Lino Sabbatini (1925 – 2016) worked as a silversmith from a very early age. He learned metalworking techniques and became interested in shapes derived from natural materials. W. Wolff in Germany commissioned him to design the 1950 Boule Teapot. He moved to Milan in 1955 and met Gio Ponti, who mentored him and included him in an exhibition organised the following year. This enabled Sabbatini to receive international recognition for his work.
In the late 50s and early 60s he was active in Milan and as director of design at Christofle Orfèvrerie in Paris.
His forms were free-flowing, sculptural and straightforward, as in his 1960 tea service Como produced by Christofle 1960-1970. He designed ceramics, glassware, and metalwork for Rosenthal, Nava and Zani & Zani.
In 1964, he established his own factory Argenteria Sabattini, Bregnano, near Como. He executed the 1976 Saucière Estro sauce bowl. Also produced by his firm were his 1986 Insect Legs silver and black titanium tableware and flatware, and 1987 Connato silver-plated brass-alloy vase.
Sample of Work
More on Silversmiths
-
Alexander Tillander: Master of Jewels and the Art Nouveau Elegance
Alexander Tillander, a prominent Finnish jeweller and silversmith based in St. Petersburg, blended Russian and Art Nouveau styles, gaining renown and a royal commission, before resiliently relocating to Helsinki.Read More →
-
Fred G. Minuth (1884 – 1966) American Silversmith
Fred G. Minuth, an American silversmith, co-established the Frank S. Boyden Co, later the Boyden-Minuth Co, in Chicago in 1903. The company, still in operation, produced ecclesiastical objects, jewellery, and silver trophies.Read More →
-
Peter Raacke (b.1928), German metalworker and designer
German metalworker Peter Raacke, renowned for his Mono-a cutlery and Papp series furniture, studied design at the Staatliche Zeichenakedemie and the Werkschule in Cologne. His work received recognition and awards for industrial design.Read More →
-
The Legacy of Erna Zarges-Dürr, German Silversmith
Erna Zarges-Dürr, a renowned German silversmith, crafted meticulously proportioned silver pieces with modern ornamentation. She received recognition at international exhibitions.Read More →
-
Anatomy of a Hallmark 🤔
A hallmark is a symbol or device struck at an assay office on gold or silver, indicating that article conforms to legal standards of manufacture established by the monarch, local guilds, government etc. Literally, mark applied at Goldsmith’s Hall (London assay office since 1300) but extended to cover e.g. all five stamps found on Victorian…
-
Edward Spenser (1872 – 1938) British metalworker
Edward Spenser (1872 – 1938) was a British metalworker, silversmith, and jeweller. He was professionally active in London. Spencer was a junior designer at the Artificers’ Guild. When Montague Fordham took over the Guild in 1903, Spenser became chief designer. Read More →
-
Wiwen Nilsson (1897 – 1974) Swedish Silver Designer
Swedish Silver Designer Wiwen Nilsson (1897-1974), known for simplicity and elegance in his work, made notable contributions to art and design. He extensively trained in renowned art spaces, and his art has won several accolades.Read More →
-
Arne Petersen (1922 – 2002) Danish Metalworker
Arne Petersen, a Danish metalworker, gained recognition for his 1975 stainless steel and brass Bottle Opener. His work was exhibited internationally.Read More →
-
International Silver Company (ISC) American Silversmiths
The International Silver Company was founded in 1898 by a group of independent silversmiths from New England. Ashbil Griswold, who established his pewter shop in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1808, is credited with starting the early records of this industry.Read More →
-
Henri Navarre (1885 – 1970) French Metalworker
Henri Navarre was a French sculptor, architect, silversmith, and glassmaker who was influenced by Maurice Marinot and exhibited his work at Galerie Edgar Brandt and Maison Geo Rouard.Read More →
-
Bertel Gardberg (1916 – 2007) Finnish Jeweller and Metalworker
Bertel Gardberg was a Finnish jeweller and metal worker. Between 1938-1941 he studied at Taideteollin Korkeaukoulu, Helsinki. He began his working life in Copenhagen. Gardberg moved to Helsinki where he maintained a studio between 1949-1966. He was responsible for stainless steel and silver designs produced by the Georg Jensen Solvsmedie; Galeries Lafayette department store, Paris…
-
Louis Rault (1847 – 1903) French Sculptor, Engraver and Jewellery Designer
Louis Rault, a French sculptor, engraver, and jewellery designer, overcame a lack of formal training to excel in Art Nouveau style.Read More →
-
Julius Olaf Randahl (1880 – 1972) Swedish Silversmith
Julius Olaf Randahl, a Swedish silversmith, created exquisite silver pieces inspired by nature. His work can be found in museums worldwide.Read More →
-
Marius Hammer (1847 – 1927) Norwegian Silversmith
Marius Hammer (1847 – 1927) was a prominent Norwegian silversmith known for his plique-a-jour enamelled spoons, popular with tourists and exported internationally. He retired in 1915.Read More →
-
Ampulla Receptacle Used in Churches
