Georg Jensen by J. Rohde Sterling Silver Bowl #17A
Georg Jensen sterling silver bowl, designed by Johan Rohde, in pattern number 17A, beautifully hand hammered, showcasing stylized natural motifs, and standing on a stepped circular base. It measures 4 1/4'' in diameter by 4 1/8'' in height, weighs 6 troy ounces, and bears hallmarks as shown.
Danish silversmith Georg Jensen (1866-1935) set up his own silver business in 1904 in Copenhagen. Jensen's training in metalsmithing -- along with his education in the fine arts -- allowed him to combine the two disciplines and revive the tradition of the artist craftsman. Soon, the beauty and quality of his creations caught the eye of the public and his success was assured. In 1912, expansion of his studio began in earnest. By 1917, he had built a workshop brimming with hundreds of employees. Jensen was awarded the Grand Prix at the world exhibition in Paris in 1925 and again in Barcelona in 1929. The sale of Jensen silver went really well and in the early 1930s there were Jensen shops in Paris, London, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva, Barcelona, Stockholm, St. Thomas, Buenos Aires and New York apart from the ones in Denmark. By his death in 1935, Georg Jensen was an international house of design where inspired artisans carried on a tradition of blending expert craftsmanship with forward-thinking design. In his obituary the New York Herald Tribune called him “the greatest silversmith of the last 300 years.”
Johan Rohde hailed from a wealthy family and studied medicine prior to enrolling in the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1882. A forward-thinking, anti-establishment artist, he left after less than a year, disillusioned by their refusal to accept modern trends. Rohde possessed a tireless creative mind and, in addition to painting and drawing, was also a lithographer, graphic artist, bookbinder, and designer. He embraced the Scandinavian design movement which, similar to the Arts & Crafts movement in America, encouraged the application of artistic sensibility to everyday objects.
Rohde designed furniture and silverware for his own home, which led him to commission Georg Jensen to execute one of his hollowware designs. The collaboration was so successful that they continued working together, with Rohde designing and Jensen executing the pieces. Rohde remained a designer at Jensen’s company for years and is responsible for many of their most famous flatware patterns, such as Acorn. His designs favored form and line over ornament; timeless and elegant, they remain highly desirable to discerning design and silver collectors today. Rohde was awarded the Thorvaldsen Medal in 1934 from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine arts, its highest distinction.
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