Elis Kauppi (1921–2004) was a pioneer in Finnish modernist jewellery art and one of the designers who developed Finnish modern jewellery art during the second half of the 20th century.
In 1945, Kauppi, together with Jorma Nurmi and Pekka Kivipuro, founded Kupittaan kulta in Turku, for which Kauppi acted as artistic director and jewellery designer until 1988. Kauppi's goal as a designer was to liberate the form and jewellery from the naturalistic ideals. Kauppi wanted to create jewellery that sought beauty in the simplicity, and with which the wearer would bring out her or his personality and not her or his social status. The jewellery is therefore characterized by a simplicity where the shape follows the beauty of the metal and the metal the beauty of the gemstones. One of Kauppi's most famous jewellery series that was also praised abroad was "Tunturipuro" (mountain stream), where a cascade of bubbles in silver, spectrolite and rock crystal creates jewellery in different sizes and models. Kauppi never signed his jewellery but they were stamped with the hallmark of Kupittaan kulta. Read more
In 1945, Kauppi, together with Jorma Nurmi and Pekka Kivipuro, founded Kupittaan kulta in Turku, for which Kauppi acted as artistic director and jewellery designer until 1988. Kauppi's goal as a designer was to liberate the form and jewellery from the naturalistic ideals. Kauppi wanted to create jewellery that sought beauty in the simplicity, and with which the wearer would bring out her or his personality and not her or his social status. The jewellery is therefore characterized by a simplicity where the shape follows the beauty of the metal and the metal the beauty of the gemstones. One of Kauppi's most famous jewellery series that was also praised abroad was "Tunturipuro" (mountain stream), where a cascade of bubbles in silver, spectrolite and rock crystal creates jewellery in different sizes and models. Kauppi never signed his jewellery but they were stamped with the hallmark of Kupittaan kulta.
Kauppi is considered to be one of the most productive jewellery designers in Finnish jewellery. But he is also considered to be the "master of natural form" due to the free forms that reappeare in a variety of formations and the balance between the jewellery's shape, metal and precious stones. For generations, Kauppi's jewellery has been admired both in Finland and abroad, and even today Kauppis jewellery is as relevant as it when it was created due to the jewellery's simple and expressive design language.
Welcome to take part of and bid on a collection of Kauppi's jewellery in both gold and silver that extends throughout his active time at Kupittaan kulta. This theme auction is part one of a three-part series in which we have chosen to highlight three Finnish goldsmiths active in Turku during the second half of the 20th century. The other two theme auctions, Jorma Laine and Pekka Piekäinen, will be published in January and February 2021.
