# Wilhelm Wagenfeld artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/wilhelm-wagenfeld/
Profile generated: 2026-05-14T22:00:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: German
- Movements: Bauhaus
- Common media: glass, metal, industrial design, printmaking

## About Wilhelm Wagenfeld

Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900–1990) was a German industrial designer whose work helped define the aesthetic of twentieth-century functional design. Trained at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Wagenfeld became one of the school's most commercially influential graduates, translating modernist principles into accessible household objects. Over a career spanning six decades, he designed glass and metal products for leading European manufacturers including Jenaer Glaswerk Schott & Gen., Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke, Rosenthal, Braun GmbH, and WMF. His designs for tableware, lighting, and kitchenware remain in production, a testament to their enduring functional clarity. Wagenfeld's work is held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Born in Bremen and active through Stuttgart, he is recognized as a key bridge figure between Bauhaus idealism and postwar industrial manufacturing.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Wagenfeld's work in the form of glass tableware, bowls, vases, and drinking sets produced for Jenaer Glas and Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke. His metal designs for WMF — including cutlery, tea and coffee services, and household utensils — are also widely circulated. Lighting fixtures, particularly his Bauhaus-era lamps, are sought-after lots at auction. Rosenthal collaborations include porcelain dinnerware and decorative objects. Prints and works on paper appear less often but are documented in authority records. Reissued editions of several iconic designs remain commercially available, which is relevant when assessing vintage originals.

## Market and appraisal context

Wagenfeld's designs appear regularly at auction in categories including twentieth-century decorative arts, design, and glass. Values are influenced by manufacturer attribution (WMF, Rosenthal, Jenaer Glas, Braun), production era, condition, and whether a piece is an original Bauhaus-period example versus a later reissue. Early or rare prototypes and limited-edition collaborations tend to achieve higher prices than widely distributed production lines. Collector interest is strongest for pieces with clear provenance, intact manufacturer marks, and documented design history. His Bauhaus association and museum-held works reinforce long-term market confidence, but the large volume of production means individual pieces require careful identification.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured artist identity research from authority files and museum records with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on Getty ULAN, VIAF, Wikidata, the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), the Museum of Modern Art collection record, and verified biographical sources.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77378
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wagenfeld
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500048135
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/93091146/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88009907
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/6208
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/228048