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08-016.
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08-016. Ben Seibel
Forum International Buffetware Chip-and-Dip
Forum International
Japan, 1966
13 x 10.25 x 6.5"
Plastic, metal, ceramic and rattan
Facsimile signature and manufacturer's mark
Every once in a while I'll find myself surprised by something I find. I consider Ben Seibel to be one of my favorite designers, but for all the years I've collected his work, Forum International Buffetware pieces have eluded me. I've seen examples maybe a half dozen times overpriced in antique and modernism shops around the country in the past decade, but until today never in a thrift store. The shapes are genuinely Seibel, and the handles in particular reference his earlier (and perhaps more vigorously collected) work.
I was ecstatic when I found the base of this chip and dip server, marked number 411 in Forum International brochures, buried amidst the various cast off housewares and unwanted detritus of yesteryear on the shelf of the single thrift store Kate and I visited on our journey to drop her off at her office today. But I was aghast that the ceramic insert was missing. The base of the server still had the paper label applied underneath, so what must have happened to the ceramic piece since this section was so obviously never used in its 40+ years of existence? My question was answered on the opposite side of the store, where the insert was sitting priced separately from the base (and also retaining its original label!). Two prices or not, I had a matching set!
Forum International Buffetware is an interesting conglomeration of materials, which is not uncommon in Ben Seibel designs. This particular line transcends most others, though, due to the cardboard substrate that forms the core of the plastic parts. Richard Racheter in his seminal book Tableware Designs of Ben Seibel describes this material in detail, and how the cardboard core was discovered through an unfortunately broken piece. It is well worth looking in to if this book isn't already in your library, as it contains the bulk of contemporary research on Ben Seibel and his designs. At least it has my endorsement, as does Forum International Buffetware for its revolutionary construction and classically modern forms.
Found on May 13, 2008 in Champaign, IL.
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