Spoon — NOBEL, Sweden, Japan, 1990s, 1990-1991
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1990s, 1990-1991
Spoon in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number M.7:16-2002), made in Sweden, Japan, dated 1990s, 1990-1991, attributed to Cyrén, Gunnar (Professor). The museum's brief description reads: Gilt brass dessert spoon, part of a stainless steel and gilt brass cutlery set, designed by Gunnar Cyrén and manufactured by Yamazaki Kinzoku Kogyo for the Nobel prize winners committee. Sweden, 1990s.. Museum description: Spoon, die stamped gilt brass, the straight sided handle with rounded edges and a flat tip, the lower two thirds of the handle treated with a matt finish, the upper third and oval bowl, polished. The museum records it as Gilt brass, die stamped and polished., measuring Length 16.4 cm; Width 3.8 cm; Depth 1.5 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Gunnar Cyrén (1931-2013) was a Swedish silver, glass, and industrial designer. After completing an apprenticeship in silversmithing and a period of study at the Konstfackskolan in Stockholm Cyrén worked as a silversmith in Uppsala. In 1959 he was appointed to the Orrefors glassworks, where he mastered the new medium. He soon attracted critical attention through work exhibited at Svensk Form in Stockholm in 1961 and 1963. Working closely with the factory's glassblowers his work became widely known for its use of bright colours that were vividly seen in his Pop glasses of 1966. He was awarded the prestigious Lunning Prize in the same year. Following a period as artistic director at the company he returned to his home town of Gävle in 1970 and began designing for Dansk International, a firm with a high reputation for Scandinavian tableware. In 1973 he once more took up silversmithing, establishing a studio and shop and from 1976 worked for Orrefors on a freelance basis. Fumatoki Yamazaki started his small family metal-crafting business in 1918 in Tusbame, Japan, producing wares in copper, silver, and brass. In the 1930s Yamazaki introduced stainless steel to Japan, and subsequently the area became known worldwide for its stainless-steel production. At the same time, the Yamazaki Kinzoku Kogyo Company established itself as an expert in designing and creating outstanding stainless-steel flatware and was sought after by many high-end companies to produce tableware under their…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- brass, gold
- Dimensions
- Length 16.4 cm; Width 3.8 cm; Depth 1.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Gilt brass, die stamped and polished.
- Maker recorded
- Cyrén, Gunnar (Professor)
- Place recorded
- Sweden, Japan
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- NOBEL / GUNNAR CYREN ©YAMAZAKI
Identification
- Museum object name
- Spoon
- Museum object number
- M.7:16-2002
- Museum system number
- O65555
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.