Ampulla is a type of vessel used to hold chrism in churches.The pouring hole is in its beak. The cover is its head. LEARN MORERead More →
-
Harry Bertoia (1915 – 1978) Italian Sculptor, Furniture Designer
Harry Bertoia was a sculptor, printmaker, jeweller, and furniture designer. He was born in San Lorenzo, Udine, and worked in the United States professionally. During World War Two he worked with Ray and Charles Eames on moulded-plywood technology. He worked primarily as a sculptor from the mid-1950s onwards. His sculpture was prominently featured in many…
-
Brian Anthony Asquith (1930 – 2008) British silversmith
Brian Asquith (1930 – 2008) was one of the principal figures in British silversmithing during the 20th century, now regarded as the industry’s heroic age. Read More →
-
Georg Arthur Jensen Silverware Designer and Manufacturer
Georg Jensen was a Danish metalworker. He was born in Faavad. He was apprenticed as a goldsmith. cl895-1901, he studied sculpture, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi, Copenhagen. Read More →
-
Alma Eikerman (1908 – 1995) American Jewellery Designer and Silversmith
Alma Eikerman (1908 – 1995) was an American jewellery designer and silversmith. Eikerman was born in Pratt, Kansas, and graduated from Kansas State College in Emporia with a B.Sc. in 1934 and an M.Sc. in 1942. Read More →
-
Franz Rickert (1904-1991) German Silversmith
Franz Rickert (1904-1991), a German Silversmith, apprenticed in Mayrhofer’s workshop, studied in Munich, and became a prominent silversmith and enameler, exhibiting in Paris.Read More →
-
Helicon Vase Symbolises Music and Poetry
A Helicon vase is a centrepiece named after Mount Helicon in Greece. It was sacred to the ancient Greek muses. Read More →
-
Arno Malinowki (1899 – 1976) Danish Sculptor and Metalworker
His jewellery designs of a kneeling deer, a dolphin in the rushes, and butterflies on a flower, which he created in 1937, were produced for many years. In 1940, he created the ‘Kingmark’ to commemorate King Christian’s seventieth birthday. It was mass-produced and worn by Danes to demonstrate their allegiance to Denmark and opposition to…
-
Emmy Roth (1885 – 1942) German / Israeli Silversmith
Emmy Roth (1885 – 1942), a German Jewish silversmith, created innovative metalwork influenced by Baroque and modern design, gaining international recognition.Read More →
-
Silver and Twentieth-Century Design
The impact of silver metal technology has driven the development of modern furnishings throughout the 20th century. The transformation of a chair into a sculptural statement, for example. Interior metal objects have not always been at the forefront of modern design within a multi-function. With the emphasis on warmth and comfort in the home, the…
-
Gunilla Jung (d. 1939) Finnish Silversmith and Lighting Designer
Gunilla Jung was a glass and lighting artist and Silversmith. She designed glassware for Karhula (later Iittala) in the 1930s at the Institute of Applied Arts in Helsinki. Maybe best known for her pioneering lighting projects, such as in Helsinki’s Savoy Theatre. Taito created her first silver designs and, later in the 1930s, others by…
-
Jean Puiforcat (1897 – 1945) French Art Deco Silversmith
His silver work was based on the geometric series and had smooth surfaces. Pieces were embellished with ivory, onyx, lapis lazuli, and rosewood. He also used gilding.Read More →
-
Erik Magnussen (1884 – 1961) Danish Silversmith and Designer
Erik Magnussen was a renowned Danish silversmith and designer, known for his Art Deco and Cubist inspired designs. He operated various workshops in Denmark and the United States.Read More →
-
Robert Welch (1929 – 2000) English designer and silversmith
He studied painting at the Malvern School of Art under Victor Moody from 1946 to 1947 and 1949 to 1950. Silversmithing at Birmingham College of Art between 1950 and 1952. Between 1952 and 1955, he studied silversmithing at the Royal College of Art in London, mentored by Robert Gooden.Read More →
-
Tias Eckhoff (1926 – 2016), Norwegian Designer, Metalworker, and Ceramicist
Tias Eckhoff (1926 – 2016), a renowned Norwegian industrial designer, created timeless classics like RBM Ana, Maya cutlery, and Glohane tableware, receiving widespread recognition.Read More →
-
Carl Hugo Pott (1906 – 1985) – German Metalworker & Silversmith
Carl Pott (1906-1985) was a German designer and metalworker influenced by Bauhaus and modern architecture trends, known for unadorned forms and award-winning designs.Read More →
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
You may also be interested in
The joy of geraniums – Encyclopedia of Design
Is there anything more joyous than geraniums? Bright, resilient and utterly undemanding, these pleasers of the botanical world
Glyphs – Road to International Understanding – Encyclopedia of Design
Glyphs are the graphical symbols that are more or less universally used. Typical are the plus and the minus signs in mathematics. Margaret Mead, the American Anthropologist, suggested them as a means of a new international language. As a “Graphic Designer,” I like the particular meaning of Glyph as a symbol that is supposedly independent of language and culture.