Scandinavian Jewelry and Silver

While metal work, including crafting jewelry and household items from precious metal, has been practiced in the Scandinavian countries for centuries, it was in the late 19^th century that these makers began to receive world wide recognition, and they went on to become one of the dominant influences in the early and mid 20^th century world of design.

TheViking Period is normally dated about 800-1150 CE, in the Late Iron Age. It is broken down into the several styles and eras.

Børre/ Osberg: This earliest period lasted from around 840-970, and the name comes from sites of finds of Viking ships. Sadly, the smaller items had been pilfered years before the modern discoveries. However, a bucket, known as the “Buddha bucket”, was recovered that had an elaborate, cast figural handle attachment. This hardware shows the skill the early Norsemen had for metal work.

Jellinge: This period, named after the location of a royal burial mound, lasted from around 870-1000.

Mammen: During this time frame, about 950-1030, the first use of plant motifs is noticed. Previous figural work was limited to human and animal forms.

Ringerike: Lasting from around 980-1090, this style had an influence on the developing styles of the British Isles.

Urnes: Named after a church in Urnes, Norway, produced the animal forms seen on the Bishop of Durham’s Crozier. The Pitney Brooch, now in the British Museum, also shows evidence of Urnes influence, and may have been produced in Scandinavia.

By the end of the age, Romanesque styles and Christian influences dominated styles in Sacndinavia. The Vikings had by then conquered , raided , or occupied many parts of the world, including Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, the Orkneys, the Faeroes, the Shetlands, the Heberides, France, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, Russia, and the Byzantine Empire. They influenced many of these cultures, but also acquired treasures and traits from these cultures.

While there were jewelers of note in Scandinavia after the Viking Era, it is the late 19^th century before we see the development of any well known and distinctive styles. We will give some highlights of some of the most important makers of this modern era.

Some incidents in 19^th century Denmark made the development of a distinctly Danish style possible. Denmark had to cede land to Austria and Prussia is 1864. Bishop N. F. S. Grundtvig, who reformed the Danish church and school system, had a great respect for cultural traditions. As a writer, he studied and preserved the mythology of the north, helping to preserve Danish culture. By the late 19^th century, the state of Denmark’s economy had recovered. Edward, Price of Wales and later King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863. Great Britain tended to favor Danish interests after this, and Denmark was very aware of the British Arts and Crafts movement.

Georg Jensen, born in 1866, began an apprenticeship in metalsmithing with Guldsmed Andersen at 14. He then pursued his passion, sculpting, studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. He did work as a modeler for Bing and Grøndahl, in the 1890s, and also had his own pottery workshop, in partnership with Christian Petersen. He returned to metal in 1901, working with Mogens Ballin. Recently widowed, the economic necessity of providing for his children was part of the motivation for the change. He opened his own silversmithing workshop in Copehagen in 1904.

Danish architecture had developed its own adaptation of Art Nouveau styles. When Georg Jensen moved from ceramic work into silver work, his pieces epitomized this style, somewhat heavier and more bulbous than much Art Nouveau work. There were more traditional silver makers in Denmark: Michelsen and Dragsted of Copenhagen, Hingleberg of Aarhus, Hansen of Koling, Cohr of Fredericia, and Mogens Ballin, under whom Jensen once worked. Jensen not only developed a new style, but also adapted production methods more suited to the modern age than those used by the more traditional shops.

Jensen had the good fortune and vision to have many great designers associated with his firm.

Johan Rohde was with Jensen from the early days of the shop in 1904 until his death in 1935. Gundorph Albertus, a relative with a background in sculpture, joined the firm in 1911. Arno Malinowski, trained as a sculptor and engraver, was responsible for many of the precise die-stamped animal forms of the 1930s. Harald Nielsen, who joined Jensen in 1909, did design work that defined much of Jensen’s production between the wars. Sigvard Bernadotte, son of the King of Sweden, joined the firm in 1931, and designed for them on a regular basis until 1947, when he moved more into industrial design. Magnus Stephensen, with an architectual background, designed many of the more utilitarian 1950s items. Henning Koppel , who joined the firm in 1945, may define mid-century Jensen the best of all their designers. With a background in drawing and painting, he began to design jewelry, flatware and hollow ware pieces for Jensen. While utilizing skills in metal acquired at Svensk Tenn during the war, his designs were often modeled in clay, giving them a sculptural feel. His work was a bit of a rebellion against the functionalism that was a driving force in craft of the period. At times, his work was also at odds with the mass production of items. Koppel’s work in jewelry resulted in three prestigious Diamonds-International awards in 1966, the first time the firm of Georg Jensen entered the competition. These designers, along with many others, often designed for others, where they worked in other mediums and art forms. A great selection of designers with varied backgrounds has helped keep Jensen from stagnating, and the skill of their craftsmen has made production of a wide range of designs possible.

The company began to utilize stainless steel due to war time shortages of silver, but this new material positioned them to be a trend setter in post war design. The firm was also fortunate to have the early involvement of the Hostrup-Pedersen family, whose management skills made survival possible. While Jensen was a man of many skills, business management was probably not one of them. In 1925, he actually went to Paris to set up a new independent workshop, but returned to the firm that bore his own name, as artistic director, and remained until his death in 1935. Many family members were involved in the firm, including several of Georg’s sons. The shop is owned by an asset management group today, but retains its fine reputation and world wide recognition for design and quality workmanship.

