Design for a Display Stand
date: label: Date
content: 1812
name: label: Artist
content: Karl Friedrich Schinkel, German, 1781–1841
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: A stand with four circular tiers to display crystal objects. On margin, explanations of the drawing. It is a folded sheet of paper. On the second page explanatory letter by Schinkel dated Febr. 16, 1812. Explanation of drawing (in transl.): From the gilt rim of each disc a, b, c, d hangs a fringe of glass prisms which diminish in their size in the upper tiers. A, b, c, d: circular discs, mirror-glass covered, and with a fine and narrow gold edging. On these stand the various glass objects which--through the reflection of the mirrors--appear double and so to speak will seem to be swinging between the outer borders. If the reverse of each of the discs would also be covered with mirror-glass, the effect of the mirror, placed back to back, would still be more striking. The octagonal center column consists also of mirror-glass panels joined at the corners by very narrow gold bands. Thus, the whole will have an appearance of extreme lightness and transparency which will be in complete harmony with the crystal object standing on it. The whole composition will rest upon a golden foot (gilt) composed of leaves and lion's claws. On the top disc stands a bronze candelabra, such as can be found already at Werner and Muth. The gold ornaments are of gilded wood, and also the foot is made of wood, carved and gilded.
place: label: made in
content: Germany
setName: label: See more items in
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
label: See more items in
content: Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 1954-93-1
objectType: label: Type
content: furniture
label: Object Name
content: Drawing
label: Type
content: Drawing
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Pen and black ink, brush and watercolor on paper
label: Dimensions
content: 22.7 x 18.9 cm (8 15/16 x 7 7/16 in.)