COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 43, NO. 2 FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2012
Georg Jensen - Silver And More By Janet Drucker anish silversmith Georg Jensen (1866-1935) was one of the most talented, original and influential silversmiths of the twentieth century. Antiques dealer, collector, and author Janet Drucker has been in love with Jensen silver for over 30 years. Her two seminal books on the subject, “Georg Jensen, 20th Century Designs” and “Georg Jensen: A Tradition of Splendid Silver,” were both published by Schiffer. In the latter title, Drucker presents the story of Jensen’s life and the company he founded in rich detail, with hundreds of images of pieces designed and produced by his company over the decades. (Following is an excerpt from the latter title.) On December 27, Janet Drucker gave a special talk at an open house preview of the New Year’s Day sale at Stephenson’s Auction. Her presentation focused on Jensen flatware and the classic “Acorn” pattern - a pattern represented in the auction. See highlights of the sale on page 5 of this issue.
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was about Jensen silver, I but also about the handling almost anything with the fascinating man Jensen hallmark. What began as an attraction to Jensen’s “wearable and affordable art” jewelry grew to encompass virtually the totality of his work and the work of the designers employed by the firm he founded. In Denmark and other European countries, a goldsmith is G e o r g one who makes jewelry, a Jensen - silversmith is one who raises silver to make hol-
No. 2 Blossom tray with teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl, designed by Georg Jensen. Collection of Ed and Lisa Guari.
artist, sculptor, designer, silversmith, businessman, and family man. Simultaneously, my involvement with other
lowware, and a cutler is one who makes flatware. For the purpose of definition, hollowware refers to bowls, vases, desk implements, etc., anything that is not flatware. In the United States, jewelers make gold as well as silver jewelry. Georg Jensen is referred to as a silversmith in this text, although we know he made flatware, hollowware, and gold jewelry as well. Jensen referred to himself as a silversmith sculptor.
My love affair with Georg Jensen silver developed from a search for beautiful yet affordable jewelry. Blossom Years ago when I began to deal in wooden matchantique jewelry, diamonds and box holder no 2D, gold were out of the question. designed by Georg Jensen. Characteristics Not only were they too costly, Collection of Ed and Lisa of Guari. they didn’t appeal to me aesthetiThe Jensen Style cally. Then I found my first piece Jensen silver products grew as By 1904, Georg of Georg Jensen silver. I knew well. Though I initially bought Jensen’s artistic immediately there was something and sold only Jensen jewelry, I vision seems to have crystalmagical about it, and to my fur- soon found I could not stop there. I lized into a unique style. ther delight, I discovered I could began to deal in Jensen flatware While it continued to evolve in afford to buy it. and serving pieces as well. subtle ways throughout the rest of The memory of finding that Customers asked for other specific his life, his style exhibited a numfirst piece of Georg Jensen items, and I went out to find them. ber of characteristics features, most silver is indelible. It was brooch Before long, of which consistently appear in his no. 100B, sometimes referred to jewelry. An especially prominent as the tulip pin. I wantfeature is the use of ed to know such vines, leaves, things as: who flowers, buds, designed the and berries. piece, how many Jensen’s examples were interpretaproduced, what tion of the different vitality and stones were motion of used, and how Art Nouveau one design is shown, not related to oththrough the ers within the “whiplash” line Jensen canon. favored by I began French artists, but searching for through his own answers in lyrical winding vines books, compaand leaves. Jensen ny catalogs, imbues the graceful lines exhibition and silhouettes of fruitrecords, muselike forms with his sculpturum collections, al technique and silverand anywhere smith’s loving care for detail. else I could find With respect to composition, information. With Jensen’s jewelry is characterized each answered question, by a superb integration of I gradually learned Serving pieces, pattern no. 83, designed by Georg Jensen, 1914. all design elements more not only lines, shapes, proportion, Collection of Dr. Barry Goozner.
color and texture - translated into Jensen’s motifs and ornaments that result in a harmonious whole, a consummate whole. There is not a detail that could be added and there is nothing to be taken away to make each piece more perfect. Jensen’s style is also characterized by the use of a large number of motifs, some that are interpretations of natural forms and others that appear to be decorative. The diversity of ways a motif is used in a medley of combinations is another Jensen characteristic. Another distinguishing feature of Jensen’s jewelry is a highly sculptural quality, attributable, of course, to Jensen’s training as a sculptor. He was able to transform the silver from a hard substance into a soft, pliable-looking material that begs to be touched. The Materials In Jensen Jewelry Jensen chose his stones, some opaque and some transparent, to represent a varied and exciting palette of colors. Most frequently he used onyx, carnelian, labradorite, amber, opal, coral, and moonstone. Although these stones were not precious and costly, their mounting a silver bezel, beading, and sometimes leaves the couched t h e stone w a s d o n e w i t h s u p e r b craftsmanship.
received and the reputation he gained as one of the very best silversmiths of his era. Flatware Georg Jensen thought of dining as a sacred ritual through which family members could share nourishment and renew bonds. For him, the table was symbol of home and family, and he believed that beautiful flatware could enhance people’s lives by making dining a more pleasurable experience. Therefore, he designed flatware for everyday use that was functional and aesthetically pleasing. Many of Jensen’s flatware designs were inspired by natural forms: flowers that resemble lilies trace handles, entwined fish form handles of fish-serving implements, a blossom with berries forms the ends of serving spoons, and leaves are engraved on a vegetable serving set. During his career, Georg Jensen designed thirteen flatware pat-
terns; eight have names and five have only numbers. The include: Klokke (Bell), Antik (Continental), Liljekonval (Lily of the Valley), Kugle (Beaded), Rope (Pearl), Akkeleje (no translation in English), Magnolie (Blossom), and Nordiske (Viking). Twelve other designers also created nineThe diversity of ways teen flatware patGeorg Jensen used a motif terns for the Jensen in a medley of combinations is seen in these two company between versions of his Brooch no. 90. 1912 and 1981. The Acorn pattern, designed by Johan Rohde and introduced in 1916, is Hollowware The Hollowware probably the best known and that Georg Jensen pro- most popular of all Jensen flatduced earned him ware patterns. (This and several international recogni- others of the original 33 sterling tion during his life- silver flatware patterns continue time. By prevailing in production today.) The flatartistic standards, a sil- ware patterns were given versmith’s elevation to American names when the sales the highest ranks within expanded to the United States. the profession could be determined Sometimes, patterns were given by the quality of his hollowware, other names that related to the generally considered one of the country where the flatware was sold. For example, in England, zeniths of the silversmith’s art. Georg Jensen’s commitment to the Nordic pattern was referred to hollowware is evidenced by the as Hamlet. - Janet Drucker large number of hollowware pieces he designed and produced during Editor’s Note: for more inforhis career. Although his uniquely complementary skills as a sculptor, mation on books by Janet ceramist, and silversmith are dis- Drucker, visit Schiffer Books at www.schiffer cernible in all his work, they are online perhaps expressed most fully and books.com or Drucker Antiques exuberantly in his hollowware. at www.druckerantiques.com. Literally, and figuratively, hollowware embodied his grandest artistic statements. And these were More Jensen the statements that were primarily Photos On Page 2 responsible for the accolades he