The House of Bolin has one of the most interesting histories of any firm in existence. Andreas Roempler, a German-born jeweler, opened a shop in St. Petersburg in 1790. Gottlieb Jahn, a goldsmith, married Roempler’s daughter, Sofia, and became a partner in the firm. Carl Bolin came to work for the firm in 1833, and married Ernestina Roempler in 1834. Her father had passed away before the marriage, and Bolin became a partner in the firm, which was renamed Bolin & Jahn. Jahn passed away in 1836, and the firm became known as C. E. Bolin in 1850. The firm caused quite a stir at the Crystal Palace exhibition of 1851, with their work being compared favorably to the finest pieces from Paris. It was about this time that Carl’s brother, Henrik, opened workshops in Moscow, operating as Shanks & Bolin. While Carl’s St. Petersburg firm specialized in gold jewelry, made to cater to European tastes, the Moscow shops worked more in silver, and produced items with a more traditionally Russian flavor.

The St. Petersburg operations taken over by Carl’s sons, Edvard and Gustaf, when Carl passed away in 1864. When Hendrik dies, his son, Wilhelm Andrejevich Bolin, took over the Moscow operations. His initials are the ones used by the current firm, as W. A. Bolin. Bolin made many itmes for the Russian Imperial Family, and for the courts of Britain and Germany, as well as the royalty of Scandinavia and the Balkans. For the celebration of the jubilee of the Romanov family in 1912, Bolin’s workers labored for three years preparing the gifts the Tsar would give to others.

Although they were in the upper crust of Russian society, the family of Hendrik Bolin remained Swedish citizens. W. A. Bolin opened a branch in Bad Homburg, in Germany, summer home to the Tsar. When the war broke out, the German shop’s inventory was moved to Sweden, and King Gustav V persuaded Bolin to open a showroom in Stockholm. Many of Bolin’s craftsmen from Russia came to work in the Stockholm shop.

W. A. Bolin hoped to reopen the Russian shops, but the outcome of the Russian Revolution ended those plans. Some downsizong allowed the firm to survive the lean years of world wide depression and the Second World War, and the firm had some notable success in post war silver and cutlery. The firm is still operated by members of the Bolin family. In addition to fine jewelry and silver work, the Bolin family conducts several of the major auctions of jewelry in Europe every year.

Guldsmeds Aktiebolaget, known as GAB, was founded in 1867, in Stockholm. Within 15 years, they had 150 workers, producing an impressive amount of silver.

Mergers with Guldvaru AB, in 1917, expanded jewelry production. In 1961, a merger with the retail giant Hallbergs, acquiring their workshops and an expanded channel for selling their wares. In 1964, they merged with AB Gense, creating a company with 1500 employees, the largest operation of its kind in Scandinavia.Gense became a part of the K.A. Rasmussen group in 1995.

The firm was known for the great work it created under the artistic direction of Jacob Ängman andSven Arne Gillgren. Jacob oversaw the operations from 1907 until 1942, and Sven from 1942 until 1975. The firm worked in silver, silverplate, pewter, bronze, and stainless steel. A number of fine designers, including Just Andersen, Folke Arström, Georg Thylstrup, and Erik Fleming deigned for the firm. Some of their works in Art Deco motifs are outstanding.

This well known firm was founded by gold and silversmith David Andersen, in 1876, in what is now Oslo. Called Christiania at the time, some items can be found with the older ‘D. Andersen Christiania’ mark. The firm expanded, with a steam powered plant added in 1888. after the death of David in 1901, his son, Arthur Andersen took over the firm, and changed the family name to David-Andersen, still used by the firm. It was under Arthur’s leadership that the firm established itself as a leader in Scandinavian Enameled jewelry. Fourth-generation members of the family, Uni and John operate the company today.

The Scandinavian influence of the 20^th century is evident in the work of many silver and jewelry companies in the United States.

Georg Jensen Inc. USA is one of the more unique tales. Frank Lunning sold items for Jensen in the United States, opening a shop in New York City in 1923. The sales from the U.S. operation possibly saved the firm, as European business was quite slow. Lunning obtained exclusive marketing rights in the U.S for Jensen, in 1940, the same year that the German invasion of Denmark made goods from Denmark unavailable. He hired two designers, Alphonse La Paglia and JoPol, whose items were marked ‘Georg Jensen Inc USA’. He apparently forgot to tell the home office, and the Danes were rather surprised by the existence of these pieces after the war. After Lunning settled this matter with Jensen’s parent firm, Royal Copenhagen, around 1949. the goods were no longer produced. La Paglia went on to do some work for International Silver. The identity of the artist known as JoPol has never really been solved.

Many other American firms started lines that tried to capitalize on the Scandinavian design trends: Danecraft and Vikingcraft are two obvious examples, but many American firms produced items in the Scandinavian style, including Coro and Napier, and the influence of Scandinavia can be seen on items produced in the silver shops of Taxco, Mexico in the 20^th century.