Silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen became world-famous for creating wooden toys that had a soul and an impish sense of humor. With more than 2000 pieces to his name, he was one of Denmark's most prolific artisans in the 20th century. He is best known for his playful and cheerful monkeys, royal lifeguards and other wooden toys, but his repertoire of products also includes jewelry, cutlery, teapots and silver goblets. Kay Bojesen graduated as a silversmith in 1910 after completing his apprenticeship with silversmith Georg Jensen. As one of the first Danish artisans to do so, he embraced functionalism. He was among the pioneers who organized Den Permanente association – a cooperative of artists that included a shop and exhibition space, which over the decades came to represent the best in Danish and Scandinavian design. The year 1919 became the start of a New Era for Kay Bojesen. His son Otto was born and this life event sparked Kay Bojesen's imagination. In the 1930s, he started to indulge his interest in wood. He created a range of wooden toys that all lived up to his ideal that design should be round, soft and have a good feel to it. His idea was not to create lifelike copies of real animals or to be too sophisticated or focus too much on detail, but instead to create imaginative toys in designs based on a child's world where “lines need to smile”. With this basic philosophy in mind, Kay Bojesen created his beloved wooden toys that appeal to the child within us all. Kay Bojesen retained his childish curiosity till the end and left an important design heritage behind.
Christmas Ole Figurine by Kay Bojesen, FSC Wood, Scandinavian Style
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Make Christmas even more with this cute, red-and-white Christmas Ole The figurine, made of FSC®-certified painted beech has been given makeover. 17.5-cm high.
Wood
Mrs Santa Figurine by Kay Bojesen, Wood, Scandinavian Modern, Vietnam
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
The famous, much-loved er Kay Bojesen drew this popular Santa Claus in 1948, but poor Santa was on his own without Mrs Claus for many years. That’s all changed now that Mrs Claus has...
Wood
Kay Bojesen 'The Skier Datti' Figurine, Wood, Scandinavian Design
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Kay Bojesen designed these two happy skiers towards the end of the 1940s. The happy girl skier with the red cheeks and big smile is called Datti, which was the pet-name of Kay Bojese...
Wood
Kay Bojesen Santa Claus Figurine, Wood, Scandinavian Modern, Vietnam
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Kay Bojesen's original Santa from the 1940s with his sack and walking stick will become a favourite and familiar motif that will bring joy year after year when rediscovered in your b...
Wood
Kay Bojesen 'The Skier Boje' Figurine, Wood, Scandinavian Design
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
The two fresh-faced skiers were designed by Kay Bojesen towards the end of the 1940s. This happy boy skier with the red bobble hat and checked jacket is named Boje, which was the pet...
Wood
Kay Bojesen Ruth Rose Songbird, 6.1 in H
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Ruth is named after Kay Bojesen's Swedish daughter-in-law. With her femininity and pink body, she took the family by storm. The Songbird – like her five colourful siblings – was neve...
Wood
Children's Aid Day Figure, "Pernille", Aluminia No. 2662
Located in København, Copenhagen
Children's Aid Day figure. "Pernille". Aluminia No. 2662. The children's aid figures were designed in a masterpiece style by Herluf Jensenius and designed by Hans Henrik Hansen (19...
Ceramic
Johannes Hedegaard for Royal Copenhagen Figurine "Martha" Rare Version 21424
By Royal Copenhagen, Johannes Hedegaard
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Figurine of a young woman washing clothes - called "Martha" - by Danish sculptor Johannes Hedegaard (1915-1999) produced at Royal Copenhagen. It´s a rare version with beige clothes instead of the more commonly seen version with turquoise glaze. The naked parts of the body show the warm terracotta color and make the figurine quite sensual. The figurine was designed ca 1940s and it was most likely made around 1960s. Johannes Hedegaard is famous for his graceful busts of young, most often half naked women. His model was reportedly his own wife Birthe Hedegaard. He trained as a sculptor at Royal Copenhagen from 1930 to 1935 and later he went to the Sculpture School at the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen (Kunstakademiets Billedhuggerskole). His teachers here were Einar Utzon-Frank (1939) and Johannes Bjerg...
Ceramic
Adorable Italian Luster Glazed Studio Pottery Figurine 1960s
Located in Meer, VAN
Adorable Italian Luster Glazed Studio Pottery Figurine 1960s A highly adorable mid century child figurine in glazed studio pottery from Italy. Depicts a singing or talking boy - m...
Pottery
Ceramic figurine by Elisabeth Gerst, Dutch Ceramist '1907-1993'
Located in Delft, NL
Ceramic figurine by Elisabeth Gerst, Dutch Ceramist '1907-1993' Ceramic figurine, girl with hat Marked by E.E. Gerst (Elisabeth) Born in 1907 in Amsterdam First employed as an analy...
Ceramic
Figurine by Bing & Gröndahl, Denmark, 1950s
By Bing & Grøndahl
Located in Delft, NL
Figurine by Bing & Gröndahl, Denmark, 1950s A Bing & Gröndahl, Copenhagen, Denmark figurine designed by Axel Locher depicting a young farm girl feeding her chickens. The figurine is...
Porcelain
Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg. Stoneware figure from "All the world's children."
Located in København, Copenhagen
Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg. Stoneware figure from "All the world's children." Height 11 cm. In perfect condition. Marked.
Ceramic
