Wilhelm Wagenfeld, WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik

Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900–1990) was a German industrial designer and one of the most influential figures associated with the Bauhaus. Trained as a silversmith, he studied in the Bauhaus metal workshop in Weimar and designed the celebrated 1924 table lamp with Carl Jakob Jucker. Wagenfeld later created glass, lighting, metalware and household objects for manufacturers including Schott, Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke, WMF and Braun, guided by the principle of well-designed everyday objects for a broad public.

WMF, the Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik, was formed in Geislingen, Germany, in the 19th century and became one of Europe’s most important manufacturers of metal household objects. Its tableware, cutlery, decorative vessels and lighting combined industrial production with the work of specialist designers. Across Art Nouveau, Art Deco and postwar modernism, WMF became known for technically refined metalwork in silver plate, brass and stainless steel.