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He was also a student at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1836 he travelled abroad and worked at some of the foremost gold smithies in Paris, France and Germany.
Above: Anton Michelsen Getrude Rougie silver leaf brooch, and 1950's modernist silver necklace
He returned to Denmark in 1841, where he established his own workshop Copenhagen. His work soon attracted the attention of the Royal family and he was given the title of Royal Court Jeweller.
After his death in 1877 his son Carl Michelsen continued with the firm. He collaborated with various artists including Hans Tegner, Arnold Krog, Harald Scott-Moller and Martin Nyrop.
In 1914 his son Poul Ulrich Michelsen joined the firm. He continued to manage the company after his father died in 1921.
He collaborated with artists such as Olaf Stæhr Nielsen, Ib Lunding, Sven Hammershøi, Palle Suenson and Arne Bang. For several generations, his was the top firm of gold and silversmiths, with a great influence on Scandinavian silver jewellery design throughout the 19th and early 20th century.
Above: Anton Michelsen silver flower brooch from Modern Vintage Style and Michelson/Getrude Rougie silver floral brooch
Volmer Bahner (1912-1995) was a multi-disciplined designer and artist from Denmark. He studied at the Industrial Arts and Crafts College receiving several awards and scholarships.
After graduating in 1930 he became know for his sculptural works. He created various busts in bronze and ceramics.
Above: Volmer Bahner white enamel parure, and sterling silver figural brooch
Many of these were represented at the Danish Museum of Art and Design. Volmer Bahner was also renowned for beautiful silver and enamel jewellery .
He started a specialist enamel jewellery company which was registered from 1962 to 1988. His innovative modernist and nature inspired designs were created and manufactured in his own silver workshop .
Bahner took inspiration from the plants and flowers in the Danish countryside. He produced beautiful pieces including the cala lily. This was made in several colour variations including a variety of blues, deep red, and white. The design was used for necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and brooches.
He also produced Art Deco style jewellery in simple non figurative designs. Well known and easily recognisable Volmer Bahner pieces are his heart and animal motifs including fish and butterflies. These were made in different arrangements.
His jewellery signature is his initials VB, generally accompanied by STERLING DENMARK.
Above: Volmer Bahner blue enamel parure,
Hans Hansen (1884-1940) started his own silver smithy in the Jutland town of Kolding, Denmark around 1906. By the 1920's Hansen was making his own line of products. Initially the firm produced flatware. After this was successful they started making jewellery.
Above: Hans Hansen silver boomerang brooch, and Bent Gabrielson for Hans Hansen silver triangle necklace
In 1931 the jewellery was designed by Hansen himself, however, jewellery production really began in 1932 when Hansen's son Karl Gustav Hansen became the main designer and the company established a reputation for superb modernist design.
Karl Gustav designed a collection called "FUTURE". This comprised about 50 pieces, including rings, brooches, earrings, etc.
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Above: Hans Hansen silver Peak bracelet 238 and Hans Hansen silver ring
Other designers such as Bent Knudsen and Bent Gabrielsen Pedersen also worked for the company. In the 1980's Allan Scharf was the lead designer.
In 1991 the firm was taken over by Royal Copenhagen. For more on Hans Hansen click here.
Above : Henning Koppel for Jensen sculptural brooch #324 ,and Koppel for Jensen modernist silver "splash" bracelet
He produced beautiful original modernist jewellery concepts from 1945-47. His brooches displayed free form amoeba like shapes , while glowing blue or brown enamel gave energy to the pieces. His bracelet designs incorporated a beautiful blend of form and movement.
Above: Henning Koppel for Jensen sterling silver star brooch #339 and Henning Koppel necklace 130B
Jensen jewellery stamped with the Henning Koppel signature generally fetches the highest prices at auction. Koppel's inlaid designs were quickly adopted by 1950's costume jewellery designers in Denmark in the production of free form brooches. These were made using cheaper materials such as Bakelite with pewter or exotic woods with chrome plated metal or silver.
NE FROM was born in 1908 in Denmark and trained as a silversmith. His silver smithy was founded in 1931 as a small workshop for jewellery repairs. A wholesale production company was established in the late 1940's joining in with the prosperous and lucrative period of Scandinavian design.
Above: NE From silver modernist bracelet, and NE From silver floral brooch
NE FROM generally exported 50% of production to Western Europe, the United States, and Japan. There are two distinct styles in the NE From jewellery production. In the early years floral and foliage pieces were designed by NE From. In the 1960's bold modernist style pieces were introduced by another designer.
