Bertel Gardberg
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The designer Bertel Gardberg (1916–2007) was one of Scandinavia’s most famous designers and artist-craftsmen. Gardberg, who studied in Helsinki and Copenhagen, combined different materials, such as silver and steel with wood and stone, in an open-minded way. Gardberg’s design philoso-phy was based on an uncompromising approach to handicrafts. He prepared prototypes of his ob-jects himself and believed that designers should make even their tools using their own hands. Gardberg, who continuously developed the sector, is consequently called the father of Finnish silversmithing.
During his lifetime, Bertel Gardberg received several international honours, including gold and sil-ver medals in the Milan Triennial in the 1950s and the most important accolade for Scandinavian
industrial art, the Lunning Prize in 1961. However, for him the most important distinction was the Goldene Ehrering ring, considered to be the Nobel Prize of gold and silversmiths. Gardberg was conferred the honorary title of Academician in 1982.
Gardberg’s design work for Hackman included the Carelia cutlery range and Lion cutlery, which is now being re-launched.