Esther Knobel
(Poland / Israel, 1949)
Winner Françoise van den Bosch Award 1994
Esther Knobel is an Israeli artist whose work explores the intersections of jewellery, craft, identity, and memory. Having immigrated to Israel as a child, themes of family, nationality, and belonging have become central to her practice. Knobel combines a wide range of materials and techniques, including enamelling, electroforming, assemblage, knitting, and embroidery with metal wire, to create works that challenge traditional distinctions between art and craft. Deeply interested in the relationship between thinking and making, she investigates how materials carry meaning and knowledge. Internationally acclaimed, Knobel has received numerous awards, including the Françoise van den Bosch Award in 1994, and her work is held in major museum collections around the world.
The award ceremony took place at Vormgevingsinstituut in Amsterdam, on 3 December 1994.
The jury of the 1994 Françoise van den Bosch Award:
Liesbeth den Besten
Lieke Bijkerk
Babs Haenen
Hadewych Martens
Gijs Bakker (chair)
Read the full jury report here
Marcel Wanders designed the trophy for Esther Knobel.
Paul Derrez 1985
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2016
Moon
Marc Monzó 2013
Wall
Françoise van den Bosch 1968
N.T.
Frans de Wit 1975
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Françoise van den Bosch 1974
Life cycle
Noon Passama 2009
Big Fat Trophy
Charlotte van der Waals 1974
N.T.
Tarja Tuupanen 2003
Black Granite Necklace
Marijke de Goey 1986
Square
Unknown artist 1965 - 68
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1969
N.T.
Xinyao Ding 2023
Sprouting
Marc Monzó 2004
N.T.
Lauren Kalman 2015
Device for Filling a Void (4)
Frans van Nieuwenborg and Martijn Wegman 1982
N.T.
Unknown artist ca. 1970
N.T.
Gijs Bakker 1987
Jonas Nr 1
Julia Obermaier 2024
J/D/M_110_U+
Marion Herbst 1971
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Maria van Kesteren 1982
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Françoise van den Bosch ca. 1974
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Hil Andringa
Square tile with one curled angle
Frans van Nieuwenborg 1972
N.T.
Dominique Pelletey 1990
Ode au noir et blanc
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch ca. 1969/70
Life Cycle
Lisa Walker 2010
Newtown Necklace
Robert Smit 2002 - 2003
Bottle in Landscape
Roos van Soest 2008
Bravo
Annelies Planteijdt 1987
N.T.
Ted Noten 2004
Coffee Cup
Ted Noten 1995
Cinderella’s Ring
Sarah Regensburger 2017
N.T.
Gemma Draper 2005
Is almost the right shape
Emmy van Leersum 1969
N.T.
Eline Willemarck 2015
Trophy
Berend Peter Hogen Esch 1974
N.T.
Marijke de Goey 1986
Triangle
Richard Elenbaas 2012
Elenbaas coin
Bernhard Schobinger 1984
Vogelkette
Françoise van den Bosch 1976
N.T.
Maureen Kortenbusch 2021
The Quiet Globe of Air
Ruudt Peters 1972
Necklace
Helen Britton 2001
Silver Structure with 2 Dishes
Françoise van den Bosch
N.T.
Thomas Gentille 21st Century
N.T.
Iris Bodemer 1999
N.T.
Terhi Tolvanen 2004
Flos Bipetalus
Sophie Hanagarth 2013
Lipstick
Florian Weichsberger 2019
Decontext
Warwick Freeman 1992, 1997, 1998, 2001
5 brooches
Suzanne Esser 1973
N.T.
Sally Marsland 1999
Composite (white, two cups)
Ted Noten 1998
Chew Your Own
Jing He 2013
Trophy for David
Françoise van den Bosch 1970
Two-piece bracelet
Manfred Bischoff 1991
Mann mit zwei Fragen
Chun Chang 2026
Gideon
Françoise van den Bosch 1970
N.T.
Richard Elenbaas 2013
Lost Story
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
Two-part object
Réka Fekete 2018
Sydney Parks
Lucien den Arend ca. 1970
N.T.
Boris de Beijer 2011
N.T.
Jing He 2014
Potential Pins No.7
Ruudt Peters 1990
Lamego
VES 1984
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1968
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Françoise van den Bosch
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2003
Flat Brooch
Marion Herbst 1994
Little Cake
Susanne Klemm 1996
Inflammable
Tarja Tuupanen 2000
Smokey Quartz Necklace
Yutaka Minegishi 2005
Ants’ Queen
Kimmo Heikkilä 2001
6 x Brooch
Noon Passama 2011
Extra Button
Marc Monzó 2004
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1972
N.T.
