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Kay Bojesen Tableware

Danish, 1886-1958

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.

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Creator: Kay Bojesen
Kay Bojesen Sterling Silver Grand Prix Curved Butter Knife
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Hellerup, DK
A sterling silver curved butter knife in the Grand Prix pattern, designed by Kay Bojesen in 1938. Additional information: Material: Sterling silver Styles: Modern Hallmarks: Marked ...
Category

20th Century Modern Kay Bojesen Tableware

Materials

Sterling Silver

Kay Bojesen Sterling Silver Grand Prix Lunch/Salad Fork
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Hellerup, DK
A sterling silver lunch/salad fork in the Grand Prix pattern, designed by Kay Bojesen in 1938. Additional information: Material: Sterling silver Styles: Modern Hallmarks: Marked wit...
Category

20th Century Modern Kay Bojesen Tableware

Materials

Sterling Silver

Kay Bojesen Sterling Silver Grand Prix Grapefruit Spoon
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Hellerup, DK
Vintage Georg Jensen sterling silver iced tea spoon, item #078 in the Acorn Pattern, design #62 by Johan Rohde from 1915. Additional information: Material: Sterling silver Styles: A...
Category

20th Century Modern Kay Bojesen Tableware

Materials

Sterling Silver

Kay Bojesen Kitchenware "Plat de Menage" in Bangkok Teakwood, Denmark, 1960s
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Odense, DK
Very rare complete set of "Plat de menage" tableware made at Kay Bojesens workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1960s. All items are designed by Kay Bojesen and were handmade form t...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen Tableware

Materials

Teak

Finn Juhl for Kay Bojesen Teak Bowl
By Kay Bojesen, Finn Juhl
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Classic Danish modern teak bowls designed by Finn Juhl for Kay Bojesen, Denmark. Turned from a single piece of teak wood into an organic modern shape. Polished and clean, with origin...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Kay Bojesen Tableware

Materials

Teak

Vintage Lunch Knives by Kay Bojesen for USC Copenhagen, 1950s
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A set of 8 stainless steel and black resin dinner/lunch knives. Designed by Kay Bojesen and manufactured by United Steel Company in Denmark during the 1950s. During this period KB wo...
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kay Bojesen Tableware

Materials

Stainless Steel

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Previously Available Items
Vintage Kay Bojesen Bamboo Knives for USC Copenhagen, 1950s, Set of 12
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Located in Esbjerg, DK
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Finn Juhl Teak Bowl for Kay Bojesen, Denmark, 1951
By Magne Monsen, Kay Bojesen, Finn Juhl
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Finn Juhl teak bowl. Designed 1951 and made at Kay Bojesen, Denmark. Marked.
Category

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Materials

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Handled Tray by Kay Bojesen
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Handled Tray by Kay Bojesen
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Kay Bojesen tableware for sale on 1stDibs.

Kay Bojesen tableware are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Kay Bojesen tableware, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original tableware by Kay Bojesen were created in the modern style in scandinavia during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider tableware by Henning Koppel, Royal Copenhagen, and Tias Eckhoff. Prices for Kay Bojesen tableware can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $127 and can go as high as $1,549, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $211.
Questions About Kay Bojesen Tableware
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Kay 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.

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