“When I make a pendant or a ring, I think not so much about the woman who will wear it, but about whether her heart will yearn for it. Gold and precious stones are the imperishable and eternal materials of this world. And if in a thousand years someone were to dig up our era, I hope they would find not only the remains of old sewing machines and electric stoves, but also a few pieces of jewellery. Therefore, these pieces of jewellery should reflect our world, so that even the birth pangs of industrialisation do not suppress or destroy our desire for beauty and our love of jewellery and aesthetic forms.” Johann Michael Wilm.
Johann Michael Wilm (1885-1963) learned his craft from his father, Josef Wilm (1856-1922), a jeweller from Dorfen. He then perfected his craft by working for various jewelers in various cities in Germany, including Hanau, where he worked from 1908 to 1910 and studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts. He then lived in New York for two years, and upon returning to Germany, he became the manager of his brother Josef Wilm (junior).
After the First World War, Johann Michel Wilm founded his own workshop in Munich in 1919. Inspired by Marc Rosenberg’s book “On the Technical Basis of the History of Jewellery” (1918), he became fascinated by the idea of uncovering the secrets of the Etruscan granulation technique. Between 1920 and 1922, the first successful pieces were created using this technique, which aroused great enthusiasm among both experts and buyers.
In addition to granulation, Wilm’s artistic work of the 1930s is characterized by mask motifs. His jewelry in a style sometimes called “foliate”, with openwork leaves of various shapes, grape vines and clusters of diamonds, pearls and other precious stones, became his calling card.
In addition to works in the granulation technique, starting in the mid-1920s, Johann Michael Wilm turned to the technique of cloisonné enamel. In the period between the two world wars, the master created his best works. His works were highly appreciated at international exhibitions: the gold medal of the Triennale (Milan, 1936-1940); the Grand Prix of the World Exhibition in Paris (1937).
In the post-war years, Johann Michael Wilm, together with his two sons, revived the family workshop. But his main business was the restoration of antique art objects. Between 1950 and 1960, he was involved in the restoration of religious relics (monstrances, monstrances, chalices), including the restoration of the treasures of Limburg Cathedral, including the Staff of St. Peter (made in Trier in 980 and donated to Limburg Cathedral in 1822).
One of the spheres of this necklace depicts a ginkgo leaf and the inscription: “Flowers and daughters” (a quote from Goethe’s poem “Ginkgo biloba”, which he wrote in 1815 for his muse Marianne von Willemer). The use of granulation to create short commemorative inscriptions on commissioned pieces was typical of Johann Michael Wilm’s work.
