Ironically, Dansk Designs, the tableware company practically synonymous with Danish design (“Dansk,” in fact, translates to “Danish”), was the brainchild of an American couple, Ted and Martha Nierenberg.
The Nierenbergs, who founded the business in 1954, initially worked out of the garage of their Great Neck, Long Island, home and marketed their serveware, tables, decorative objects and other products largely in the United States. But they had a secret weapon: Jens Quistgaard.
After demonstrating artistic talent at a young age, the Copenhagen native was gifted a forge and anvil so that he could work in his mother’s kitchen. Quistgaard built toys, jewelry and hunting knives under his father’s tutelage. Later, he spent years learning from local artisans how to produce wood, metal, ceramic and glass models. Quistgaard’s career path solidified during his apprenticeship as a silversmith with legendary Danish silver firm Georg Jensen.
The Nierenbergs discovered the sculptor and designer on their honeymoon, which they’d spent traveling through Europe searching for top-quality goods that might form the basis of a business.
After they hired Quistgaard and launched Dansk, their products swiftly came to epitomize the best of accessible Scandinavian design for mid-century American consumers, who fell for the firm’s staved-teak salad bowls, colorful casseroles and stainless-steel flatware, all of which managed to look handmade despite being mass-produced.
The long-distance relationship flourished for 30 years, during which millions of Quistgaard pieces were manufactured in the company's factories.
The designs for Quistgaard’s Købenstyle line and other collections during the mid-1950s were revolutionary, with bowls built like barrels and charming, lightweight monochrome tableware in enameled steel. Quistgaard’s work married function with striking, sophisticated form. He utilized exceptional materials in the creation of his coveted cookware, barware and serving pieces, opting for warm teak and exotic woods and reintroducing steel as a go-to option for kitchen wares.
Quistgaard’s postwar-era Scandinavian modernist work is still exceedingly popular in living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens in the United States, Europe and Japan, particularly in the homes of mid-century design enthusiasts.
Find vintage Dansk Designs furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Decorative Set of Two Modern Glazed Scandinavian Vessels
By Dansk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Decorative set of two modern glazed Scandinavian vessels. The tall pottery vase marked "Kragten," the lidded ceramic jar marked DANSK DESIGN DENMARK. Tall vase: 12 in. tall x 4 in...
Ceramic, Pottery
Decorative Set of Two Modern Glazed Scandinavian Vessels
By Dansk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Decorative set of two modern glazed Scandinavian vessels. The tall pottery vase marked "Kragten," the lidded ceramic jar marked DANSK DESIGN DENMARK...
Ceramic, Pottery
Decorative Set of Two Modern Glazed Scandinavian Vessels
By Dansk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Decorative set of two modern glazed Scandinavian vessels. The tall pottery vase marked "Kragten," the lidded ceramic jar marked DANSK DESIGN DENMARK. M...
Ceramic, Pottery
$2,855
H 11.42 in W 17.72 in D 12.21 in
Scandinavian Modern Cast Iron Urn, Sweden, 1950s, Decorative Vessel
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Cast iron urn produced in Sweden.
Iron
$320 / item
H 10 in Dm 4 in
TRAVERTINE VASE SET of 2, Natural Stone Travertine Decorative Object - Vessel
Located in St Petersburg, US
Giacomo by Haand: A set of 2 travertine vases, each featuring a unique design with varying sphere sizes and tall flower holders. With dimensions of 10 cm (4") in width and 25 cm (10...
Travertine, Marble
$1,930Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 12.6 in W 13 in D 10.63 in
Set of Two Spanish Terracotta Olive Jars or Vessels
Located in Barcelona, ES
Handmade terracotta preserving pot or jar with handles from Segovia, Spain, 1930s Two traditional Spanish ceramic 'orza'. Unglazed exterior with handles at both sides and green and ...
Ceramic, Terracotta, Earthenware
Handmade Scandinavian Modern Ceramic Lidded Urn, Glazed, 1993
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Handmade studio colorful glazed ceramic urn with lid. Multiple hand-carved decorations and Picasso inspired animals and creatures in mint and forest green, warm burgundy, aqua and du...
