1.
DESIGN IN THE 20TH CENTURY:
AESTHETIC INNOVATIONS IN CRAFT

2.
DESIGN IN THE 20TH CENTURY:
AESTHETIC INNOVATIONS IN CRAFT
Top of their classes, these designers
paved the way for new and
innovative techniques in their fields.
Each object represents a great
example of the mastery of its craft.
The following four objects from
different time periods, cultures, and
aesthetic perspectives connect
through the theme of innovation. The
Man’s Hat ​from Cameroon, known as
an ​Ashetu ​hat, uses form and
technique known as “knotless
knitting,” one of the oldest textile
construction methods in Central
Africa. Glassmaker, Toots Zynsky,
made the unique Sculptural Vessel
using her own inventive design by
fusing and firing glass filaments.
Through its new visual vocabulary of
bold colors and minimal graphics, the
Adler Typewriter poster designed by
Lucian Bernhard was innovative in its
time to connect directly to viewers
and potential consumers of this
product. Sharp, vibrant, and striking-
Thorn Beads Necklace by Pier
Voulkos uses polymer clay to create
an unconventional complexity in its
final form. We invite you to immerse
yourself in our exhibition.
Curated by: Anna Mone, Hannah
Kim, Jesse Uppal, Madeline Poon, &
Trevor Sullivan Weinstein

3.
ADLER TYPEWRITER POSTER - 1909
Lucian Bernhard was one of the most
prominent designers of his era and his
importance to the history of graphic design
can’t be overestimated. Throughout
Bernhard’s career he developed a new
innovative printing technique called ​Plakatstil
that he used for this print. ​Plakatstil ​was
developed in the 1890s and was a style
associated with modern design, bold lettering
and distinctive eye catching colors. Ludwig
Hohlwein was another prominent figure in the
design industry, as he also used the plakatstil
technique along with Bernhard.
This poster is a lithograph, a print using oil and water on paper. The
colors he uses in his posters are complementary, so in this case red,
green, black and white are the main colors used. Bernhard also
portrays texture wonderfully. A viewer can see and sense the
professional gloss of the typewriter almost as if it had just been
shined, and can hear the click of the keys as they type away.
This poster was made to be an advertisement, so the color and
textures are made to draw the viewer in so they hopefully buy the
typewriter or something else from the Adler company. Before his time,
advertising was not a large franchise. Bernhard populuarized and
paved the path for more innovative, mass produced ads.

4.
SCULPTURAL VESSEL - 1985
Toots Zynsky is known for
her use of thin strand-like
threads of glass. It is created
by pulling hot glass into
strands, she then layers and
fuses them together to make
a thin glass fabric. The piece
of glass fabric is then heated
and slumped over to create a
shape like this one. The
Vessel is folded in such ways
that complement the rich
textures and patterns.
“It’s really amazing, you can
do everything with it. (The
Glass) You can pour it and
cast it like metal. You can
stretch it, carve it, saw it, you
can stick it together. It’s the
only material that you can
melt and blow. It’s such a
strange and plastic thing, I
think that’s what keeps
drawing me back to it. ( The
Glass) “
Toots Zynsky working with glass in her studio

5.
THORN BEADS NECKLACE - 1992
Thorn Bead Necklace is comprised of metal wire strung with polymer clay beads. Designed by
Pier Voulkos in 1992 and created in 1993, its beads were made using Milli-Fiori glass techniques,
using layered colored clays to create its swirled effect. Voulkos explains that, “the beads start
with a soft matt finish and as they are worn, develop a polished sheen.” Already innovative and
creative, Voulkos expected the necklace to evolve as it was used.
“My work including the jewelry is big, colorful, fun,
and sometimes silly. ...The product possibilities are
endless.​”

6.
MAN’S HAT - 1957
In the Cameroon Grasslands, the human head
is considered an important subject of
appreciation, which makes hats an essential
tradition. Hats serve a religious and
ceremonial function and also indicate marital
status. This geographically distinctive hat,
known as an ​ashetu​, provides spiritual
protection. It is made with woven hemp fibers
and represents a unique 'knotless knitting’
technique. The crocheted burls reflect the
tufted hairstyle worn by high-ranking men, and
each of them contains a small wooden peg, an
original way to maintain its shape. Additional
traditional, aesthetic, and symbolic
decorations such as cowry shells, trade
beads, and feathers further emphasize the
massive wealth and high status of the wearer.
Man’s hat (ashetu), Cameroon, 1957
Bamum tribe hat (ashetu) Kom tribe fon,
Jinabo II Bakilek
Bamileke tribe hats (ashetu)
The Cameroon Grasslands is organized into chiefdoms, which are ruled by a fon, or king. The
Fon regulates the use and production of material possessions, such as the ​Ashetu. ​Ashetu​, or
prestige hats, are only worn on special and ceremonial occasions; they are part of multiple
Cameroon Grasslands cultures, such as the Bafo, Bamum, and Bamileke kingship societies. In
addition to the hat, hairstyles, wooden masks, and body paint are essential parts of the
Cameroon Grasslands cultures and their ideas of beauty. The tribes display their social and
political ideals through the art of the body.

7.
EXHIBITION CHECKLIST
Poster, Adler Typewriter, Lucian Bernhard, 1909–10; Germany; lithograph on
paper; H x W: 45.9 × 58.7 cm (18 1/16 × 23 1/8 in.); 2005-12-2
Sculptural Vessel , Toots Zynsky, 1985; fused and thermo-formed glass
threads (filet-de-verre technique); H x W x D: 14 x 29.2 x 31.8 cm (5 1/2 x 11 1/2
x 12 1/2 in.) 1986-20-1
Thorn Beads Necklace, Pier Voulkos, 1992; polymer clay, metal wire; H x W x
D (clasped): 20 x 18.5 x 4 cm (7 7/8 x 7 5/16 x 1 9/16 in.); 1993-82-1
Man's Hat (ashetu) (Cameroon), mid- to late 20th century; cotton, wood; H x
W: 19.1 x 35.6 cm (7 1/2 x 14 in.); 2003-3-1

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