Above: NE From amber silver necklace, and NE From silver and rose quartz disc bracelet
Different signatures were used by the company. Small pieces may be marked "FROM". Some have"NE FROM, STERLING, DENMARK, 925S" in a square. Others may have the NE FROM signature in an italic style.
Above: NE From silver and tigers eye brooch and, and Ne From green chalcedony ring
These days NE FROM jewellery availability is limited and therefore prices for collectors have risen accordingly. He is know as one of the greats of modernist Danish jewellery design. For more on NE FROM click here.
Hugo Grun was a very respected silversmith from Copenhagen, Denmark. He was part of the Scandinavian Art and Crafts "Skonvirke" movement. He started his workshop in 1918 and it continued until 1985. Grun himself was active from 1918 to 1937. His workshop production encompassed many styles from "skonvirke" (Danish Art Nouveau style) , through Art Deco, 1940's floral styles to post World War 2 modernism. Above: Hugo Grun 830 silver roe deer bracelet, and Hugo Grun silver butterflies necklace 1950's
7) GEORG JENSEN
Georg Jensen has been the leading name in 20th century Danish silver jewellery design, and the firm has dominated silver and hollowware markets in Denmark and worldwide. Jensen (1866-1935) was an apprentice goldsmith in Copenhagen at 14 , followed by several years in technical school .
Above: Georg Jensen silver moonstone pendant 360 B, and rare Georg Jenson silver dove moonstone bracelet 24
However, he put all this training to one side for 12 years while he studied ceramics and sculpture. In 1904 he decided to sculpt in silver.
He opened his own workshop and successfully exhibited jewellery in both Germany and Copenhagen. He was soon exporting to Paris and London. His international profile rose after he won the gold medal at the Brussels Expo in 1910.
Above: Georg Jensen silver butterfly brooch 283 and Rare Georg Jensen Ole Kortzau brooch 395
Jensen was an astute businessman. He hired very skilled designers and craftsman who added their individual interpretations to the "skonvirke" style. Jensen's treatment of silver in high relief was warm and tactile. The jewellery designs featured coral, amber, garnet, lapis or carnelian stones as contrasting elements which nestled or burst from silver leaves in sensual swirls.
Above: Georg Jensen Heritage Ear Clips Year 2000 and Georg Jenson silver dove in foliage brooch
Jensen and other designers in the firm who followed after his death continually renewed the company .Their innovative designs and fresh ideas have kept the company at the forefront of Danish design. Jewellery comprises only 25 % of the firm's output. They also produce hollowware and flatware. More detailed information on the Georg Jensen firm can be found here -"About George Jensen"
Above: Bernard Hertz 1950's silver bracelet, and Bernard Hertz silver fly link bracelet.
The ring can be seen on display in the Danish Design Museum. With the money from this sale Hertz set up his own business. He specialised in modern style jewellery with flower motifs, as well as replicas of ancient jewellery. In order to reach a wider customer base he began producing jewellery in silver instead of gold and introduced machine power into his production in1887.
Above: Bernard Hertz green stone bracelet and Bernard Hertz silver floral bracelet 1940'sJewellery production covered all the major style eras, however, the firm's most prominent period was around the early 20th century. They were leaders in the "Skonvirke" style (Danish Art Nouveau). Brooches in this style are much prized by collectors, commanding high prices.
Ole Lynggaard, Copengagen is a well known luxury Danish jewellery brand. It is a family business that was started in 1963 in Hellerup, Denmark by fine jewellery designer and goldsmith Ole Lynggaard. Lynggaard studied in several places including France, Germany, Japan, San Francisco and New York. Above: Ole Lynggaard gold bracelet , and Ole Lynggaard pearl chrysoprase ring
His daughter Charlotte Lynggaard (also a designer and goldsmith) joined the company in 1987. His son Soren Lynggaard joined the company in 1994 and since 2003 has been CEO . They have a well established and solid reputation as a value conscious luxury brand.
L to R: Jacob Hull rough amethyst silver large pendant, and Jacob Hull amethyst and silver cuff.
The other side of his production was to create silver and gold plated pieces for Buch + Deichmann, which bore their stamp. This jewellery was sold at the high end Danish department store Illums Bolgius. All the jewellery was hand made made at Hull's workshop , although he did employ an assistant to help make some of the more popular Buch + Deichman pieces. Hull was very particular about retaining intellectual property rights to his jewellery as his work was popular and often copied.
