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.
$156Sale Price|20% Off
Rare White Porcelain Coffee Pot by Dansk Designs, Denmark
By Dansk
Located in San Diego, CA
Great design on this elegant water pitcher in white porcelain, by dank design excellent condition, no chips or cracks, circa 1960s.
Porcelain
Dansk Wine Carafe by Gunnar Cyren
By Gunnar Cyren, Dansk
Located in Miami, FL
Made in Denmark. Vintage glass decanter designed by Gunnar Cyrén, circa 1980. Tall, beaker shaped pitcher with a sculpted teak stopper is the st...
Glass, Teak
$220Sale Price|20% Off
Rare White Porcelain Pitcher by Dansk Designs, Austria
By Dansk
Located in San Diego, CA
Great design on this elegant water pitcher in white porcelain, by dank designs Austria excellent condition, no chips or cracks, circa 1960s.
Porcelain
Antique English Cut Crystal and Silver Plate Wine Jug
Located in Bath, GB
A magnificent large wine jug, wonderful quality made from a hefty piece of crystal beautifully hand-cut. The naturalistic handle is just lovely, the collar and lid smothered with ...
Silver Plate
Carl Auböck Martini Newspaper Midcentury Glass Pitcher, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful glass pitcher from the 1950s, designed and crafted by Carl Auböck in Austria. Typically these pitchers feature a leather belt but this particular piece is adorned with a ...
Brass
Handcrafted Modern Porcelain Pitcher Handstitch Leather Wrap
By DBO Home
Located in Sharon, CT
Inspired by Daniel's hand built boats (particularly the leather detail on the wooden oars) the porcelain Remo Pitcher is simple and elegant with a hand stit...
Leather, Porcelain
American Mission Porcelain Pitcher Attributed to Rookwood
By Rookwood Pottery Co.
Located in Queens, NY
American Mission vase/pitcher decorated with flowers and silver deposit whiplash design attributed to Rookwood.
Silver
Early Wedgwood Egyptian Revival Neoclassical Rosso Antico Coffee Pot
By Josiah Wedgwood
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A Wedgwood rosso antico coffee pot made ca. 1810. The pot's red body is accentuated by black basalt details in the Egyptian Revival style. Developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1760s, rosso antico famously exhibits the Egyptian Revival style that became popular in the early 19th century during Napoleon...
Earthenware
Chubut Large Bowl by Workshop AIREDELSUR, Alpaca Silver & Horn
By AIREDELSUR
Located in Buenos Aires, AR
The calm, peace and stillness of the Villa La Angostura lakes, together with its woods, are transmitted to the handles and the relaxed shapes of the trays, pitchers, cutlery and cham...
Metal
$250
H 5.75 in W 13 in D 10.75 in
Dansk Designs Blue Enamelware Casserole Pot with Trivet Top IHQ France
By Dansk, Jens Quistgaard
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Dansk Designs blue enamelware Kobenstyle casserole pot and cover lid with trivet top IHQ France Designed by Jens Herald Quistgaard made in France, Kobenstyle Line introduced in 1956...
Metal, Enamel
$348Sale Price|30% Off
H 10.1 in W 9 in D 7 in
K. SHIGETO 1980 Memphis Design Modernist Zojirushi Coffee-Tea Pot Carafe In
By Memphis Group
Located in Miami, FL
A Memphis Zojirushi coffee-pot designed by K. Shigeto. This is a beautiful vintage coffee-tea pot server created in Japan during the Memphis period, back in 1980. This Zojirushi- Ja...
Plastic
$395
H 12.5 in W 4.5 in D 7 in
Royal Holland Pewter and Teak Danish Coffee Pot 1960s KMD Tiel Daalderop
By Daalderop KDM Royal Holland
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Danish Modern Royal Holland KMD Tiel Daalderop Pewter and Teak coffee pot circa 1960. Mid Century Modern Royal Holland Pewter KMD Tiel pewter and teak wood coffee pot. Vintage From the 60’s with beautiful sleek lines. Danish Modern Coffee Pitcher with lid: 12.5" with lid on. Stamped with the Royal Holland Pewter logo, "KDM", and "Made in Holland", some numbers. Condition: There are some light dents on the side which I attempted to capture. The pewter has some scratches from normal use, small dents on side. This mid-century set is a compliment to many settings and is the ultimate danish mid century design. I would use as a Danish MCM vase...
Pewter
Rare French Majolica Rabbit Pitcher, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica beige pitcher rabbit with a medal 1900, made for the International Exhibition in Paris of 1900. The pitcher is stamped by the store where he was sold Compagnie Franco...
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Monumental Dansk Staved Teak Bucket Style Ice Bucket by Jens Quistgaard
By Jens Quistgaard, Dansk
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome and iconic staved teak ice bucket by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk. This is the monumental 19.25-inch-tall example. It is in outstanding vintage condition, circa 1950s-1960s. N...
Plastic, Teak
Charming dog porcelain tea pot, dachshund, Germany, 1938-45
Located in Wien, AT
Charming tea or coffee pot in the shape of a dog, a dachshund, from 1938-42 in Germany. A wonderful object, made of ceramic, this special shape features a popular dachshund motif. T...
Pottery
Sold
H 7.13 in W 5.25 in D 3.63 in
Dansk Danish Scandinavian Modern Red Enamel and White Wicker Handle Pitcher
By Dansk
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful vintage Dansk Kobenstyle Danish Scandinavian Modern red enamel and white wicker wrapped handle pitcher, circa mid-20th century, Denmark. G...
Metal, Enamel
Jens Quistgaard Dansk Sunny Yellow Enamel Pitcher 1960s Denmark
By Dansk
Located in Chula Vista, CA
By Danish designer Jens Quistgaard for Dansk designs vintage pitcher in bright yellow enamel with white interior. A Dansk Designs Denmark IHQ piece Mid-Century Modern 1960s Dimensi...
Metal, Enamel
Danish Modern Dansk Wine Carafe Designed by Gunnar Cyren
By Dansk, Gunnar Cyren
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful glass wine carafe decanter designed by Gunnar Cyren, circa 1960s in excellent condition never used with solid teak stopper.
Glass, Teak
Jens Quistgaard Dansk Designs Sunny Yellow Enamel Pitcher 1960s Denmark
By Dansk
Located in Chula Vista, CA
By Danish designer Jens Quistgaard for Dansk Pitcher in bright yellow enamel metal with white interior has plastic covered handles woven rattan style. A Dansk Designs Denmark IHQ pi...
Metal, Enamel
Rare White Porcelain Pitcher by Dansk Designs, Austria
By Dansk
Located in San Diego, CA
Great design on this elegant water pitcher in white porcelain, by dank designs Austria excellent condition, no chips or cracks, circa 1960s.
Porcelain
Dansk Designs Denmark Yellow Enamel Pitcher
By Dansk
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Dansk designs Denmark yellow enamel pitcher with rattan wrapped handle. More photographs available on request, let me know if you have any quest...
Enamel