servies

This service was designed by Hendrik Petrus Berlage for ’t Binnenhuis. Customers could visit this interior shop, which was the focal point of progressive Amsterdam in around 1900, to place orders with designers, who created household goods for them, such as furniture and dinner services. According to Berlage, a good design conveys the character of its time without reverting to old styles. Decoration was permitted, providing it was simple and logically consistent with the construction and material. The simple wave design of this service is a fine example of this approach. The pattern traces around the edges of the pieces; the basic shape of the ornamentation is round, as is the design of the service itself. The Stedelijk Museum owns two dishes, two plates and a tureen. Although Berlage as a socialist pursued the ideal of creating work that would also be used by the working classes, the high production costs placed this service beyond the means of ordinary people.