Kay Bojesen
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.
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Teak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Oak
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Porcelain
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Wood
2010s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Wood
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Oak
1920s Danish Art Deco Vintage Kay Bojesen
Brass
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Beech
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Teak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Wood, Beech, Paint
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kay Bojesen
Oak
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Kay Bojesen
Oak
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1930s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Glass, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Teak
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Rope
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen
Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Teak
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Kay Bojesen
Metal
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Silver
1930s Danish Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Rope
1950s Danish Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Silver
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Wood
20th Century Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Beech, Teak
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Bamboo
1930s Danish Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen
Sterling Silver
Kay Bojesen furniture for sale on 1stDibs
Creators Similar to Kay Bojesen
- Where is Kay Bojesen made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Kay Bojesen wooden toys and figures are made in Denmark, and have been since 1930. The founding designer Kay Bojesen was born in Copenhagen in 1886, and the company Kay Bojesen was sold in 1990 to the design house Rosendahl, which is also based in Denmark. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Kay Bojesen figurines.