Henry Van De Velde Art Nouveau Silver Dessert Plate 1902/1903. Silver, Relief Decor

Henry van de Velde – Large Sterling Silver Place Plate, "Whiplash" Decoration, circa 1902–1903 Design: Henry van de Velde · Koch & Bergfeld, Bremen · Silver 925 · Large Format · Very Rare

A large-format sterling silver 925 place plate, designed by Henry van de Velde circa 1902–1903 and executed by the silversmith Koch & Bergfeld in Bremen. The raised decoration presents the whiplash (Peitschenhieb) motif — stylized undulating waves in a flowing frieze, the most personal element of van de Velde's early formal language. Hallmarked with the artist's monogram, 925, crescent, crown and van de Velde signature. Diameter 27.0 cm · Weight 635 g — exceptional heavy silver quality.

The plates of this service were produced in several sizes, ranging from approximately 21.4 cm to 27.7 cm. Further examples were executed by the Theodor Müller workshop in Weimar, confirming the significance of this series within van de Velde's silverware production. The large format — 27.0 cm, 635 grams — is the rarest and most sought-after variant of the series.

The whiplash motif — an abstract sinuous line of pure dynamic tension — is one of van de Velde's most distinctive contributions to the Art Nouveau vocabulary, deployed simultaneously on Meissen porcelain (the Peitschenhieb service, 1903–1904), in silverware and in his architecture. Meissen Peitschenhieb plates are held in the collections of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Kunstindustrimuseet in Oslo and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Henry van de Velde (Antwerp, 1863 – Zurich, 1957), co-founder of Belgian Art Nouveau alongside Victor Horta, was appointed artistic adviser to the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar in 1902, where he founded the School of Applied Arts — the direct predecessor of the Bauhaus inaugurated by Walter Gropius in 1919. His works are held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum Folkwang in Hagen.

Complete catalogue raisonné: www.wvz-henryvandevelde.de

• Diameter: 27.0 cm · Weight: 635 g
• Material: sterling silver 925
• Hallmarks: Henry van de Velde monogram · 925 · crescent · crown · signature
• Decoration: whiplash (Peitschenhieb) in relief
• Production: Koch & Bergfeld, Bremen (further examples: Theodor Müller, Weimar)
• Condition: very good original condition with light gentle wear · exceptional heavy silver quality

Seen in museums — available to you.

Available for viewing by appointment at our Düsseldorf gallery.

Keywords integrated: Henry van de Velde, large silver plate, Peitschenhieb whiplash, Koch Bergfeld Bremen, Theodor Müller Weimar, Art Nouveau sterling silver, Jugendstil silver, Bauhaus precursor, Detroit Institute of Arts

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