David Bielander 2008
Corn Cob
Conversation Piece 2016
Gold Rush
Maria van Kesteren 1970
N.T.
Nel Linssen 1992
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Veronika Fabian 2020
Biglink
Benedikt Fischer 2023
N.T.
Pierre Degen 1984
N.T.
Jing He 2014
Potential Pin
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
N.T.
Barend van Herpe 1990
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Françoise van den Bosch 1974/77
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Françoise van den Bosch 1973
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Iris Eichenberg 1995
N.T.
Onno Boekhoudt 1996
N.T.
Lin Cheung 2007/2019
Jewellery Library
Xavier Ines Monclús 2004
The Whale’s Playground
Yuka Oyama 2003
Schmuck Quicky
Esther Knobel 1987
Train
Tomomi Arata 1997
Treasures from under the Sea
Helena van der Kraan 1990
N.T.
Sally Marsland 2000/2001
Almost Black
Sophie Hanagarth 2008
Bretzel
Bruno Ninaber van Eyben 1975
N.T.
Helen Britton 2002
Garden of Infinity
Berend Bodenkamp 1975
N.T.
Jiro Kamata 2005
Sunny Ring
Zaina Benhamou 2025
Going for Gold
Norman Weber 1999
Minimal nr.2
Manami Aoki 2017
Hair of the Wood 1
Frans van Nieuwenborg 1972
N.T.
Marion Herbst 1986
N.T.
Masao Takahashi 2005
Samurai Sword
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Susanne Klemm 1996
Man-Woman
Andrea Wagner 1997
Ring with stone and ingrown jewelry
Françoise van den Bosch 1971
N.T.
Noon Passama 2017
from the series 0123456789
Julia Obermaier 2024
KOH-I-NOOR and Friends – Hardtmuth
Maureen Kortenbusch 2021
The Archive of Adorning Entities
Unknown artist 1970 - 72
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Gijs Bakker 1967
Pinkring
Marc Monzó 2004
Plastic Sticks
Françoise van den Bosch 1969
N.T.
B.O.E.-group 1974
B.O.E.-box
Chun Chang 2025
Everything is born at the End of the Flow
Françoise van den Bosch ca. 1974/75
N.T.
Marcel Wanders 1992
N.T.
Karl Fritsch 2000
N.T.
Manon van Kouswijk 1996
An Angel at my Table
Marijke de Goey 1986
Square
Françoise van den Bosch
Two hallmarks in original box
Ineke Heerkens 2021
Beading Breath
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
N.T.
Zbigniew Kosc 1990
N.T.
Peggy Bannenberg 1992
N.T.
François Morellet 1972
N.T.
Jan van der Vaart 1972
Zig-zag vase
Adriaan van Strien 1971
Ball-bearing Bracelet
Françoise van den Bosch 1971
N.T.
Rudi de Gruijl 2023
N.T.
Noon Passama 2013
Portrait #6
David Roux Fouillet 2012
Princess of 22
Blanca Sanchez 2005
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1967/68
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Françoise van den Bosch 1967/77
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Gijs Bakker 1967
Circle bracelet
Virág Motesiczky 2019
Not So Sad Anymore, letters
Erik Kuiper 2008
Ranah
Françoise van den Bosch 1970
N.T.
Frans van Nieuwenborg 1972
N.T.
Sally Marsland 2001-2002
Flat Colour
Marc Monzó 2006-2010
Black Star
Lauren Kalman 2015
Device for Filling a Void (4)
Terhi Tolvanen 2004
Prima Gemmula
Marion Delarue 2017
Parrot Devotees
Otto Künzli 1992
When Mickey Mouse was Born
Françoise van den Bosch 1976 / 1993
N.T.
Paul de Nooijer 1990
N.T.
Onno Boekhoudt 1990
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1976
Cushion brooch
Kimmo Heikkilä 2004
Measure Ring
Marit van Heumen 2015
Neck Piece
Andreea Raluca Cojocaru 2021
Made in Belgium by a Romanian
Sophie Hanagarth 2013
Trap
Françoise van den Bosch 1968
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2009
Sun
Blanca Sanchez 2005
N.T.
Hil Andringa ca. 1970
N.T.
Manami Aoki 2017
Hair of the Wood 3
Liesbet Bussche 2009
Urban Jewellery
Richard Elenbaas 2013
Distinction
Virág Motesiczky 2019
Not So Sad Anymore
Karl Fritsch 2006
N.T.
Corrina Goutos 2024
Lit Clip
Marit van Heumen 2015
Ladder
Eleonora Radke 2021
Schmatzen
Mikiko Minewaki 2003
PLAchain
Lin Cheung 2018
Delayed Reactions – Slightly Sad
Lin Cheung 2016
Together
Corrina Goutos 2024
Ehmi