Dining In Style

- with -
Georg Jensen
Flatware by Janet Drucker

Fig. 1. Georg Jensen tea & coffee set in the Blossom pattern. All photos are courtesy of Drucker Antiques, Mt. Kisco, NY.  

26 Silver Magazine july/august 2010


Fig. 2. Georg Jensen flatware in the Blossom
pattern.
One of Georg Jensen’s (1866-1935)
earliest creations was the iconic Blossom
teapot inspired by nature. As the story is
told, in 1904 Georg Jensen wrapped the
very first Blossom teapot in newspaper
and brought it to the Museum of
Decorative Arts in Copenhagen. The
curator immediately purchased it. This
event encouraged Jensen, who already
experienced success with his sterling
silver jewelry, to expand his business
with hollowware and flatware for the
table. The legacy of Georg Jensen silver
spans over one hundred years.
When Georg Jensen opened his
Copenhagen silver-smithy in 1904, he
was thirty-five years old. He was recog-
nized as a creator of innovative designs
in silver. Georg Jensen first produced completely handmade and costly flat-
jewelry in silver with cabochon stones ware pattern, aptly reflecting the spirit
and soon produced flatware with the of Georg Jensen, the pioneer, the artist,
same artistic vision and superb quality the craftsman.
of craftsmanship. The Pyramid flatware pattern was
During the late nineteenth cen- designed by Harald Nielsen, a brother-
tury, the importance of flatware in-law of Georg Jensen, in 1926. Pyramid
superseded its function. Meaning, is restrained art deco in style, with its
setting a beautiful table signified a geometric pyramid-shaped top. This
refined upbringing, social status, design was inspired by the opening of
and at times wealth. At the begin- Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1923. Nielsen
ning of the twentieth century, when took over as artistic director after Georg
Denmark was enjoying a surge in Jensen’s death. Pyramid flatware is still
economic growth, Jensen changed the produced today.
earlier paradigm believing that flatware In 1930, the Cactus pattern was
should be integrated into daily living designed by Gundorph Alburtus, who
and enjoyed by the masses, including was a sculptor well-acquainted with
the working class of Denmark. silver. Cactus combines art deco style
Jensen silver is recognized for the with Jensen’s earlier inspiration from
attention to each design element and the nature. This pattern is sought after
proportion of each piece. The balance of by arts and crafts collectors as well as
each piece in the hand exudes its own lovers of modernism. Alburtus also
personality. The iconic designs and designed the Bittersweet pattern in 1940.
hand finishing of Georg Jensen silver This pattern features a beautiful leaf
remains a hallmark of his work. motif at the tip of each handle. While
There were thirty-three individual the Cactus pattern remains in produc-
flatware patterns designed—the first tion, the Bittersweet pattern has been
pattern, Continental, was designed in discontinued.
1906, and the last pattern named Koppel
came in 1981. Today only nine patterns
are in current production. A five-piece
setting is composed of a dinner fork,
dinner knife, soup spoon, salad fork, and
teaspoon. Serving pieces include items
such as salad sets, pastry and cake serv-
ers, and ladles while the accessory pieces
such as place card holders, salt and pep-
pers shakers, and napkin rings add the
finishing touch to setting your table.
Johan Rohde, a painter and Georg
Jensen’s first associate, designed the
Acorn pattern in 1915. He introduced
a new era of classicism with this new
design. Acorn is possibly the world’s
most extensive service. At one time, 228
different pieces were produced. Today
the pattern is still available in the modest
number of eighty pieces, which include
place card holders, lemon knives, ice
tongs, grape scissors, etc.
In 1919, Georg Jensen created the
Blossom flatware pattern based on the
delicate blossom bud of his iconic tea- Fig. 3. Georg Jensen flatware in the Cactus
pot. This design is the most intricate, pattern.
july/august 2010 Silver Magazine 27
 Sigvard Bernadotte designed the
Bernadotte pattern in 1939. This pat-
tern reflects the simplicity of a func-
tionalist style. Bernadotte, the first
non-Dane to design for the company,
was the son of King Gustav VI of
Sweden. The Bernadotte pattern is
still produced today.
Georg Jensen silver is often
passed from generation to genera-
tion within a family. Children and
adults alike remember setting the
table with Jensen silver; placing the
salt and pepper shakers, writing the
name cards, and lighting the candle-
sticks that adorn the table. The
dining experience becomes a memo-
rable occasion when set with Georg
Jensen silver.

Additional information on Georg

Jensen’s life and work, including illus-
trations of all of the flatware patterns is
available in Janet Drucker’s book, Georg
Jensen: A Tradition of Splendid
Silver, 2nd edition. Fig. 4. Georg Jensen pitcher designed by Johan Rohde in 1920 and produced in 1925.

Janet Drucker is the founder of

Drucker Antiques, a recognized
authority of Georg Jensen silver
jewelry, flatware and hollow-
ware. Janet Drucker, M.A., for-
merly an artist and art teacher,
is the author of Georg Jensen:
A Tradition of Splendid Silver.
Drucker Antiques of Mt. Kisco,
NY, is pleased to exhibit a spe-
cial collection of Georg Jensen
flatware sets, serving pieces,
pitchers, bowls, and accesso-
ries for the table while at the
Baltimore Summer Antiques
Show over the Labor Day
Weekend (Sept. 2-5). Janet
Drucker will also be presenting
a lecture on Georg Jensen Silver
Fig. 5. Pitcher No.407, grape motif with ebony handle, designed by Georg Jensen. during the show.

28 Silver Magazine july/august 2010