marc newson designs sculptural silver tea service for georg jensen

marc newson designs sculptural tea service for georg jensen
images courtesy of georg jensen

marc newson has been commissioned by georg jensen to create a tea service in sterling silver, marking the danish design house’s first significant partnership with a contemporary artist in 25 years. the collection brings together newson’s diverse range of experience in the industrial and technological markets, with the timeless aesthetic and quality of craftsmanship that georg jensen is known for.

the creamer, sugar bowl, teapot, and coffee pot

the service comprises five individual pieces: a teapot, coffee pot, creamer, sugar bowl, and tray. each item’s organic shape subtly evokes an impression of nature, bearing a familial likeness to the silver house’s long-standing approach towards a reductive sculptural aesthetic.

in its design and development, the collection took more than six months, and included the amalgamation of state-of-the-art technology with the hand craftsmanship of jensen’s silversmith. rapid 3D prototyping executed in the initial phases of development became a crucial part of newson’s exploration of geometry and experimentation of technical possibilities.

a near-invisible cut-out with a sliding door has been built into the top of the pot

responsibly-sourced mammoth handles adorn the teapot, coffee pot, and creamer — shaped as a sinuous, horizontal shaft extruding from the vessels’ edge. the perimeter of the silver tray is carefully wound in natural rattan, while the tea and coffee pots bear wrapped rattan bases that can be safely placed on any surface. in order to add water to the vessels, a near-invisible cut-out with a sliding door has been built into the tops of the pots, giving the hand wrought pieces a subtle yet significant suggestion of an industrial solution.

responsibly sourced mammoth handles adorn the teapot

the edition pieces require more than three months of hand hammering, the first of which was forged by a third generation silversmith whose grandfather worked side by side with the company’s founder, georg jensen. the newson tea service will be offered in a limited edition of 10, stamped with a ‘MN’ makers mark, and made to order in the company’s workshop in copenhagen.

tea and coffee pots bear wrapped rattan bases that can be safely placed on any surface.

‘marc newson was, for me, really the only choice to design a new tea service for georg jensen,’ explained david chu, CEO of georg jensen. ‘through his unparalleled, diverse experiences in industrial design, tackling such profound and elemental subjects as speed and motion, architecture, and the recording of the passage of time, and having begun his career as a sculptor, as did mr. georg jensen, who else but marc could bring to this domestic, modest and functional family of tea related objects the gravitas, the feeling of universality, the harmony of domesticity and ceremony?’

the edition pieces require more than three months of hand hammering

the tea service has been presented during beijing design week 2015 at a special, site-specific exhibition co-curated by beijing center for the arts (BCA) and georg jensen. within the BAC’s newly renovated courtyard, the exhibition ‘jensen’s garden’ featured jensen’s iconic works over the past century, showcasing the aesthetics design and craftsmanship of the danish brand.

each item’s organic shape subtly evokes an impression of nature