Anna Petrus was a pioneering Swedish sculptor and industrial designer, best known for her long-term collaboration with Svenskt Tenn starting in 1924. Her iconic lion motifs became her signature, appearing in freestanding sculptures or integrated into timeless objects like pewter trays and marble table bases
Many of these enduring designs, hallmarks of Swedish Grace, are still produced and sold by Svenskt Tenn today.
Anna Petrus participated in several international exhibitions in the early 1900s, including the Baltic Exhibition in 1914 and the Gothenburg Exhibition in 1923. These appearances showcased her talent in sculpture and design, strengthening her reputation ahead of her collaboration with Svenskt Tenn.
Breakthrough in Paris
Her major international breakthrough came at the Paris Exhibition of 1925—the first World Exposition of Art and Industry. There, Swedish Grace, Sweden’s elegant take on Art Deco, was presented as a global success. Anna Petrus contributed cast-iron chess players to the entrance hall of the Swedish pavilion and door pediments to the Honors Pavilion.
New York and Chicago Exhibitions
Anna Petrus subsequently participated in exhibitions in New York and Chicago in 1927, where she contributed custom-commissioned tables—marble tops on cast-iron bases in her characteristic style. These works reinforced her reputation as a leader in Swedish Grace and industrial design, with animal motifs and elegance as her signature.
Collaboration with Svenskt Tenn
As early as the beginning of the 1920s, Anna Petrus was engaged in a groundbreaking collaboration with Svenskt Tenn. Pewter was then considered an old, base material—but her works completely transformed it.
Through elegant designs in pewter, bronze, and brass—alongside other artists—the objects gained international recognition and popularity. Her timeless bowls, vases, and candlesticks are still sold at Svenskt Tenn today.
Anna Petrus’s works from her early period are enormously sought after on the auction market. Her artistry enjoyed a well-deserved renaissance through the Nationalmuseum’s Swedish Grace exhibition in 2022, where several pieces were displayed—including the beautiful lion candlesticks.
Discover a YouTube video on annapetrus.se featuring an informative presentation of Anna Petrus’s artistry, narrated by Knut Knutsson.
