Art Nouveau Plate By Auguste Dannhauer, 1900

Item: Poppy-Patterned Dish

Material: Copper

Dimensions: 27 x 27 x 2 cm

Condition: Good overall condition—see photos

Period: circa 1900

This repoussé copper poppy dish is the work of Auguste Dannhauer (Geneva, 1866 – Geneva, 1928). Born into a family of coppersmiths, he was one of the last masters of the craft in Geneva. More specifically, he learned the trade from his father at a very young age on Rue des Chaudronniers, just a short walk from the museum where, due to noise pollution, all artisans in the trade were confined in the 17th century. His father taught him the art of shaping pots, molds, cups, and other everyday objects using a hammer and an anvil. These two tools are essential to copperwork, allowing the shaping of base metals (copper, brass, tin, lead) into sheets before assembling them by soldering and riveting. It was in the 1920s that Auguste Dannhauer welcomed Jean Dunand (1877–1942) into his workshop. This experience would prove decisive for the young apprentice’s career.