The Royal guardsmen have watched over the Danish castles since 1658, with bearskin, red gala uniform and a cross on their fronts. Since Kay Bojesen drew his guards in 1942, they have been present, on ordinary days and at parties, and also business settings when Danish show their colors internationally. The guards are made of beech wood and are hand painted.
Kay Bojesen
Kay Bojesen graduated as a silversmith in 1910 after completing his apprenticeship at Georg Jensen. He embraced the movement towards functionalism in Danish crafts by co-founding "Den Permanente" — a showcase retail shop featuring the best in Danish design. In the 1930s he explored his passion for wood. Creating animals that matched his belief that a product should be "round and soft and feel good in your hand." The lines in a design should "smile." He felt his animals should never be an exact replica of nature. With all of these beliefs in mind, Kay Bojesen has created treasured and beloved characters that appeal to the child within us all. Their easy expressions have brought joy to many the world over. Explore and experience the warmth of Kay Bojesen!
Kay Bojesen of Denmark
World-renowned Danish craftsman Kay Bojesen was taught by Georg Jensen in the art of silversmithing, and managed to combine beauty and usability, functionality and fun in all his products. One of the many highlights of his career happened in 1938, when he finished a "perfect" line of silver flatware, which in 1951 won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale. Today, the Grand Prix line remains one of the most popular cutleries in Denmark and is known as the national flatware of Denmark.
Today, design being a well established and defined parameter, you may safely claim that Kay Bojesen, through his many groundbreaking projects and ideas within the world of applied arts, was the first industrial designer in Denmark. Since the relaunch of Grand Prix, now artfully manufactured in Japan and crafted in 18/8 stainless steel, former Head Chef of the world0famous Danish restaurant Noma, Matt Orlando, has chosen the flatware for his newly opened restaurant Amass in Copenhagen. The reason why: It symbolizes not only the essence of Danish craftsmanship, but also quality and functionality. The company is today purveyor to Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark.
However, the flatware has not only gained resonance in Europe but also in the US. Several design experts have emphasized the flatware as the most iconic Danish design from the twentieth century. The world famous American architect Michael Sheridan highlights Kay Bojesen's Grand Prix flatware as one of his favourite Danish designs. Sheridan explains, "The Grand Prix flatware is an industrial product but the curves have their roots in handcraft and a genuine joy of aesthetics. I have used it at home since 2002 and I would argue that it is the best all-around flatware of modern times."
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