BEN SEIBEL (1918 - 1985 ) was an American industrial designer who brought sculptural tableware into homes nationwide. His designs played with form and function to create objects that were useful, unique, and beautiful.

He grew up in Newark, New Jersey and began studying architecture at Columbia before his studies were interrupted by WWII. After the war, Seibel attended the Pratt Institute, where he started to study industrial design. However, neither degree was ever completed—instead, Seibel set up his own studio where he began to create his own designs. Here he created some of his best-known work, like his dinnerware, glassware and tabletop accessories.

Siebel’s work reached peak popularity in the 1950s, most notably his Informal and Impromptu tableware lines for Iroquois China. Seibel also created designs for Roseville Pottery Company and Mikasa. The designer continued creating at his studio, maintaining only a small staff until his death in 1985 at the age of 67.

(Source: Rebekah Henderson + Atomic Ranch; Image Credit: Michael Kaplan)