Mildred Mottahedeh
Encyclopedia
Mildred R. Mottahedeh was one of the most important figures in the area of luxury goods in the twentieth century. During her lifetime she amassed the largest privately held collection of Chinese export porcelain in the world, a feat which was catalogued in the book China For The West by David Howard. Her company, Mottahedeh & Company
, was the number-one maker of luxury porcelain in the U.S. market for many years, and her designs graced the tables of places such as the White House, three Presidential Inaugurations, and the State Department.
While she amassed enormous wealth during her lifetime, including one of the largest estates in Connecticut during the 1950s and 1960s, she gave nearly all her wealth away by establishing charities such as the Mottahedeh Development Services, building over 10 schools in Uganda, and many other endeavors. Her company, while no longer owned by the Mottahedeh family, continues to make luxury porcelain.
Mottahedeh was strongly committed to her religion, the Bahá'í Faith
; she was a long-serving member of the International Baha'i Council
and representative of the Baha’i community to the United Nations
.
Mildred Mottahedeh's son, Roy Mottahedeh
, is a renowned historian of the medieval Near East and recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship who teaches at Harvard University
.
Mottahedeh & Company
Mottahedeh & Company is a company in New York City that makes tableware. The company has made porcelain for the President of the United States, the U.S. State Department and the Diplomatic Corps....
, was the number-one maker of luxury porcelain in the U.S. market for many years, and her designs graced the tables of places such as the White House, three Presidential Inaugurations, and the State Department.
While she amassed enormous wealth during her lifetime, including one of the largest estates in Connecticut during the 1950s and 1960s, she gave nearly all her wealth away by establishing charities such as the Mottahedeh Development Services, building over 10 schools in Uganda, and many other endeavors. Her company, while no longer owned by the Mottahedeh family, continues to make luxury porcelain.
Mottahedeh was strongly committed to her religion, the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
; she was a long-serving member of the International Baha'i Council
International Bahá'í Council
The International Bahá'í Council was an administrative institution of the Bahá'í Faith, first created in 1951 as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice, which replaced it in 1963.-Formation:...
and representative of the Baha’i community to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Mildred Mottahedeh's son, Roy Mottahedeh
Roy Mottahedeh
Roy Parviz Mottahedeh is a professor of pre-modern social and intellectual history of the Islamic Middle East at Harvard University and expert on Iranian culture.-Life:...
, is a renowned historian of the medieval Near East and recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship who teaches at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.