Georg Jensen Damask H.C. Anderson Fairy Tale Placemats, Zinc - Set of Six

The placemats in the iconic H.C. ANDERSEN design invite us into a magical universe. They stand out as a poetic element in a table setting, and their fairy tale story is just as special for everyday as it is for birthdays and other occasions which call for an informal yet stylish atmosphere.

The motifs of the placemats have been taken from the H.C. ANDERSEN tablecloth, which is a classic in the collection. On the placemats, we meet well-known characters from Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved fairy tales: The emperor, who cared so much about beautiful new clothes that he spent all of his money on being well dressed. And the duckling who was persecuted and mocked in the duck pond, but who turned out not to be ugly and became the most beautiful bird of them all: a swan. Clumsy Hans, who eventually became king and got both the crown and a wife. And the prince who disguised himself as a swineherd and received ten kisses from the princess but came to despise her because she did not understand roses and nightingales. The princess, who slept so terribly on the tiny pea under many mattresses and quilts, as only a real princess would. And the mermaid, who wistfully dreamed of a life on Earth with the prince and ended up sacrificing both her enchanting voice and her life for love.

The placemats' color, Zinc, is as soft-toned as it is classic. In addition to blending beautifully into modern Scandinavian décor, the grey color showcases the fairy tale motifs from The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling in a way that makes them clearly visible, to the delight of both children and adults. Matching napkins in the same classic tone complete the look.

Hans Christian Andersen is famous for his contributions to world literature, but he was also an accomplished papercut artist. Architect and designer Knud V. Engelhardt began working on the design of Hans Christian Andersen's papercuttings in the 1920s. This was a design that Inger M. Blegvad Klint carried on after the architect's death in 1931 and which was completed and ready for launch in 1952, when Queen Ingrid placed the first of many orders for the Danish royal family. Since then, the design has been adjusted and developed continuously in line with new weaving techniques and has been adjusted to ensure that the pattern continues to have a contemporary look.