Silver art object 'Treasure of New Life'
On Thursday, September 14, the official presentation of the work Treasure of New Life (2006) by Jan Matthesius to the Dutch Silver Museum took place. Thanks to the Friends of the Silver Museum, private donations and crowdfunding, the addition of this 'Treasure' to the collection has been made possible. Jan Matthesius and the Dutch Silver Museum would like to thank everyone who contributed. Treasure of New Life can now be admired in a display case in the hall and will then find its place in the permanent collection.
Contemporary Silver
The Treasure of New Life by Jan Matthesius is a nice addition to the collection of contemporary silver of the Dutch Silver Museum Schoonhoven. On the one hand because it is a very unique object that won first prize at the Schoonhoven Silver Award in 2006 for good reason, but also because it fits into the museum's collection of contemporary silver and establishes a connection with the historical collection. In it you will find the first application of electro forming in the Netherlands by the Zilverfabriek van Kempen.
Schoonhoven Silver Award
2006 The theme of the (third) international design competition 'Schoonhoven Silver Award' was “A showpiece in silver”. The jury unanimously chose Jan Matthesius with his object Treasure of New Life as the convincing winner.
The jury: “It is a surprisingly artistic and contemporary design. The originality with which the theme has been interpreted is highly appreciated and the stand-alone work is a striking showpiece.
The organic nature of the shape is enhanced by the casual fray at the edge of the opening of the cocoon. This subtle cut breaks through the closedness and massiveness of the object and guides the viewer's gaze into the object. The almost careless simplicity of the border is a simple yet powerful addition.
The progression of the structure on the outside of the shape enhances the liveliness through the beautiful timbre of the silver surface. The application of the electroforming technique explained to the jury is a novelty in the – short – history of the Schoonhoven Silver Award and surprised and appealed to the jury.”
Jan Matthesius:
'The idea behind the creation of 'Treasure of New Life' was to design and create a large silver object that has such an appearance that it is obvious it cannot be made with the usual hammering techniques. Moreover, I wanted to give the spectator a mystical Black Hole experience.'