Above: Jacob Hull silver crater statement necklace and Jacob Hull silver ring
Everything that left his workshop had to have one of his stamps. These were Jacob Hull in script or initials, J.HULL, or Jacob. His designs were original and modern often using large unpolished rough gemstones on hammered metal for cuffs or chokers. He also used glass and metal in his designs. Hull died in 1993 after a fire at his house in Denmark.
Danish silversmith S Christian Fogh had a workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark, which was in operation from 1947-1973. He was known for his lovely quality jewellery and also for his flatware. Above: S Christian Fogh leaves and berries bracelet, S Christian Fogh modernist silver brooch,
Aarre and Krogh were Danish silversmiths situated in the market town of Randers in Jutland, Denmark. Their workshop produced jewellery from 1949 to 1990. They became well know for their distinctive modernist jewellery which featured stylised flowers and foliage. The high quality nature of their work is the reason that there jewellery remains popular today with fine silver jewellery collectors. Above: Aarre and Krogh silver bracelet and Aarre and Krogh silver choker necklace
Bent Gabrielsen Pedersen was a student at the Danish College of Jewellery and Silversmithing which formed all the major artists in Denmark from its beginnings in 1952. He designed smooth silver boomerang style earrings and bracelets.
He then designed "atomic jewellery" with enamel for the Hans Hansen firm in the Fifties, taking over the jewellery design department from Karl Gustav Hansen in 1953.
Above: Rare Bent Gabrielsen Necklace for Hans Hansen necklace and gold neck collar, Bent Gabrielsen for Hans Hansen
His own variation of the circle form of the late Fifties was a necklace of connected links. It was hung with a pendant in the style of Thor's Hammer. One of his well known pieces was the "sycamore seed pod" necklace he designed for Georg Jensen.
He was the winner of the Gold Medal at the Triennale in Milan. After this in 1962 he created a bracelet which was a cuff of silver interlaced "fingers" for Hans Hansen. For more on Bent Gabrielsen click here.
Arne Johansen, was born in Denmark in 1927. In 1951 he qualified as a silversmith and in 1954 he opened his workshop in Roskilde Denmark. His sleek and minimal modernist designs were much admired and he went on to become a leader in the field of Danish modernist jewellery design.
Above: Arne Johansen silver arcs necklace and Arne Johansen boomerang necklace
Harald Nielsen was born in 1892. At first his interests lay with painting. However as the younger brother of Georg Jensen's third wife, Johanne, he soon became involved with the Jensen silver smithy. He began working in 1909 as a chaser's apprentice before working his way up to become designer at the Jensen smithy school of apprentices. In 1954, he became director of the smithy before becoming artistic director in 1958 . He held this position until 1962.
Above: Harald Neilsen silver leaves bracelet for Georg Jensen, and Harald Neilsen moonlight grapes necklace for Georg Jensen
He was one of the first to design mass produced silver brooches and belt buckles to be sold at reasonable prices. He broke out from the traditionalist naturalist themes to create Deco or "Funkis" pieces to compete with imported costume jewellery.
He was a close colleague of Georg Jensen and his style was comparable to that of Johan Rhode. Both favoured form and line over ornamentation.
He became the technical interpreter of Rhode and Jensen's designs and he turned their early design sketches into precise drawings. These were used by the silversmiths to create the jewellery.
Above: Harald Neilsen moonlight blossom brooch, and Harald Neilsen silver earrings
After Jensen's death in 1935 Neilsen worked to ensure that the high quality output of the firm continued. He hired skilled designers and silversmiths training them in line with the standards of the Jensen silver smithy. His most famous recruit was Henning Koppel.
He ensured the smooth transition from the first generation of Jensen designers ( himself, Jensen, and Rhode), to the new generation of designers.
Neilsen himself designed many pieces of hollowware and jewellery including the "Pyramid" flatware collection.
Having trained as a goldsmith Frantz Hingelberg was 26 when he founded his workshop in Arhus in 1897. He had been able to secure a much sought after location at the Lion Pharmacy building on Main Square 5 in Aarhus.
His earliest customers were churches for whom he designed a variety of fine quality silver pieces. In 1919 he succumbed to Spanish flu which had spread through Europe to Arhus . His wife then took control of the company until 1924, when it was taken over by his son William Hingelburg.
Above :Hingelberg 9 carat gold bangle and Hingelberg sterling silver cufflinks
In the late 1920's he hired silversmith Svend Weihrauch as artistic director. Weihrauch had previously designed for Jensen and brought the craftsmanship and style he had learned there to Arhus. The Hingelberg company became a successful business under Weihrauch's leadership.
