Thoroughly modern: reflections on the work of Jean Puiforcat

An account of the work of the French silversmith Jean Puiforcat (1897-1945). The article focuses on Puiforcat's contacts with artists and designers of the interwar avant garde in Paris, outlines his design philosophies and discusses his contributions to major exhibitions. The piece argues that Puiforcat's work is best understood in the context of interwar modernist culture rather than under the inadequate style label 'art deco'.