margarete Heymann-Marks Löbenstein. Look at this playful, simple shape. It’s the kind of design where you can see the artist really enjoyed the process, making it up as she went along. The porcelain is smooth, almost uniformly light. The surfaces are matte, which softens the stark geometry. The handle is just these little spheres. It’s so simple, yet so odd! It doesn’t look like anything else, it’s this whole new way of making a teacup. Think about how it feels to hold it. It doesn't look very functional, but that's okay. It’s all about rethinking something really mundane, like having a cup of tea. It reminds me of some of the work of Lucie Rie, who took everyday pottery forms and brought them to a new level of abstraction. I love the way she lets us see something familiar with new eyes.