Henry Petzal (August 16, 1906[1] – March 15, 2002)[1] was an American silversmith. He did not begin silversmithing until 1957 at the age of 50.[2]

Henry Petzal
Born(1906-08-16)August 16, 1906
Berlin, Germany
DiedMarch 15, 2020(2020-03-15) (aged 113)
NationalityAmerican
Known forsilversmithing

History

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Henry Petzal was born on August 16, 1906, in Berlin.[3] He came to the United States as a German refugee in 1935, settling in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.[3] For many years he worked in the textile industry.[3]

In 1963, he started taking classes at New York City YMCA on Fiftieth Street, where he studied with Rudolph Schumacher, William Seitz.[3] And he took classes the Craft Students League, he learned from Adda Husted Andersen.[3] His greatest inspiration in his designs was Chinese ceramics. He designed and hand-raised every piece.

His works are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[3] the Chicago Museum of Fine Arts, the Silversmith's Museum in London, England. The largest collection is at the Mingei Museum in San Diego,[3] and the Mingei International Museum.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Late-Breaking News (2002)". Society of American Silversmiths. 2002. Archived from the original on October 15, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2008. (, archived by WebCite at )
  2. ^ Doty, Robert M.; Faison, Samson Lane (1987). "Henry Petzal, Silversmith". Manchester, N.H.: Currier Gallery of Art: 96. OCLC 17463083. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Kiddush cup with drip plate". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). Retrieved February 5, 2021. At the Craft Students League, he learned chasing from Adda Husted Andersen.
  4. ^ "www.mingei.org". Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.