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 Flamestone Stoneware Coffee Pot by Jens Quistgaard
By Jens Quistgaard, Dansk
Located in Sacramento, CA
Dansk Flamestone stoneware coffee pot designed by Jens Quistgaard. Originally produced in 1963, the Flamestone series was one of the first designs Quistgaard created for Dansk, and t...
Stoneware
Dansk Wine Carafe by Gunnar Cyren
By Dansk, Gunnar Cyren
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
$534Sale Price|40% Off
H 7 in W 6 in D 3.5 in
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
Early Jens Quistgaard for Dansk Flamestone Salt and Pepper Shakers
By Jens Quistgaard
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Danish 'Flamestone' earthenware salt and pepper shakers by Jens H. Quistgaard for Dansk designs, circa 1958-1964. Features the Flamestone signature slate glaze with striated pattern ...
Porcelain, Stoneware
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
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
Mutenye Cheese Board by Jens H. Quistgaard for Dansk
By Dansk, Jens Quistgaard
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An uncommon, well-scaled and finely crafted circular mutenye serving board having an end grain cutting surface and a sculptural recessed well.
Wood
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
Royal Bayreuth Bavarian Porcelain Figural 7 Inch Lobster Pitcher
By Royal Bayreuth
Located in Philadelphia, PA
From Royal Bayreuth, founded in Bavaria, Germany in 1794, a large water or juice pitcher formed as a bright red lobster, circa 1920s. Made of hand-painted hard paste porcelain, this...
Porcelain
$275
H 6 in Dm 14.75 in
LG. Dansk Flamestone Casserole Paella Dish w/ Cover by Jens Quistgaard Denmark
By Dansk
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A two piece large casserole or paella serving dish made of Flamestone pottery which is good for low heat and can be used on the table for serving with proper padding so it would not ...
Pottery
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
Teak Salad Bowl by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk
By Dansk, Jens Quistgaard
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Vintage staved teak large salad bowl design by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk. Stamped "Dansk International Design LTD Thailand JHQ". Designer: Jens ...
Teak
$279 / set
H 10 in W 14 in D 10 in
1980s Gunnar Cyrén for Dansk "Summerhouse" Green Resin Flatware Set (21 Pieces)
By Gunnar Cyren, Dansk
Located in St. Louis, MO
A striking 21-piece set of vintage Dansk "Summerhouse" flatware in vibrant kelly green, designed by acclaimed Swedish silversmith and industrial designer Gunnar Cyrén in the 1980s. Blending Scandinavian functionalism with playful Postmodern aesthetics, this iconic pattern features smooth, rounded composite/resin handles paired with high-grade stainless steel heads. The set includes place settings for 6 (dinner knives and dinner forks, with 5 teaspoons—short just 1 spoon) along with four original large serving utensils. Cyrén was one of Dansk’s most prominent head designers during the 1970s and 1980s (following in the footsteps of Jens Quistgaard) Set Includes (21 Pieces Total): 6 Dinner Knives (8.25" L) 6 Dinner Forks (7.75" L) 5 Teaspoons (6.25" L) (Missing 1) 2 Large Serving Spoons (8.75" L) 2 Large Serving Forks (8.75" L) Gunnar Cyren, Dansk Summerhouse, Dansk Green Flatware, Swedish Designer Silverware, Postmodern Flatware, 1980s Dansk Cutlery, Kelly Green Resin, Dansk Service for 6, Scandinavian Modern Tableware, Dansk Serving Spoons
Stainless Steel
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 Gunnar Cyren, Dansk
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