Vivianne Bülow-Hübe

Sweden (1927-2004)

Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe is the most internationally celebrated Swedish silversmith of the post war period. Using assymetric, fluid forms in silver combined with semi-precious stones and pebbles, she created jewellery that strongly broke with tradition. Her early hand-made jewellery from the 1950's became an instant success in Paris where she lived at the time. She earned clients such as Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, Ingrid Bergman and Billie Holiday, who were all fascinated by her innovative designs of sculptural forms tracing the contours of the wearer´s body. In the mid 1960's she started a long relationship with the Danish company Georg Jensen, who's founder had as great a passion for silver as she herself did.

Torun Bülow Hübe created jewellery for people who valued the beauty and the design of handcrafted objects more than a luxurious material. She used rock crystal, moonstone and quartz instead of more valuable stones. Torun designed Jensens first wrist watch in 1962. This today world famous model was the first of it's kind; a simple, open-sided wrist watch with a numberless mirror dial, stripped of all but the bare essentials.