Anne-Marie Ødegaard
Who was Anne-Marie Ødegaard?
Anne-Marie Ødegaard (1931 to 2007) was a Norwegian designer and ceramicist from Nøtterøy, also known by her birth name Anne-Marie Jørgensen. Her work encompassed functional objects and decoration and is especially relevant to collectors of Porsgrund porcelain and porcelain jewellery. The designer's name identifies a person, while Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik identifies the manufacturer.
Work at Porsgrund
After studying at the Norwegian National College of Art and Design, Ødegaard joined the factory in 1954. She developed forms and decoration for both her own models and those of others. Norsk kunstnerleksikon associates her modelling work with the Fasett (1966), Baroni (1975) and Amari (1978) services. Ceylon received the Norwegian Good Design award in 1969.
Porcelain jewellery and small pictures
Norsk kunstnerleksikon dates the start of her porcelain jewellery work to 1975 and small decorative pictures to 1983. These dates must be distinguished from the manufacturing date of an individual piece. The introduction of a design does not automatically date every example.
When assessing jewellery, examine the porcelain element, silver mounting and chain separately. A mark such as 925S or STERLING indicates a stated silver fineness on the marked component. It does not by itself establish who designed the porcelain or prove that every component originally belonged together. A porcelain bead mounted in silver should not be described as enamel simply because these materials are combined in jewellery.
A documented museum example
The National Museum's bowl Dekor 2065, also catalogued as model 2307, is dated between 1956 and 1958. The museum identifies Ødegaard as the artist, Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik as manufacturer, and porcelain with underglaze painting as the material and technique. The record demonstrates why model number, decoration number, designer and manufacturer must be distinguished. Here, 2065 is not a year.
Identification and condition
Compare the complete shape, placement of decoration and all marks with a documented example. A factory mark alone does not establish the designer. Photograph the reverse, fittings and any original packaging. Check porcelain for cracks, chips and repairs, and mountings for wear and alterations. Describe what the evidence supports and use "attributed to" where the connection to a particular designer still relies on comparison.
Read about Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik for factory history, models and decoration.
Sources
Randi Gaustad, Norsk kunstnerleksikon: education, factory work and dated contributions; Mats Linder, Store norske leksikon: biography and Ceylon; National Museum: Dekor 2065, model 2307, inventory number OK-1978-0146A.
