Prof. Francesco Carelli

 

Hugo Leven, nearly engraved style

 

 

In 1864, Engelbert Kayser, opened an atelier which offered a view on the German and European artistic craftsmanship of that time and in 1885 his brother Jean Kayser, heir of his father’s foundry since 1874, built the “Leuconide- und Metallwarenfabrik J. P. Kayser Sohn” in Krefeld-Bockum.

 

There was a main artist and designer who worked with Engelbert: Hugo Leven. The collaboration between Engelbert and Leven led to the development of the first collections and services until 1901. This is the period of floral decorations in relief made by Leven.    In 1900, during the Paris worldwide exhibition, Engelbert Kayser received a gold medal as the main designer of Kayserzinn factory, whose production increased a lot because of this important praise. In this period Leven began to use clay and plasticine and developed a new technique called “Daumendrückrelief”, by which the relief was less perceivable and decorations appeared nearly engraved, in bas-relief.     From 1902, when Kayserzinn got a second worldwide praise, to 1904 more than 100 new models were invented and Karl Berghof presented innovative conic and cylindrical forms.