Henning Koppel's Pitcher 974B is a unique item decorated with a flat silver thread. The silver thread which 'extends' the 'neck' is inspired by the African tradition of giving a girl a new ring to put around her neck each year.
To make Pitcher 974B the silversmith cuts out two identical flat pieces of silver which are then shaped i.e. raised by the same technique as the covered dish 1026. When the silversmith has gone through the long process of raising the silver, heating it often to ensure that it stays soft and flexible, he continues to work on the surface with many different hammers to make it smooth. When the two halves have their final shape they are given a final press in a form to ensure a perfect fit. The edges of the two halves are grinded and carefully prepared for a perfect fit and they are then carefully soldered together.
One of the challenges with Pitcher 974B is that the soldering seams must be invisible—and watertight of course!
The bottom is the last part to be soldered on.
Henning Koppel
Henning Koppel is responsible for what we have come to think of as "Danish design."
Koppel was an earlier pioneer of functionalism in design: his mission was to make everyday life products beautiful as well as practical. He was trained as a sculptor and began collaborating with Georg Jensen in 1946.
Henning Koppel is born to a wealthy Jewish family and showed an early talent for art, leading him to train in both drawing and aquarelle early on. He continued studies in sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy and later in Paris. His superb drafting skills, developed as a child, helped him in to produce outstanding product renderings of his designs. Even on their own, they form an exceptional body of work.
Like many Danish Jews, Koppel fled to Sweden during the Second World War. At 27, he returned and began working at Georg Jensen, which marked his start in jewellery, hollowware and flatware design. His first works â?? a series of necklaces and linked bracelets resembling whale vertebrae and microscopic organisms - were small masterpieces in imaginative modelling. Henning Koppel was in every way groundbreaking and his jewellery was unlike anything ever created at the silver smithy in its first 40 years.
When Henning Koppel died in 1981, aged 63, he had created an astonishing range of work: from stainless steel cutlery such as "New York" which found its way into the homes of millions, to magnificent one-off signature pieces such as the silver and crystal chandelier he designed to celebrate the 75-year anniversary of Georg Jensen in 1979.
During his life, he won many awards including the Milan Triennial, the International Design Award and the Lunning Prize. Accolades are important, but what means even more to us is that people still choose to wear a watch by Henning Koppel or to serve coffee from one of his pots. The integrity and appeal of his designs remain vital and undiminished.
Georg Jensen of Denmark
We are pleased to offer a special and unique assortment of the Georg Jensen Home & Design Collections. For the past century, Georg Jensen has stood for refined and organic design that is both pure and timeless. It is the elegant simplicity in Georg Jensen's products that surprises and delights the senses. Always distinctive and full of life, the serene flowing forms of Jensen designs are surprising enriched by exquisitely sculpted ornamentation. FjØRN Scandinavian offers the complete assortment of Georg Jensen Living, Steel & Sterling Flatware plus highlights from the Danish Heritage Collections. From Scandinavian Gifts and Barware to Sterling Cutlery and Heritage Gifts, Georg Jensen represents the elegance and luxury of Scandinavian Living.
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FJØRN Scandinavian
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