Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-20
Donish Silver at Corcoron Gallery
Art and Exhibition.
By Florence S. Berrymon

Fifty years OF Danish Sill
YER" which opened at the
Corcoran Gallery of Art stimuli
taneously with the Biennial,
is a dazzling show of more
than 500 items combining
beauty and utility. It Is spon-
sored by Henrik de Kauff-
mann, Danish Ambassador to
the United States, and Is being
circulated by the Smithsonian
Travelling Exhibition Service.
After April II. the closing date
here. it will visit other Ameri- -
can museums until the end Of
1856.
1t begins with an exact
reproduction in gold-covered
bronze by the Georg Jensen
silversmithy, of a sun chariot
in the National Museum in
Copenhagen. The original is
considered the finest pre-
historic object found in Dem
mark, dating from 1900
BIC, when sun-worship was
practiced in Scandinavia.
Work Of Sixteen Artists
The exhibition includes work
by Is different artists whose
designs have been executed by
the Jensen silversmithy during
the last half-century. Jensen's
early jewelry in Tart nouveau"
tradition, includes large
brooch with twin pendents, set
with dark amber and chryso-
prase U902). Also on view are
Jensen's large pieces of hollow
ware ornamented with flower
or fruit motifs, rejecting his
early training as a sculptor.
BY Johan Rohde, designer of
the famous acorn" pattern is
a display Of 225 pieces Of this
table silver, the full range.
The greater part Of the ex-
hibition comprises new work
and experimental ideas by
younger contemporary design
ers. Sigvard Bernadotte, BROTH
er of the Queen of Denmark,
is represented by numerous
small articles designed for
daily use, such as coffee set
of simple and graceful SYM
metry.
Henning Koppel is respon-
sible for some of the most
modern pieces: free-form
symmetrical bowls. the i'm
pressive large covered fish plat
ter called the whale" espe-
cially designed for this exhi-
bition, brooches and a bracelet
composed of units resembling
little pelvis bones.
Beautiful lines and exquis-
lite finish characterize the
whole collection with more
ornament in the earlier de-
signs, streamlined simplicity in
the later. But from the outset,
the ideal of these craftsmen
has been Form follows func-
tion,' for there is no intricate
inciSed design. elaborate re-
pousse work, or emphasis on
verticality, seen in some other
silver of the past so years,
which frequently appeared top
heavy.
In Stainless Steel
Besides the silver, a collec-
ton of stainless steel designed
and executed since the war,
including works by Magnus
Stephenson, recently awarded
the Grand Prix at the Milan
Triennale, is shown here for
the first time.
Finn Juhl, one Of Denmark's
leading architects, designed
and executed, and came to
Washington to supervise the
exhibitions installation. Gn-
cidentally, Mr.. Juhl designed
the Trusteeship Council Cham
Der at the U. N. Building in
New York; Emphasizing the
beautiful texture and color Of
this hand-wrought silver, the
installation involves a series of
steel posts from which teak
wood shelves are suspended;
there are also tables and other
stands. Color-dark and light
blue, oyster white, browns,
earth red, etc.. marks separate
sections of the exhibition. The
flexible setting can also be used
in rooms of different character.
A handsomely illustrated
brochure on the exhibition,
with historical. biographical
and critical articles by author
itative American and Danish
writer's, is available $3.50.
Water Color Annual
The Washington Water Col
or Clubs 58th annual exhi-
bition, on view through next
Friday at the Natural History
Building, National Museum, is
not outstanding in any respect,
but has plenty of competent
painting, and the visitor leaves
with the conviction that it is