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This ring and pendant were made during the heyday of Jens Hansen's practice in New Zealand. Danish born, Jens Hansen captured the organic style of modernism which was an important feature of Danish jewellery and design.
Jens Hansen (1940-1999) holds a significant place in the history of late 20th century New Zealand jewellery. Danish born (emigrating with his family in 1952), Hansen introduced emerging jewellers and silversmiths to workshop methods and notions of modernism through the Danish lens. These kinds of opportunities were very important in New Zealand when craft education was very limited at this time. Showing an early aptitude to jewellery as a young man (his family was from a long line of blacksmiths), he returned to Denmark in search of training in 1962, and again in 1976. Nelson became his home from 1968 and from there he established his workshop where he developed a practice founded on a love of fine materials and process. But form defined his work, writing in 1998:
"My obsession is form in its purity, to realise it succinctly without losing its crispness, to allow it to evoke and conjure unhindered. ‘Less is more’, remains my source". 'The Third New Zealand Jewellery Biennal: Turangawaewae: a public outing'. Dowse Art Museum, 1998.