A sizeable collection of Modernist silver and gold jewellery by the renowned Scandinavian companies Georg Jensen and Lapponia will be going under the hammer in the Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale on 17th May.
Danish jeweller Georg Jensen began his career under the Court jeweller Anton Michelson in 1893, before establishing his own business in 1904. He went on to design and make jewellery and homewares, retailing them from his own shop. Like many of the modernist designers of the time, Jensen took inspiration from the natural world, in particular from the forests and lakes of his childhood home north of Copenhagen. Earlier examples of his work feature birds and flowers, with more of an abstract or structural style developing later in his career.
Some of the early Jensen pieces in the sale include:
A Brooch, designed by Kristian Møhl-Hansen for Georg Jensen
Estimate: £80-120 plus buyer's premium
A Brooch, by Georg Jensen
Estimate: £80-120 plus buyer's premium
A Silver Brooch, by Georg Jensen
Estimate: £100-150 plus buyer's premium
Jensen employed and collaborated with other designers, with some of the most highly regarded including Hans Hansen, Arno Malinowski, Nana Ditzel, Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe and Regitze Overgaard. The brand continues today, and the selection of jewellery offered in the May Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale includes some more modern pieces alongside the older examples.
A Silver Onyx Sphere Necklace, designed by Regitze Overgaard for Georg Jensen
Estimate: £200-300 plus buyer's premium
A Silver Ring, designed by Regitze Overgaard for Georg Jensen
Estimate: £100-150 plus buyer's premium
A Silver Necklace, designed by Hans Hansen for Georg Jensen
Estimate: £700-1,000 plus buyer's premium
Finnish brand Lapponia was founded by Pekka Anttila in the 1960s. He was later joined by Björn Weckström, one of Finland’s most recognised and prolific artists, who developed Lapponia’s sculptural designs. Their stylistically simple lines are comparable to Jensen designs of the same era. Lapponia pieces are sometimes inspired by the snowy Finnish landscape, which is depicted with the unusual finish on some of their work.
An Opal Doublet and Diamond Ring, designed by Zoltan Popovits for Lapponia
Estimate: £150-200 plus buyer's premium
A Stranger on Lo Brooch, designed by Björn Weckström for Lapponia
The Stranger on Lo brooch forms part of Bjorn Weckström's Space series.
Estimate: £100-150 plus buyer's premium
A Necklace, designed by Björn Weckström for Lapponia
Estimate: £150-200 plus buyer's premium
To learn more about buying and selling jewellery at Tennants, please visit the department page.
