Henning Koppel

1918 - 1981

Henning Koppel

Henning Koppel, silversmith and jeweler, is responsible for what we have come to think of as “Danish design". Henning Koppel was born in Copenhagen and initially wanted to be a sculptor. He studied scupture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and later in the Academie Rancon in Paris. During World War Two he lived in Sweden where he worked as assistant to the sculptor Carl Milles and designed jewellery for Svenskt Tenn. In 1945 he returned to Copenhagen and joined the Georg Jensen Company. Koppel's early work for Jensen was largely focused on jewellery designs but by the late nineteen forties his work increasingly turned to hollowware. His silver hollowware is distinguished by its sculptural quality. His work for Jensen also includes flatware. In addition he also created designs for porcelain for Bing & Grondahl, lights and clocks for Louis Poulsen & Co. and glass for Kastrup and Orrefors.

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Henning Koppel’s designs broke new ground for Georg Jensen with expansive and beautiful shapes. His designs are constructed in clean lines and exude warmth, a true feat of expertise. His mission was to make everyday life products beautiful as well as practical.

Koppel was a master draughtsman who executed precise designs and for his hollowware, clay models which allowed him to understand the design's three dimensionality. His work earned him the reputation of being the leading Danish silver craftsman. Koppel won many awards, including the Lunning Prize (1953), gold medals from the Milan Triennale (1951, 1954 and 1957) and the International Design Award of the American Institute of Interior Designers (1963).        

When Henning Koppel died in 1981, aged 63, he had created an astonishing range of work: from stainless steel cutlery such as “New York” which found its way into the homes of millions, to magnificent one-off signature pieces such as the silver and crystal chandelier he designed to celebrate the 75-year anniversary of Georg Jensen in 1979.