Cooperation with the silversmiths
began in 1982 when Björn Schulze
took over the family business in the
third generation. “The first piece
we produced for TECNOLUMEN
was a fruit bowl based on a design
by Josef Albers”, explains the
skilled metal spinner and industrial
designer. This was followed shortly
afterwards with the joint presen-
tation of “Collection 1” by Walter
Schnepels, featuring silver work
such as the coffee and tea service
by Boris Lacroix (Art déco) as well
as designs by Björn Schulze. A
second collection followed in 1987.
Things take time
Right up until the present day, one
of the most artistic and also elabo-
rate products has been the teapot
MBTK 24 designed by Marianne
Brandt. Many little steps are involved
in making this teapot. It takes
more than fifty hours altogether to
press and grind the geometrical
parts made consistently in accor-
dance with the Bauhaus design
principles, as well as woodturning
the ebony handle and through to
the galvanising process. “We donˇt
hammer the teapot: that would
be much easier. We press the silver.
Keeping the clamped surface
smooth including all the soldered
bits, is a high art. We canˇt afford
to make any mistakes.” The first
MBTK 24 was produced in the early
1980s. The range also includes
the EB 27 by Édouard-Wilfrid Buquet.
This is one of the most important
products, as table, wall or standard
variant. “We once made a lamp
completely of sterling silver, although
no-one thought it would ever sell.
But in fact, it wasnˇt on display for
very long before Brad Pitt came
and bought it”, tells Schulze with a
grin and not a little pride. Today
the Buquet lamp is still made by hand
in Bremen-Walle. Itˇs based on a
prototype thatˇs decades old, toget-
her with drawings stuck to a locker.
“We got an original Buquet lamp
from Mr. Schnepel which we used
to develop a model.”
Among others, orders also come
from the regional Evangelical
Church in Hanover. “When the
whole congregation drinks from a
silver chalice, thereˇs no risk of
contagion. The antibacterial effect
The noble art of meticulous care: Marianne Brandtˇs tea
pot MBTK 24 and Édouard-Wilfrid Buquetˇs EB 27 were
produced for TECNOLUMEN in the BWKS (Bremen
workshops for handcrafted silver works).
Handmade in Germany:
Traditional Craftsmanship with Heart and Soul
of silver has always been important
for users in church settings.”
Besides restoring historical chalices,
chandeliers and baptism fonts,
other objects are also produced on
the basis of new designs.
Silver, sea and cigarettes
“In the past they used silver 750,
but it contained so much copper
that the silver turned green. All that
changed with the Imperial Law
of 1873. From then on, items were
stamped with a crescent moon
(silver) and crown (German Empire)
to guarantee the silver content.
On the other hand, the techniques
used to work the silver have
scarcely changed in decades.
From turning the wooden form to
repolishing the workpieces,
everything is still done by hand, as
it has been for a hundred years.
The Schulze family has a long
tradition of silver craftsmanship.
“My grandfather Wilhelm was
apprenticed to Koch & Bergfeld as
a silversmith, after which he set
out as a journeyman in the usual
fashion of the times.” He went
to Oslo and worked with David
Andersen, where his tasks among
others also included designing
racing yachts. “Two of them are still
sailing today”, says the grandson.
The skilled chaser Wilhelm Schulze
returned to Bremen in 1920.
“Germany was a low-wage country
in those days, compared to
Scandinavia where workers were
paid much more. And so my
grandfather set up a local branch
for David Andersen.” To the great
displeasure of the workforce in
Oslo, so that Andersen eventually
gave in to their protests. The
workshop in Bremen was taken
over by Wilhelm Schulze. Towards
the end of the Second World War,
when the company premises were
almost totally destroyed, Richard
Schulze, who had meanwhile taken
8
“We got an original Buquet lamp from
Mr. Schnepel which we used to develop a
model.”
