Fellows and Sons | Established 1876

Georg Jensen

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The Danish silversmith Georg Jensen (1866 – 1935) regularly features in our jewellery auctions and remains a firm favourite with buyers. In our forthcoming Antiques, Silver & Collectables sale on Monday 27th February is a selection of silverware which optimises the characteristics which have become synonymous with Danish design around the world.

Firstly is Lot 215 – a modern silver grape tazza, the circular foot rising to a wrythen stem and fruiting mount to the shallow bowl (pattern number 263A). Jensen was renowned for his craftsmanship and forward-thinking designs which embodied many of the characteristics and influences of the Art Nouveau style. This signature design from 1918 demonstrates how the perfect balance of curved lines, organic structures and decorative ornament can be achieved.

Lot 215

A similar restraint was seen in the use of decoration on Lot 351 from the Silver & Plated Ware sale in December 2016, which sold for £1,500. This silver Louvre footed bowl (pattern number 19A) is raised above an openwork stem of stylised leaves and berries, appearing to hover weightlessly with only minimal hammered marks to the bowl.

Photo Number 2

Both examples demonstrate his ability to unite fine art with arts and crafts, more so as the twelve individual leaves and twenty-four beads on the Louvre bowl were individually soldered on to the base piece by piece. Aptly named after the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at Musée du Louvre in Paris acquired the bowl for their permanent collection in 1914, it remains one his most iconic pieces.

Aside from jewellery and silverware, Jensen also created flatware patterns, many of which are still being produced today. In the upcoming sale is Lot 271 – a set of six silver Acorn pattern grapefruit spoons.

271

The Acorn pattern although subtle in appearance is one of the most popular amongst collectors and was designed by painter Johan Rohde (1856-1935) for Georg Jensen. It has a remarkable likeness to the architectural ornamentation found in Ancient Greece and has never gone out production. Rohde and Jensen first collaborated in 1904 on some personal projects; impressed by one another the relationship continued with Rohde joining the studio in 1906. His designs although more stylized than Jensen’s were not strictly purely geometric and fell somewhere between Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

Another popular pattern is the Cactus as seen on Lot 294 – a 1970’s silver spoon in retailer’s case. Designed in 1930 by Gundolph Albertus (1887 – 1970) this pattern has elements of Art Deco in the striking lines and simplicity of form. Albertus worked for Jensen for forty years over seeing the company’s production, having begun his career as a chaser in 1905. He also designed the pattern Bittersweet and then the first stainless flatware pattern Mitra in 1941, which was produced because of the wartime shortage of silver.

294

The breadth of styles which are embodied in these pieces are key to the popularity and commercial success of the company; cleverly making his designs reflect the times, Jensen set the trends for contemporary tableware. The advantage to purchasing at auction is it allows buyers the opportunity to pick up these period Georg Jensen designs which are no longer being produced, or at a fraction of the cost to compliment the furnishings of a modern home.

If you would like more details of any of the lots in our Antiques, Silver & Collectables sale on Monday 27th February please visit www.fellows.co.uk to view our online catalogue or contact us directly and we will be happy to help.

Viewing Times

23 February 2017 10am – 4pm

24 February 2017 10am – 4pm

25 February 2017 11am – 4pm

27 February 2017 8.00am – 9.30am