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Mexican Jensen Copies?

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Author	Topic: Mexican Jensen Copies?
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 12-11-2000 10:00 PM [17-0177 08-0005] A few years ago, at a large antique show in California, I saw a very nice "Blossom" pattern 3-piece tea set. It looked just like a Jensen set, right down to the real ivory handles. The marks, though were simply Made For Gump's San Francisco Sterling Gump's was and remains a major dealer of fine silver, jewelry and other decorative arts, both new and antique. I believe they even carry Jensen silver today. My question is, would Jensen have made silver for Gump's without marking it themselves? If not, who might have made this set, and how did they get away with it? The dealer who had the set told me it was a Mexican copy. Was Jensen silver copied in Mexico? If so, how much is out there? Any information on this matter would be very helpful. IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 12-12-2000 12:30 AM It's probably not a Jensen set. I don't think Jensen would let a piece, especially something more monumental like a tea set, go unmarked; for one reason, many people would, without a doubt, not buy a set as Jensen unless it was so signed. As to your question on Mexican copies of Jensen, I'm afraid there are many of those, ranging from jewelry to hollowware. I see a lot of spoons that copy Jensen's Blossom and Blossom-style patterns. They are marked with Mexican marks. Here's a picture of a brooch from Mexico: Some serving pieces... I found both of these in a couple minutes on eBay, just to show examples. I see many pieces in antique shops as well. Needless to say the quality is far below that of a real Jensen piece. My advice is never to buy anything as Jensen unless it has genuine Jensen marks (and there are fake marks as well). IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 12-12-2000 01:36 PM Thank you for the info, as well as the warnings to wanna-be Jensen collectors. The set I saw was probably higher quality than most, but I am sure you are correct as to its origin. Brent IP: Logged
Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 Registered: May 99	posted 06-21-2001 09:52 AM See my comments earlier on Jensen USA. I might suggest that this set was made by William DeMatteo of Bergenfield, NJ, who was known to have made near exact copies of Jensen silver, because he manufactured for Jensen during WWII, and continued in the Jensenesque mode after the war. IP: Logged
Janet Drucker Posts: 21 Registered: Sep 2000	posted 06-21-2001 12:55 PM Ulysessis certainly correct. During WWll Mr. Lunning who owned the Georg Jensen store on Fifth Avenue in New York City could not obtain Jensen silver from Denmark so he commissioned De Matteo and La Paglia to make silver that looked like Georg Jensen. It was advertised as American silver in the Georg Jensen tradition. Americans hardly noticed that it was not marked Denmark. Only later on in years when families required appraisals on inherited pieces did many of them become aware of this. You can see these in the old catalogues of the Georg Jensen Handmade Store of 667 Fifth Avenue. Janet Drucker IP: Logged
Janet Drucker Posts: 21 Registered: Sep 2000	posted 06-21-2001 01:00 PM As far as Mexican copies of Jensen - there were many made and sold in Mexico as well as in the United States. The Blossom pattern was copied most often but they are look alikes not Georg Jensen. Georg Jensen silver must have been made in Denmark- that is where the smithy has been since 1904 and is still there. Janet Drucker IP: Logged

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