Karl Gustav Hansen for Hans Hansen Danish Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver Table Bell, Kolding - 1950

This is an exceptional, high quality table bell made by one of Denmark's greatest silversmiths, Karl Gustav Hansen. It is incredibly heavy for its size as it is made from heavy gauge silver. The high domed body has a spreading foot and the handle is engraved with fourteen horizontal rings. A beautiful soft-hammered surface gives the bell a wonderful hand-made appeal. The baseball bat-shaped clapper is suspended by a cylinder in to which the clapper retracts when sitting on a table.

The Museum at Koldinghus awards a yearly Karl Gustav Hansen Prize and states:

"The Karl Gustav Hansen Prize is named after the silversmith Karl Gustav Hansen (1914-2002), who was one of the most important figures amongst Danish silversmiths in the twentieth century, and for many years the artistic force behind Hans Hansen Sølvsmedie A/S, Kolding' (see here).

This bell is listed in his chronology catalogued as 'HH 389' and described as "bell formed with wide edge. Cylindrical engraved handle with button. Hammered, satin."(1)

This stunning bell is marked underneath 'Hans Hansen/ ANNO 1950/ DENMARK STERLING/ 389'. It measures 3.5 inches wide by 5.25 inches high, weighs 11.45 troy ounces and is in excellent antique condition.

Endnote:

1. Poul Dedenroth-Schou, Ed., Karl Gustav Hansen Silver 1930-1994, (Musee pa Koldinghus: Kolding, 1994), p. 175.