Revolutionary Designer Dies at 105

Eva Zeisel was a revolutionary ceramic artist and designer whose eccentric work changed the way Americans experience their homes and lives throughout a century. She died last month in New York City at the incredible age of 105. Ms. Zeisel was an inspiration to the design world, contributing her trail-blazing innovations for almost 90 years.

In the post-war 1940s and ’50s, Ms. Zeisel helped to introduce middle-class America to the fresh, casual modernist design. She was the first female designer to be prominently featured in an exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, with her “Museum” collection of casual porcelain tableware in 1946.

The collection was met with critical acclaim, but was very controversial in a time when formal, fancy china was expected. The publicity surrounding its introduction boosted its sales, though, and encouraged the designer in her whimsical style. Throughout her career, her designs were focused on creating objects that were both useful for the home and beautiful, things that would contribute to people’s enjoyment of their everyday lives.

Zeisel in 1951

“Men have no concept of how to design things for the home,” she told one writer. “Women should design the things they use.”

Ms. Zeisel was prolific to the last. Recent rug and furniture designs, as well as a number of Eva Zeisel Originals are still on the market, and a line of her lighting fixtures is scheduled for release this year.