JAK SILVER

 Georg Jensen, at the turn of the 20th century, introduced a concept in the design and manufacture of silver that was so unique and revolutionary that he is considered by many as “The Father of Modern Silver”.

Driven by a love of silver and the fine arts, Georg Jensen, who had formal training as a goldsmith and sculptor, created designs that were clearly influenced by his very strong attraction to one of the most seminal art movements in history, the emergence of Art Nouveau, or as it was called in England, Arts and Crafts. Because of his childhood love of nature, Jensen’s many designs were adorned with grapes, vines, blossoms and berries.

Despite his own very strong affinity to Art Nouveau, Georg Jensen employed many designers whose orientations and styles were completely at other parts of the spectrum, ranging from Art Deco to Modernism and everything in between. It was also no coincidence that virtually all of the major designers were accomplished painters, sculptors and goldsmiths. While every item produced at the Georg Jensen Silver smithy was stamped with the marks that were in use at the period of manufacture, (Georg Jensen Smithy marks were constantly changing, and they are one of the most reliable indicators of date of production), many items also bore the designers’ own initials, a practice that enabled the artists to enjoy full credit for their creations. It is fair to say that this was not a widespread practice at the time. Considering these facts, it is not difficult to understand why Georg Jensen silver quickly rose to the prominence and huge popularity it enjoyed. Superb, talented, multi-disciplined artists created silver items by hand that conformed to their particular styles. This, in essence, meant that a buyer could own the finest silver in the particular style that most appealed to his or her aesthetic tastes and values, all made to the exacting standards and of the high quality silver used at the Georg Jensen Silver smithy outside of Copenhagen. Every item of Jensen silver was made in Denmark, and most of these creations reflect that by having either Denmark or Copenhagen as part of their maker’s stamp. Jensen silver quickly became the standard against which all other silver was judged, and shops sprang up rapidly in many of the cosmopolitan European cities as well as a New York City shop on Fifth Avenue.

As alluded to earlier, Georg Jensen employed and collaborated with some of the most celebrated artists of the day and many spent their entire career with Jensen. Below is a partial list of some of the more renowned artists associated with Jensen:

Christian Mohl Hanson – in collaboration with Georg Jensen, the famous “Dove Brooch” was created. The “Dove” design, with its many iterations was incorporated into a multitude of jewelry pieces, many of which were embellished by using semi precious stones: agate, lapis, malachite, garnet, moonstone, labodorite among others. Situated in an area where there was an abundance of amber, resulted in a fairly large amount of amber jewelry being produced. Today, Georg Jensen silver, adorned with high quality semi precious stones is much sought after. To this day, the “Dove” motif continues to enjoy immense popularity- among those who have just recently discovered Jensen jewelry, as well as devout collectors.

Jensen’s early success with jewelry allowed him to start designing and creating hollowware. The original creation was a teapot with a flower motif which was the forerunner of a complete and elaborate tea and coffee service, made in the Magnolia or as it is also known, the Blossom Pattern. The complexity and intricacy of detail required  skills that truly set Georg Jensen apart from other silversmiths, and was indicative of the mastery he had achieved.

Johan Rohde – Had a long and illustrious relationship with Georg Jensen; he commissioned Jensen to execute one of his own hollowware designs. Rohde was the designer of the popular Acorn design that was introduced in 1915 and remains to this day as Georg Jensen Silver’s best selling flatware design.

Gundorph Albertus – Designer of the extremely well-received Cactus design released in 1930 as a flatware pattern and further produced in both hollowware and jewelry. Albertus was in the forefront of the Art Deco movement as it related to the design and execution of silver.

Harald Nielsen – Introduced the Pyramid pattern in 1926, in response to the “Tutmania” craze that ensued with the finding of King Tut’s tomb in Egypt shortly beforehand; he was strongly influenced by the Art Deco movement

Sigvaard Bernadotte – Son of Gustav Adolf VI of Sweden and brother of Ingrid, Queen Mother of Denmark. His style and designs were an extreme departure from what had previously defined the Jensen style. His designs were clear-cut and disciplined, utilizing geometric figures and fluting. Many of his designs were engraved with straight and symmetrical lines.

Henning Koppel – Known for his free-form sculptural designs; his most famous creation was the “Eel Platter”, introduced in 1956.

 These are just several of the very talented artists and designers that helped secure Georg Jensen Silver a position at the pinnacle of silver design and manufacture, from when it was introduced to the present. The legacy of Georg Jensen Silver is an ongoing one, and will continue to remain the standard against which all fine silver is measured.