Lot 133: A Georg Jensen silver Dew Drop collarette by Vivianna Torun, estimate £700 - £900
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Jensen and enduring design

Georg Jensen; a name synonymous with 20th century jewellery and silver design. It’s always a treat to offer a product of Jensen for auction, whether it be tableware or personal adornment and this sale doesn’t disappoint with not one but nine examples of the brands timeless jewellery.

The pieces range in both price and period. Estimates begin at £100 and graduate to £700, perhaps reflecting the company’s versatility in providing both affordable and high end works of art. The earliest example is a plaque brooch modelled as two birds dated 1954 through to a bracelet hallmarked 1994. But what is it that makes the Jensen brand so enduring?

The story begins in Copenhagen in 1880, when Georg, at the young age of 14 began training as a Goldsmith. Despite this initial interest in metalwork Jensen chose instead to train in sculpture, eventually becoming a potter. It wasn’t until 1901, at the age of 35, Jensen decided to return to his roots and began as a silversmith and designer under master Mogens Ballin.

 Lot 218: A Georg Jensen silver brooch by Arno Malinowski, estimate £100 - £200
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In 1904 he started his own business in the same city and within twenty years had expanded to Berlin, London and New York. His style is instantly recognisable, combining the typical feminine Art Nouveau aesthetic with stronger forms and structural shapes. Georg died in 1935 but the ‘House of Jensen’ has been able to sustain its popularity over the decades through its various designers, who share/have shared in the vision of its founder.

Lot 227, a silver brooch and earrings suite, of abstract form was the conception of Henning Koppel. Koppel was known to push the boundaries of what was expected from the brand and also what was physically possible to produce in the given material. Also offered in the sale is a signature ‘Dew Drop’ pendant on collarette by Vivianna Torun, a brooch by Arno Malinowski and a brooch and earrings suite in the design of Harald Nielsen.

 Lot 227: A Georg Jensen silver brooch by Henning Koppel, estimate £200 - £400
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The variety that the Jensen brand provides, in both objects and price means it’s appeal spans not only generations and tastes but also budgets. Perhaps this reflects why it’s stood the test of time and is still as popular today as it was over 100 years ago and why it is likely to still be as coveted in another 100.

 Lot 142: A Georg Jensen silver grape brooch,original design by Harald Nielsen, estimate £200 - £400
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If you would like any more information about these lots, please contact Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley on 01743 450 700 or email at maryanne@hallsgb.com