Holger Rasmussen was a Danish silversmith based in Copenhagen and operating between 1945 – 1956. His designs were mostly of clean lines. Below are some examples of his work and his silver makers mark.

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Peter Hertz opened his workshop in 1834 and for a period of time had a location in Ostergrade but eventually settled on the corner of Kobmagergrade and Kronpirnsengrade in Copenhagen where it exists today. He won exhibitions in Malmo in 1881, Liverpool 1886, Paris 1889, and Chicago 1895, with his jewelry and hollow-ware pieces that showcased scenes from Danish history. In 1906, one of his most notable pieces, a centerpiece with two twelve armed candelabra featuring a scene from the Nordic Edda, of Gefion plowing out Zealand was created. That very year he was also appointed as Court Jeweler. In 1876, his sons, Jacob and Sally continued the silver tradition and opened the first silver factory to use electricity in Denmark, which continued under Johan and Knud Hertz until it was shut down in 1960. Although the select few pieces made under the P. Hertz name are now executed y Erik Sjodahl, the shop itself still remains. Many of the pieces created by P. Hertz at the turn of the century were designed by such notable names as Johan Rhode, Thorvald Bindesboll, and Harald Slott-Moller. Reference: Jensen Silver

Johan Rohde was co-founder in 1891 of the secessionist group, Den Frie Udstilling (the Free Exhibition). Through this group he first met Georg Jensen, who in 1897 exhibited at Den Frie Udstilling the sculpture that had been rejected by the Danish Academy. Both later spent periods in the workshop of the silversmith Mogens Ballin, from which Jensen set up his own workshop in 1906. Rohde’s first silver designs, made in 1905 for his own house, were executed by Georg Jensen. He began to collaborate with Jensen in 1908, but it was not until 1917 that he entered into a formal association, which lasted until his death in 1935. During this time Rohde also designed silver for other Copenhagen firms. Reference: British Museum.

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Johan Rohde (1856-1935) was originally trained as a medical doctor and turned to arts quite late in life. After a few years of private studies, in 1881 he began his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Rohde was critical to the institutions stagnated view on art and its reluctance to accept modern currents, and within a year he had left the school.

The Academy’s refusal of modern art to the annual exhibitions held at Charlotteborg Palace lead to the establishment of the Free Exhibition in 1891, Rhode was one of the main initiators behind the founding of the association, along with Danish artists Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) and Theodor Philipsen (1840-1920).
Later Rhode turned to design and furniture, his furniture designs were often a mixture of Classicism and Japonism made of exotic timber, in 1900 several of his furniture were exhibited at the World’s Fair in Paris. He worked with silver concurrently with his furniture design. In 1906 he started his life long cooperation with Georg Jensen (1866-1935). Rhode became one of the first artists to design for the studio. In many ways Rhode is the designer whose work is most similar to Georg Jensen’s own designs with light spot-hammered surfaces and naturalistic influences, but unlike Jensen’s Art Nouveau inspired designs Rhode worked with more simplified geometric shapes and less ornaments. Several of his works represents simplicity, function and a respect for the material, that later would be the main features in Scandinavian design. Reference: Bonhams

Johan Rohde was co-founder in 1891 of the secessionist group, Den Frie Udstilling (the Free Exhibition). Through this group he first met Georg Jensen, who in 1897 exhibited at Den Frie Udstilling the sculpture that had been rejected by the Danish Academy. Both later spent periods in the workshop of the silversmith Mogens Ballin, from which Jensen set up his own workshop in 1906. Rohde’s first silver designs, made in 1905 for his own house, were executed by Georg Jensen. He began to collaborate with Jensen in 1908, but it was not until 1917 that he entered into a formal association, which lasted until his death in 1935. During this time Rohde also designed silver for other Copenhagen firms. Reference: British Museum.

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Georg Arthur Jensen was a silversmith and founder of the company Georg Jensen. He was apprenticed as a goldsmith until 1884; later he studied sculpture. Trained as a silversmith from 1892-4 in Copenhagen, then worked for Morgens Ballin. The influence of Ballin’s fleshy and organic interpretation of Art Nouveau is evident in Jensen’s work. After the establishment of his own workshop in 1904, he gained renown with an exhibition of silver jewellery. Reference: The British Museum.

Georg Jensen was born in 1866. He was the son of a knife grinder in a town north of Copenhagen called Raadvad. He started training at the age of 14 and was apprenticed to Guldsmet Andersen until 1884. Georg Jensen’s main ambition was to be a sculptor and studied this at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts until he graduated in 1892 and began exhibiting his work. At this stage it was mainly clay sculpture but he found it difficult to make a living in this field. He went on to become a modeller at the Bing & Grondahl porcelain factory then in 1898 he founded a partnership with Christian Petersen. This still proved difficult so in 1901 went back to being a silversmith and designer with Mogens Ballin. In1904 he opened his own silversmith company at 36 Bredegade, Copenhagen. This allowed him to combine his training in metalwork to form unique pieces of silver. He is most famous for Art Nouveau work and became extremely successful. By the late 1920’s there were retail outlets in London, Paris, New York, Stockholm, Berlin and Buenos Aires. Although Georg Jensen died in 1935 the company is still in existence today.

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