A Danish silver brooch by N E From, composed of five concave petals, with central bead accents, reverse stamped ‘DANISH STERLING N.E.FROM’, width 41.5mm. £40-£60

Niels Erick From (1908-1986) was born in Denmark and trained as a silversmith, opening a shop in 1931 from which he sold some of his jewellery designs. In 1944 the N E From smithy is first registered in Nakskov. There are two distinctive periods of design within From’s production. In the 1940s we see floral pieces with sinewy foliage details, and this style characterised his early years of production. By the 1960s, we see the introduction of bolder modernist designs, the necklace being offered for sale here being a typical example of this second period. The designs are similar to many Georg Jensen pieces of this period. In 1960, From’s son-in-law, Hilmer Jensen, had joined the management team and after Niels Erick’s death in 1986, Jensen took over the running of the firm. The company was wound up a few years later.