Henry Petzal
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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 | August 16, 1906 |
| Died | March 15, 2020 (aged 113) |
| Known for | silversmithing |
History
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]
