The Danish silversmith Georg Jensen (1866 – 1935) is a firm favourite with buyers. His silverware optimises the characteristics which have become synonymous with Danish design around the world.
Aside from jewellery and silverware, Jensen also created flatware patterns, many of which are still being produced today. Such as the Acorn pattern which, 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 of 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 stylised than Jensen’s were not strictly purely geometric and fell somewhere between Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Another popular pattern is the Cactus pattern 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. He began 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.
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.
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