Georg JENSEN (Denmark 1866 – 1935)
At the age of 14 Jensen began his training in goldsmithing but when his apprenticeship ended in 1884 it freed him up to follow his true artistic interests, which he did by enrolling in a sculpture course at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
Although his work was well received, making a living as a fine artist proved more difficult and as a result, Jensen turned to applied arts, working as a modeller in a ceramics factory and pottery workshop.

In 1901 he began again as a silver smith and in 1904, risking a small capital, he opened his own silversmithery in Copenhagen, which would go on to change his life and the history of Danish silverware ever since.
His training in metalsmithing combined with the fine arts allowed him to work as a true artist craftsman, created both useful and beautiful pieces.

is earlier years of his business largely saw him making silver jewellery set with inexpensive gems inspired by nature and the prevailing Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements, translated as Skonvirke in Danish.
In 1906 he created his first set of flatware which he called “Continental” which quickly became a best seller for the company.

 By 1908 Jensen employed nine staff and was mentoring 2 apprentices. Jensen had always been keen to mentor and collaborate with other craftsmen and designers, fully crediting their work.

In 1915 he participated in his first fair in America, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Fransisco where his work was highly praised.

By 1918 his staff had grown to 125.

By 1924 he had opened a store in Paris, London and New York –his reputation firmly sealed and further rewarded when he received numerous awards at world fairs such as Paris 1925 and Barcelona 1929.
Over the years, many talented designers have contributed to the company’s distinctive design and style including Nanna Ditzel, Arne Jacobsen, Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, Henning Koppel and Johan Rohde.