an engraved Swedish Grace pewter tray, Stockholm, early 1920's. this model was shown at The Paris Exhibition 1925.
Executed in her own workshop, Stockholm, Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden, signed A. Petrus, 45 x 23,5 cm.
Later wall mount.
The Kuylenstierna family. The tray was acquired directly from Anna Petrus, thence by descent.
This model was included in the Swedish Pavillion at the 1925 Paris World's Fair and was also depicted on a full page in the Swedish Exhibition catalogue.
Marie Rehnberg, "Anna Petrus Skulptör och Industrikonstnär", Bokförlaget Signum 2009, the model illustrated p 79.
ANNA PETRUS (1886-1949)
Anna Petrus is described as an independent and strong personality, she was a modern woman driven by passion for her work.
In her studio on Riddargatan in Stockholm, Anna Petrus began to take an interest in crafts in the early 1920s. She came to make several different types of trays of different materials; tin, copper and sometimes with elements of silver. The trays were provided with a richly engraved décor and were sometimes combined with artfully sculpted lions of oak.
Anna Petrus was a sculptor and designer at the beginning of the 20th Century. After her death, Anna Petrus' work was almost forgotten, but in recent years, it been rediscovered. And now, her sculptures are sought after-objects.
She was born Anna Petersson, the daughter of a medical professor and a countess, and took the surname when she studied at the Academy of Arts. She inherited a small fortune at age 11 when her mother died, which enabled her to educate in London and travel to Italy and France. Anna Petrus had her international breakthrough at the Paris World Fair in 1925, where she displayed pewter and cast iron objects in the Swedish Grace style. At the time, pewter was a material that was considered unfashionable, but its popularity increased with designers like Anna Petrus.
In 1924, she began collaborating with the newly established Firma Svenskt Tenn. The lion became a recurring motif in Anna Petrus' production as sculptures and decorations.