Aviator Cup

To mark the 260th anniversary of the Berlin Porcelain Manufactory ( KPM Berlin), and as a tribute to its eventful design history and one of its most significant designers to this day, Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain, the Berlin Porcelain Manufactory is releasing a re-edition of the “ aviator cup ,” a true rarity of the New Objectivity movement. What makes this captivating design—which perfectly embodies Friedlaender-Wildenhain’s creative vision—so special is that the espresso cup’s base ring and the recess in the “ saucer ” interlock perfectly, creating a duo that is flawless in both function and form, and that is slip- and tip-resistant.
A Rarity in the Spirit of New Objectivity: Re-edition of the “ aviator cup ” by Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain
A focus on the essential and perfection in form and function characterize the New Objectivity movement and the works of Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain. After completing her studies at the University of Applied Arts in Berlin, the designer joined the Bauhaus in Weimar in 1919; six years later, she headed the ceramics workshop at the Burg Giebichenstein School of Arts and Crafts in Halle. This position laid the foundation for her collaboration with the “ KPM Berlin ” as well as for numerous porcelain designs that were pivotal to the manufactory’s design history.
Her unadorned, perfectly shaped tableware—with a particular focus on functionality and practicality—revolutionized the market, and her collections, such as the “Hallesche Form,” made design history. A captivating design from this period, one that perfectly embodies Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain’s creative philosophy, was commissioned by the former airline “ Halle-Leipzig”: the “Ringmoccatasse,” also known as the “aviator cup.” The original design, now reissued by the KPM Master Workshop, was created at a time when Friedlaender-Wildenhain was designing the “Hermes Services”—named after the winged messenger of the gods—for the catering service at the Schkeuditz airport restaurant, where it was used exclusively.
The original design of the espresso cup, now reissued by the KPM Master Workshop, was originally created as a design study by the porcelain designer as part of this commissioned work and was never available for sale. This makes it a true rarity of its time and a must-have for all lovers and collectors of handcrafted Berlin porcelain and timeless Bauhaus aesthetics.