In the 1930's his quirky floral brooches and rings displayed the Jensen influence. In the forties he produced bright enamelled brooch designs in a more simplified organic form.
Svend Weihrauch was a very prolific designer. During his twenty-eight years at Frantz Hingelberg's, he produced approximately 4,500designs for jewellery, holloware, and cutlery. Most of these went into production.
The " F.H." signature was a sign of quality on all of Weihrauch's designs. In 1987 the firm was taken over by Andkjaer and Aaquis, however in 2014 after 117 years the shop finally closed its doors.
Bent Knudsen joined the Hans Hansen company in 1946, where he developed his own distinctive style. In 1956 he opened his own workshop in Kolding with his wife Anni. They shared the same design ethos
They created minimalist jewellery pieces with simple amethyst, hematite, or malachite accents. The production was very wearable and elegant.
Above : Rare Bent Knudsen silver bangle and Bent Knudsen amethyst and silver ring
In 1969 he produced a bracelet stacked with square rings. There was also a matching ring. This modernist design broke free from the deceptively simple style of the Fifties. He used the signature "Bent K" to identify work by himself and his wife.
Above: Rare Bent Knudsen silver necklace 83 and Bent Knudsen silver brooch
Danish craftswoman made a major contribution to Danish design in the 1950's. Karen Strand (born in 1924) was one of these women. She was one of the first to take advantage of the classes at the College of Jewellery and Silversmithing in Denmark.
In 1953 she won the first prize in the Jeweller's Competition . After this she joined the A Dragsted workshop in Copenhagen where she eventually became its director.
Above: Karen Strand for Anton Michelsen iconic silver Persian palm brooch, and Karen Strand 1960'S 18 crt gold black agate leaf necklace
A popular design was a 1956 parure based on the lyre, followed by a more elaborate necklace design of two rows of silver petals. She also designed brooches for Anton Michelsen such as the 1953 - 55 sterling silver persian palm motif brooch.
Nanna (1923 - ) and Jorgen Ditzel (1921-1961) studied at the School of Arts, Crafts, and Design in Denmark. They were a married couple who also enjoyed a fruitful working relationship. Although both were trained as furniture designers, they found the transition to jewellery making quite easy..
Above: 1956 Ditzel brooch for Georg Jensen, Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel necklace Nanna Ditzel 1970's silver ring
Beginning with beautiful red striped enamel brooch for Anton Michelsen in 1953, they continued with a series of important pieces for Georg Jensen in the 1950's and 60's. They inspired future generations of silver jewellery designers.
Above: Nana Ditzel 1970's silver ring and Nana Ditzel Jensen silver earrings 131
Famous pieces were their 1956 necklace which comprised a waterfall of silver petals. All the smooth lines of their bracelets, pins, and earrings were very carefully crafted.
Nanna Ditzel continued with her clear design ethos in London where she lived and worked from 1970 onwards.
Evald Nielsen (1897-1958) worked as an apprentice goldsmith in Copenhagen in 1893. Ten years later he travelled abroad in France and Germany, taking in continental styles and techniques.
Above: Evald Neilsen 1930's 14 carat gold necklace with moonstones, and Evald Neilsen brooch style (Danish Art Nouveau)
When he returned to his wife and child in 1905 he decided to work hard for other firms until he was then able to establish his own workshop. He used lapis or chrysoprase cabochons in sumptuous settings similar to the Jensen style.
His brooch depicting a bee sucking honey won a Grand Prize at the Paris Expo . In 1944 his "Mood" collection featuring jolly silver stick figures playing sports or musical instruments reflected the countries relief at the retreat of the Germans.
Erik Magnussen was a self taught silversmith. He briefly studied in Berlin in 1907, however he was too independent minded to be taken on by a workshop. He created amazing naturalistic silver gilt and porcelain brooches of insects from 1905 to 1915.
He then decided to try his luck in America and was hired by Gorham Silver Co as artistic director. where he worked until the crash of 1929. He opened a shop in New York which failed, however an impulse to adorn movie stars proved a fruitful venture in 1930's Los Angeles.
He returned to Denmark in 1939 where he made jewellery with a nationalistic theme. His work was signed with the "EM" monogram and ERIK MAGNUSSEN. Above: Erik Magnussen beetle pendant and Erik Magnussen silver enamel birds brooch
He returned to Denmark in 1939 where he made jewellery with a nationalistic theme. His work was signed with the "EM" monogram and ERIK MAGNUSSEN.
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Above: Erik Magnussen opal and sapphire stylised butterfly gold pendant
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