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery, Stoneware
Set of Two Decorative Modernist Art Pottery Vessels, USA
By Edwin and Mary Scheier, Berndt Friberg, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, Gordon & Jane Martz, Carl-Harry Stålhane
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Set of (2) Decorative Modernist Art Pottery Vessels, USA Artist Unknown, Nice color and Glaze. (1) Ribbed Vase = 3 5/8" x 6 3/4" (2) Bottle Vase = 4" x 8" Set of two very nice mode...
Pottery
Set of Two Tozai Textured Cylindrical Lidded Vessels
By Tozai Home
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
This striking pair of large lidded vessels by Tozai showcases a refined modern aesthetic enhanced by a richly textured faux-shagreen finish. Each vessel features a bold cylindrical f...
Ceramic
Set of Three Decorative Modernist Art Pottery Vessels, USA
By Edwin and Mary Scheier, Berndt Friberg, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, Carl-Harry Stålhane, Gordon & Jane Martz
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Set of (3) Decorative Modernist Art Pottery Vessels, USA Artist Unknown, Nice color and Glaze. (1) Pink Vase = 3 1/8" x 9 1/2" (2) White Vase = 3" x 10" (3) Yellow Vase = 3 1/2" x 1...
Pottery
Scandinavian Modern Bud Vases Bubble Design, Set of 7
Located in New York, NY
A colorful set of seven (7) bud vases with a controlled bubble design base, Scandinavian Modern/Midcentury Modern, circa mid-20th century, Scandinavia. Arrange as you wish on a shelf...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Rolf Palm Stoneware Vases, Gray & Blue Glaze, Scandinavian Modern
Located in Stockholm, SE
A pair of lovely vases designed by Rolf Palm at his workshop in Mölle outside Höganäs in Sweden, one with a lightgray color with a raw surface and the other one with a blue almost cr...
Stoneware
$108Sale Price / set|38% Off
H 8.13 in Dm 3 in
Bengt Berglund for Gustavsberg Pair of Scandinavian Modern Ceramic Vessels 1970s
By Gustavsberg, Bengt Berglund
Located in Miami, FL
A pair of Bengt Berglund's Tobacco porcelain pitchers from the 1970s for Gustavsberg, Swedish Ceramics Company. It seems that the pitchers were made only in the two colors shown here...
Porcelain, Ceramic
$392Sale Price|41% Off
H 11.82 in Dm 4.34 in
Scandinavian Modern Chamotte Vase, Dark Brown & Cream Glaze, Denmark
Located in Valencia, VC
Scandinavian Modern Chamotte Vase Handmade in Denmark, circa mid-20th century A visually arresting Scandinavian Modern vase, hand-formed in heavily textured chamotte clay. The rough...
Ceramic, Clay, Earthenware
Scandinavian Modern Vase by Tue Poulsen, Glazed Ceramic, 1960s
By Tue Poulsen, Knabstrup
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Tue Poulsen for Knabstrup, vase of glazed ceramics.
Ceramic
Ribbed Stoneware Vessel with Two-tone Glaze
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Small studio pottery cup with a ribbed body and two-tone glaze. The upper half and interior is glazed in a glossy olive green while the bottom of the vessel is finished in a matte wh...
Stoneware
Höganäs Stoneware Vase, Brown Glaze, Scandinavian Modern, 1960s
By Höganäs Keramik, Marianne Westman, Andersson & Johansson, Carl-Harry Stålhane, Rörstrand
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Clean, elegant and slender Swedish midcentury modern stoneware vase featuring a dark warm chocolate brown glaze. Produced by Andersson & Johansson for Höganäs Keramik in the 196...
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
$210Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.42 in W 2.6 in D 4.14 in
Scandinavian Modern Ceramic Pitcher Vase, Chocolate Brown Glaze, 1960s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Modernist ceramic pitcher vase with distinct angular, pointed handle. Thick shiny chocolate brown glaze on the outside, lighter brown glaze on the inside. Signed under base. Beautif...
Ceramic, Pottery