Henning Koppel

Henning Koppel (1918 - 1981) was educated as a sculptor and designer at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and the Academy Rancon in Paris. During World War II, he lived in Stockholm, where he served as an assistant to the sculptor Carl Milles, painted watercolors, and designed jewelry for Svenskt Tenn. In 1945, Koppel returned to Copenhagen and joined the Georg Jensen firm.

Koppel’s jewelry, holloware and flatware designs represent a radical departure from the work of all the Jensen designers who preceded him, from the lush, nature-inspired designs of Georg Jensen himself to the austere, functionalist designs of Sigvard Bernadotte. Koppel’s highly original work, infused with the energy and nonconformist spirit of modern art, signaled a bold new direction for the firm; it attracted international attention and made the Georg Jensen company a leader in what became known as Scandinavian modern design.

Henning Koppel’s drawings and works in silver, porcelain, and glass are represented in museum collections throughout the world. His many awards include the Lunning Prize in 1953; gold medals at the Milan Tiennale in 1951, 1954, and 1957; the International Design Award of the American Institute of Interior Designers in 1963; and the ID Prize of the Society of International Design for the stainless steel tableware he designed for Jensen in 1966. 

Excerpts from Georg Jensen Holloware, The Silver Fund Collection and The Georg Jensen Society, The Unknown Georg Jensen.