#Henning #Koppel #Jensen #Designer #Modern #Splash #WorthPoint
You probably don’t need to be told that keeping an eye out for items made in the Georg Jensen workshop is a good idea. You probably know, too, that the designs produced there were the responsibility of many different people, not just one man. With those basics out of the way, which designers stand out? In terms of jewelry, Arno Malinowski and Vivianna Torun are a couple you can search for in the Worthpoint Dictionary, and Harald Nielsen is another I’ve got on my list to share with you here in the future. My personal favorite, however, is Henning Koppel.
Koppel’s designs meld modernism with wearability in a way that really appeals to me. Honestly, I haven’t run across my Koppel wish list jewelry pieces at a price I’ve been willing to pay yet. I’m still looking for them, though, and if I am, that means you might want to be looking for them, too. However, before I delve into those specifics, let me introduce you to the artisan responsible for one of my modernist jewelry covets.
Henning Koppel’s Background
Being Jewish, Koppel fled Nazi-occupied Denmark to take refuge in Sweden during World War II. He began designing and crafting pewter and enameled jewelry during this period. Koppel successfully sold his wares in an artist’s shop, where he was discovered by the head of Georg Jensen’s jewelry department. When he returned to Copenhagen in 1945, he took a job with the Jensen workshop at the age of 27. His first jewelry pieces were put into production in 1946.
When he was younger, Koppel studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the Academie Rancon in Paris, where he concentrated on drawing and sculpture. This training was reflected in his modernist work, which was very fluid and sculptural and quite unlike other types of jewelry produced by Georg Jensen until then.
Throughout his years in this famed workshop, he designed hollowware, jewelry, and even a few watches. The execution in his sketches was very detailed, and the models he sculpted allowed them to be replicated in metal with precision. Among his achievements were successful flatware patterns in the 1950s and ‘60s, including the lauded “Caravel” pattern that has been in production since 1957. By this time, he was recognized as a leading metalsmith in Denmark and had won numerous awards for his work.
Koppel designed other types of housewares and worked briefly in porcelain for Royal Copenhagen before returning to metalsmithing and working in pewter. After a long and prosperous career, he died in 1981 at the age of 63.
More on Koppel’s Jewelry Designs
Koppel is best known for the sterling silver jewelry he designed, but he also worked in karat gold occasionally while employed by Georg Jensen. His wares are recognized for their superb execution and beautiful detailing but are further identified by his initials HK within an oval as part of a Georg Jensen stamping.
Many silver pieces also have design numbers that can be matched up with a timeline of Koppel’s work denoting when they were first introduced (although many of the most successful designs were produced for several years.) Other marks indicating a piece was made in the Jensen workshop will also be present, such as the initials GI surrounded by a dotted circle or Georg Jensen spelled out within a dotted oval. If a piece of jewelry is marked only HK without a Georg Jensen stamping, it’s probably not a Henning Koppel design.
Koppel-designed pieces, prized by collectors today, often reflect his training as an artist and were ground-breaking in their uniqueness when they were first made, including the “Splash” pieces with freeform links making up necklaces and bracelets in both in both sterling silver and karat gold. These are the sculptural beauties I would relish adding to my collection of wearable modern art. They usually sell in the thousands, so I’ll probably keep dreaming. A more realistic addition to my jewelry stash would be a Splash brooch or pair of earrings since those can be found for less than $200 each.
Other amazing pieces were produced in a design called “Amoeba,” and they’re comparably priced to Splash. A variation of the Amoeba bracelet was actually the first piece of Koppel jewelry made in the Georg Jensen workshop. These designs are sometimes confused with Splash and mislabeled by sellers. In comparison, Splash is more curvaceous while Amoeba is spikier having an almost Brutalist appeal about it. The necklaces look amazing, no doubt, but I do have to wonder if Amoeba’s pointy edges would be comfortable to wear. Koppel designs were also made with enameling at times, including Amoeba brooches along with several other styles.
This enduring designer came up with new jewelry ideas for Georg Jensen up until the late 1970s, including some clever and wearable modernist rings. Most are appealing sterling silver examples that sell in the $100-250 range, but some can be found embellished with natural stones like lapis, and those tend to bring a little more. Pendants on chains were also 1970s staples in Koppel’s design portfolio and they sell in the same price range as the rings.
I’ve been so focused on Koppel’s Splash designs for the longest time now, the fact that some of his sterling silver rings are pretty fantastic slipped my mind. I do love a great bauble I can admire while I’m wearing it. I’m expanding my wish list to include a particular favorite now. Which Koppel for Jensen designs will you add to yours?
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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