AN ART NOUVEAU PLIQUE-À-JOUR ENAMEL VASE, MARIUS HAMMER, NORWAY, CIRCA 1900

Born in Bergen, Norway, Marius Hammer (1847 – 1927) trained in his father’s workshop and formed the third generation of goldsmiths in the family. Having studied in Hamburg and Berlin, he returned to Bergen, where he soon became most renowned for his plique-à-jour enamel jewellery and objects, often with a strong reference to design and shapes of Viking culture. The company soon expanded, and from around 1885 the firm advertised itself as 'By Special Appointment to the Prince of Wales'. The delicate vase in the present lot is rather rare in that it ties in much more with the Art Nouveau aesthetic of René Lalique (1860-1945) and others, than with folkloristic Norwegian design. Not only did Hammer use the favoured flowers and colours of the period, but he also relied on the translucency of the plique-a-jour enamel. For this challenging technique, dating as far back as the sixth century AD and later used in Russia for creating colourful kovshs and tableware, as well as by the renowned Italian goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, the enamel is applied in cells and without any backing, allowing the light to shine through.