WIWEN NILSSON. Cufflinks, sterling silver, 1961.

Monogram marked “WJ”. With Swedish control marks. Total weight: 15 grams.

Wiwen Nilsson was a significant Swedish silversmith and court jeweller born on 19 May 1897 in Copenhagen and deceased on 8 January 1974 in Lund. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Anders Nilsson, who was a respected gold and silversmith in Lund, and took over his father's workshop in 1927.

Wiwen Nilsson was a pioneering silversmith and regarded as one of Sweden's foremost in the 20th century, both nationally and internationally. He received his education by interning with his father and by studying in Germany, Denmark and France. His artistic development was influenced by various artistic currents, including Expressionism and Cubism, with which he came into contact during his time in Paris.

Nilsson's designs were characterised by clean lines and geometric shapes, and he was known for using materials such as silver and tin to create modern and innovative works. His works demonstrated a striving for simplicity and purity of form, while carrying a deep understanding of the properties and artistic potential of materials. Nilsson introduced several epoch-making jewelry collections, including rings with high stepping stone shaped front pieces, powerful arm rings with large square stones, and chains with rod links.

During her career, Wiwen Nilsson created an extensive amount of works, including table silverware, tableware, jewelry, and sacral silver. His works are sought after and highly valued at quality auctions and he is represented in several prestigious museums around the world, including the Nationalmuseum in Sweden and the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK.