Marius Hammer

Marius Hammer (1847 – 1927) The son of Master Goldsmith, Lauritz Hammer, Marius was born in the crafts town of Bergen, Norway and worked there until his death in 1927. Hammer was the third generation in his family of craftsmen.  Beginning in the 1880s, Hammer focused on the growing tourist market and became a major producer of high-end souvenirs and other luxury items in filigree and enamel. Marius built a network of shops in famous tourist destinations of Western Norway and also delivered goods to European businesses including London. From around 1885 he advertised himself as ‘By Special Appointment to the Prince of Wales’, listing also ‘the largest collection of Norwegian antiquities in Scandinavia’. He retired in 1915 but the firm remained active until 1930 under his two sons, Torolf and Max. Marius Hammer was one of the most important Silversmiths in Norway, if not the most important. A contemporary of Fabergé, Marius became world famous for its enamel work. Most of these enameled pieces reflected the reigning Art Nouveau trends of bright colors and densely layered floral shapes.