Modernism and Brutalism. They mainly share the same purpose, functionality. But where does jewellery come into that?

In the Early 20th Century, trends shifted and people began to reject the highly decorative and ornamental Victorian designs, not only in jewellery, but also architecture. Designers utilised the progression in materials and technology, to create designs based largely on simplicity, functionality and practicality. This led to sinuous curves, simple lines and Minimalist textures throughout Modernist jewellery designs.

Architecture played a big role in the shift towards Modernism in the 20th Century. Modernist architects aimed to produce structures which prioritised functionality and light, opting for large window panels, open floor plans and large steel or titanium structures. A great example of this is the Crystal Palace, home to The Great Exhibition of 1851. Although it could be said to use Victorian influences in terms of decoration, many believe Modernism to be a great factor into the construction of the notorious structure, in terms of utilising materials and techniques, never seen before.

Mirroring the upcoming trend, we saw notable jewellery designers such as Georg Jensen, Hans Hansen and Aarre & Kragh among many others, curating designs consisting of panels, foliage decoration, enamel highlights and overall simplicity. The non-conforming designs of the Modernist movement could be said to have started out primarily subjective to the designer, experimenting with mirroring architecture, materials, and engineering, but soon gained popularity as trends shifted.

Danish apprentice goldsmith and ceramicist Georg Jensen created foliage inclined designs, favouring a hint of Art Nouveau inspiration into his early Modernist designs. Foliage inspired panels, stone set flowerhead designs and openwork decoration were all notable marks of Jensen’s work. Although Danish designer Aarre & Krage also took some inspiration from foliage, they favoured a more minimalist approach, utilising simple lines, curves and peaks to create the panel jewellery all collectors know and love. Whilst Hans Hansen’s ‘Future’ collection, comprising of around fifty pieces, perfectly encapsulates the functionality of Modernist designs throughout jewellery.

It is evident that many Modernist designs and artists stemmed from Scandinavia and Finland, often seen stamped as such on many Modernist pieces. Scandinavian designers are thought to believe that quality of life can be improved through good design and production; prioritising good quality, minimalist designs that required less styling, but remained eye catching. Once again, an architectural breakthrough that was mirrored in the Modernist jewellery movement.

Alongside Modernism, Brutalism was also seen to be co-existing as a movement of the early 20th Century. Although opposites, both movements took inspiration from architecture of the time, and mirrored into fantastic jewellery designs. Brutalism was quite the contrary to Modernism in terms of design and functionality, created more Avant Garde designs, seen utilising more chunky designs and textured finishes, to mirror large concrete and brick structures, which focused on textured, seemingly unfinished materials. In fact, Sheffield is host to the largest and one of the most iconic Grade II* listed Brutalist structures in Europe, Park Hill!

The high quality, timeless and functional designs of Early XX Century Modernist Jewellery, makes it notably understandable why collectors are always eager to collect Modernist pieces in today’s day and age, so look out for those notable maker stamps and trademark designs within your jewellery, and if you think you could have a piece of Modernist treasure, the team at Sheffield Auction Gallery are here to help!