Sylvia Stave vase

Rare vase, model 5557, designed by Swedish silversmith and designer Sylvia Stave for C.G. Hallberg in Stockholm in 1933. Executed in pewter and brass, the vase is a characteristic example of Stave’s metalwork from the early 1930s and combines the geometric vocabulary of Art Deco with the restrained approach to form that would become increasingly important in Scandinavian modernism. The model is documented in C.G. Hallberg’s 1933 catalogue.

The vase is constructed from contrasting silver-grey pewter and warm yellow brass. Its body has a low, compressed teardrop or conical form with softly rounded shoulders, resting on a narrow circular foot. From the center rises a long cylindrical brass neck, creating a pronounced vertical axis in contrast to the broad volume of the body. The neck terminates in a shallow, disc-shaped pewter mouth with a concave upper surface. A series of closely spaced concentric grooves around the outer edge provides the principal decorative detail. The otherwise undecorated surfaces emphasize proportion, geometry and the visual contrast between the two metals.

This combination of elementary geometric forms is characteristic of Stave’s approach during her period at C.G. Hallberg. The broad body, tubular stem and flattened circular opening give the object an almost architectural construction, while the restrained ornament and clear separation of individual components anticipate the functionalist tendencies developing in Swedish design during the 1930s. At the same time, the use of contrasting metals and the precisely articulated, stepped rim retain a distinctly Art Deco character.

Sylvia Stave (1908–1994) was one of the significant figures in Swedish metal design of the 1930s. She joined C.G. Hallberg as a student in 1929 and made her public design debut at the influential Stockholm Exhibition of 1930. At only 23 she became artistic director of C.G. Hallberg, then one of Sweden’s largest jewellery and metalware companies, with more than 600 employees. She remained artistic director during the 1930s and developed objects in silver, silver plate and pewter, including tableware, vessels, jugs and cocktail equipment. Her work is distinguished by geometric clarity, controlled proportions and limited ornamentation. After moving to France around 1940, she largely withdrew from professional design, leaving a relatively concentrated body of work from the preceding decade.

C.G. Hallberg was an important Stockholm manufacturer of jewellery, silver and decorative metalware. During Stave’s tenure the company combined established metalworking traditions with contemporary industrial production and employed prominent designers to develop modern objects for the Swedish and international markets. Model 5557 belongs directly to this period: an example documented by Bukowskis is dated Stockholm 1933, carries the C.G. Hallberg “GARANTERAT SVENSKT TENN” manufacturer’s mark and year mark G8, and the model is recorded as illustrated in the company’s 1933 catalogue.

The present vase is in good vintage condition with age-related wear. The pewter has developed an uneven grey patina with surface oxidation, fine scratches, rubbing and darker areas associated with handling and use. The brass neck displays corresponding oxidation and patination, producing variations from golden yellow to darker brown tones. Minor bumps and dents are visible, together with general surface marks consistent with the age and relatively soft nature of pewter. These traces have been retained as part of the historical surface of the object.

Diameter 11.5 cm (4.5 in). Height 19 cm (7.5 in).