Oval tray from the Cosmos coffee and tea service

The Cosmos, servingware designed by Rohde around 1915 is widely recognized as an icon of 20th century Scandinavian design. The collaboration between Rohde, an artist and designer who worked in many media, and Jensen began in 1906 and continued until 1935, the year of their deaths. Rohde's design synthesizes classical motifs, like the fluting on the lower portions of the pieces, with modern touches, like the stark ebony handles and spherical forms, resulting in a service that is both elegant and modern. In 1929, Frederick Weyerhaeuser III and his bride Margaret Gertrude Ludwig received as a wedding present the seven pieces from the Cosmos line of servingware shown here: the oval tray, teapot, coffee pot, waste bowl, creamer, covered sugar bowl, and hot milk jug. Twenty-five years later, their children presented them with a hot water kettle on stand from the original line in celebration of their silver wedding anniversary. In 1999, the family donated the set to the Institute.