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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 68, The Whiteley Galleries

Jug

1938 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This jug is probably designed by Svend Weihrach, a designer for Georg Jensen, who worked as the artistic director for the Hindelberg workshop from 1930-1962 and supplied all the designs during his tenure.

Frantz Hingelberg began the production of independent, artistically designed jewelry in Arhus, Denmark in 1897. But it was not until 1928 when Svend Weihrauch (1899 - 1962) joined the company as artistic director and workshop manager that the company took off. Weihrach was a designer and silversmith and joined Hingelberg after working with Georg Jensen for a number of years. From 1930 onwards he was the sole supplier of designs to this workshop.

Weihrauch's early, systematic adoption of organised production techniques within a field that was normally the domain of traditional craftsmanship made him an early exponent of Functionalism. The international success of his work at the World Fairs in Brussels in 1935, Paris in 1937 and New York in 1939 bears eloquent witness to this. The distinguishing feature of work done at the Frantz Hingelberg workshops was the division of labour and the production of silver hollowware by spinning instead of by chasing. It was thus the technical processes involved that exerted their influence on the design and shape of the silverware, and the smooth surfaces made possible by these production techniques served to highlight the effect of the geometrical shapes employed in the designs. The main material used for insulation was ebonite, an industrially produced substance that could be both sawn and polished by hand. However, ivory was also used. Svend Weihrauch was an unusually prolific designer. In the course of his twenty-eight years at Hingelberg's, he produced approximately 4,500 designs for hollowware, cutlery and jewellery, almost all of which were put into production.

The hollowware of his early years at Hingelberg's employed a stringency of shape while also embracing the decorative elements of the Art Deco style. In the more geometrical shapes that he produced in the period 1931 to 1932, the overall aesthetic effect was more the result of the technical processes concerned. The smooth surface revealed that spinning had been used, while a distinct separation of the individual components of each piece both emphasised the different functions of the particular parts and also made it possible to achieve designs with a composition distinguished by contrasting elements. Weihrauch also developed new methods of attaching the insulation material, demonstrating at the same time the interconnection of of the materials in question, in a way that also proved extremely decorative.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver, spun with ebonite details
Brief description
Silver,with ebonite details, Denmark, Aarhus, 1938, designed by Svend Weihrauch and made by Frantz Hingelberg
Physical description
Jug, silver with ebonite details, the body globular resting on a circular base with ebonite inserts, the neck a plain cylinder rising towards an undulating circumference which forms the spout, the handle of silver strips rising vertically from the body and curving inwards towards the top of the neck with ebonite inserts.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5in
  • Width: 5.5in (Note: Maximum)
Style
Production typeLimited edition
Marks and inscriptions
Stamped on the base: AARHUS 925 STERLING S?L DENMARK ANNO 1938
Gallery label
Jug Silver with ebonite details Denmark, Aarhus, 1938 Made by Frantz Hingleberg Designed by Svend Weihrauch (1899-1962) Circ,356-1939 The firm of Frantz Hingelburg was founded in 1897 as a retail business with an associated workshop for gold, silver and jewellery. Vilhelm, the son of Frantz, succeeded his father as manager and under his direction, the business expanded considerably. He frequently collaborated with the distinguished designer, Svend Weihrauch who probably designed this jug. In 1948, the firm of Hingelberg was appointed Royal Jewellers to the Danish Royal Household.
Object history
Acquisition RF: 39/3670
Purchased from The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Company
6 Old Bond St
London W1
Summary
This jug is probably designed by Svend Weihrach, a designer for Georg Jensen, who worked as the artistic director for the Hindelberg workshop from 1930-1962 and supplied all the designs during his tenure.

Frantz Hingelberg began the production of independent, artistically designed jewelry in Arhus, Denmark in 1897. But it was not until 1928 when Svend Weihrauch (1899 - 1962) joined the company as artistic director and workshop manager that the company took off. Weihrach was a designer and silversmith and joined Hingelberg after working with Georg Jensen for a number of years. From 1930 onwards he was the sole supplier of designs to this workshop.

Weihrauch's early, systematic adoption of organised production techniques within a field that was normally the domain of traditional craftsmanship made him an early exponent of Functionalism. The international success of his work at the World Fairs in Brussels in 1935, Paris in 1937 and New York in 1939 bears eloquent witness to this. The distinguishing feature of work done at the Frantz Hingelberg workshops was the division of labour and the production of silver hollowware by spinning instead of by chasing. It was thus the technical processes involved that exerted their influence on the design and shape of the silverware, and the smooth surfaces made possible by these production techniques served to highlight the effect of the geometrical shapes employed in the designs. The main material used for insulation was ebonite, an industrially produced substance that could be both sawn and polished by hand. However, ivory was also used. Svend Weihrauch was an unusually prolific designer. In the course of his twenty-eight years at Hingelberg's, he produced approximately 4,500 designs for hollowware, cutlery and jewellery, almost all of which were put into production.

The hollowware of his early years at Hingelberg's employed a stringency of shape while also embracing the decorative elements of the Art Deco style. In the more geometrical shapes that he produced in the period 1931 to 1932, the overall aesthetic effect was more the result of the technical processes concerned. The smooth surface revealed that spinning had been used, while a distinct separation of the individual components of each piece both emphasised the different functions of the particular parts and also made it possible to achieve designs with a composition distinguished by contrasting elements. Weihrauch also developed new methods of attaching the insulation material, demonstrating at the same time the interconnection of of the materials in question, in a way that also proved extremely decorative.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.356-1939

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Record createdMarch 3, 2004
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