Hammered copper vessel, Michael Harjes, Metallkunstwerkstatt Bremen, 1950s/early 1960s

Hammered copper vessel from the early creative period of Michael Harjes (1926–2006), crafted in the Harjes Metal Art Workshop in Bremen-St. Magnus. The base bears the characteristic workshop mark "Angel in Triangle" — the hallmark with which Harjes objects are still signed today, clearly attributing the piece to the workshop founded in 1912 by Friedrich Fidi Harjes and now run by the third generation.

Distinctive hammered surface, powerful material presence, warm-shifting original patina with fine verdigris inclusions — these are the typical characteristics of the hand-hammered copper vessels with which Michael Harjes continued the traditional Bremen hammering and forging techniques after taking over his father's workshop in 1952 and passing his master craftsman's examination in the guilding trade in 1954. The early copper works were created in a clearly defined period: until 1965, the workshop switched to bronze casting, which is why signed hammered copper works are much rarer today than the well-known bronze candlesticks from later years.

Harjes objects are documented in major houses for Mid-Century design — at 1stDibs, MutualArt and on auction platforms such as Catawiki/Lot-Art. The workshop is listed in gallery and collector literature as one of the few remaining traditional German workshops for artistic metalwork; Friedrich Harjes worked with Heinrich Vogeler in the Worpswede artists' colony in the 1920s.

A collector's item for Mid-Century interiors, for display cabinets, sideboards or libraries, as well as for minimalist modern rooms where handcrafted materials add accents. Original patina with age-related traces — deliberately preserved as part of the material's history.

Dimensions: Height 14 cm · Width 17 cm · Depth 15 cm. Material: Copper, hand-hammered. Signature: Workshop hallmark "Angel in Triangle" of the Harjes Metal Art Workshop on the underside. Dating: 1950s/early 1960s, early work of Michael Harjes.