This one comes from the personal collection of my mother, who purchased it at an estate sale many years ago. It is the work of Conrad Fehn (b. 1891), a German-born Dutch metalworker and artist, who opened a studio in Haarlem around 1917, where he produced a wide range of mostly metal objects (most often in copper) including sculptures, plaques, lamps, trays, and boxes. Fehn worked during the peak of the "Amsterdam School", 1910s-30s, which emerged as a syle of expressionist architecture and extended to the decorative arts, drawing elements from Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) and Art Deco aesthetics. There is a fair amount about Fehn out there, whose work was and is highly esteemed for its originality and level of craftsmanship.
I believe this is hand-hammered pewter, and it's a real beauty of a box, with the handle and decoration on the lid evoking a compass star, and the box as a whole feeling like its own center of gravity. Most of Fehn's work one sees out there is copper, and few boxes among them. Stamped on the underside as shown.
5 1/4" in diameter x 4" tall with lid. Very good antique condition, lid fits perfectly. I have not touched the surface, there is a little grime showing around the handle.
You might also like
