Mildred Mottahedeh
Mildred Root Mottahedeh (August 7, 1908 – February 17, 2000) founded Mottahedeh & Company, a designer and supplier of luxury porcelain made in Italy and Portugal for the U.S. market, based on historical models or direct replicas, that were sold in part through Tiffany & Co. and other luxury retailers, and museum gift shops. Her large personal collection of Chinese export porcelain for the European market, formed together with her Iranian husband, Rafi Y. Mottahedeh, who died in 1978, was catalogued by David Howard in China For The West (2 vols., 1989).[1] Mottahedeh porcelain table services were purchased for the White House, three Presidential Inaugurations, and the State Department's reception suite.[2] A well-known service is the Mottahedeh "Tobacco Leaf" pattern, based on 18th-century Chinese export porcelains for the Portuguese market, which employs 27 underglaze and enamel colors and gilding.
She used her wealth to establish charities such as the Mottahedeh Development Services, building over ten schools in Uganda.
Mottahedeh was a follower of the Baháʼí Faith; she was a member of the International Baháʼí Council and representative of the Baháʼí Community to the United Nations.
Mildred Mottahedeh's son, Roy Mottahedeh, a historian of the medieval Near East and recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, teaches at Harvard University.
References
- New York Times, "The Porcelain Art Of Mottahedeh Knows No Age" April 6, 1989 ([avesomedecorum.blogspot.com/2014/08/we-have-mildred-to-thank.html on-line]).
- "Mildred Root Mottahedeh, 91, Collector of Chinese Porcelain". New York Times Obituary. February 23, 2000. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
Bibliography
- Geoffry W. Marks, ed. (1996). Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-86. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States. pp. 116, 745. ISBN 0-87743-239-2.
- Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (Ed.) (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Baháʼí World Centre. pp. 282, 287, 291, 325, 329. ISBN 0-85398-350-X.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- Hassall, Graham (1992). "Pacific Baha'i Communities 1950-1964". In H. Rubinstein, Donald (ed.). Pacific History: Papers from the 8th Pacific History Association Conference. University of Guam Press & Micronesian Area Research Center, Guam. pp. 73–95.
- Krause, Joy (June 15, 1997). "Character comes through in porcelain". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- R. Sims, Barbara (1998). Unfurling the Divine Flag in Tokyo: An Early Baháʼí History. Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo: Japan Baháʼí Publishing Trust. p. 66. ISBN 4-938975-06-8.
- Atkinson, Anne Gordon; Robert Stockman. "Introduction to Green Acre Baha'i School". Essays. Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- Keller, Rosemary Skinner; Rosemary Radford Ruether; Marie Cantlon (2006). Encyclopedia of women and religion in North America, Volume 2. Indiana University Press. p. 786. ISBN 978-0-253-34687-2.
- "Mildred Mottahedeh, first Baháʼí International Community representative to the United Nations, passed away". One Country. Baháʼí International Community. 11 (04). January–March 2000. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- "Representatives to the UN; Past Representatives". Who We Are. Baháʼí International Community. 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-26.