Kay Bojesen Denmark Products

Kay Bojesen’s story

Silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen had a very special talent. He was able to design wood in a very special way, and he became world-famous for creating wooden animals with soul, humour and a twinkle in their eye. Kay Bojesen is one of the most productive Danish artisans of the 20th century, with more than 2,000 pieces to his name.He is best known for his joie de vivre monkeys, soldiers from the Royal Danish Guard and other wooden animals, but his large production also includes jewellery, cutlery, teapots and silver trophies.

How it all began

Kay Bojesen graduated as a silversmith in 1910 after completing his apprenticeship with the silversmith Georg Jensen. He was one of the first Danish craftsmen to be fascinated by functionalism, and he was among the initiators of “Den Permanente” - a shop and showcase that for decades represented the best in Danish and Scandinavian design.
1919 marked the start of a new era for Kay Bojesen. He got married and had his son Otto. Fatherhood sparked Kay Bojesen’s fascination with children, toys and wood and reminded him of his own childhood when his father (Ernst Bojesen - publisher of “The Octopus”) cut wooden figures and encouraged his children to be inventive, use their imagination and to have fun.

In the 1930s, Kay Bojesen began to seriously cultivate his interest in working with wood. He created a series of wooden animals that lived up to his philosophy that design should be round, soft and feel good in your hand.

He didn't want to create faithful replicas of real-life animals – not too sophisticated nor too detailed. Instead, he wanted to create imaginative variations in a design that was based on a child's perspectives where the “lines must smile”. The wooden toys should be simple, sturdy and inspire play.

With these basic ideas as a starting point, Kay Bojesen created his beloved wooden figures that appeal to the child in all of us and have ended up being design icons today.

In his lifetime, Kay Bojesen was considered to represent the fun side of Danish arts and crafts. Today, Kay Bojesen is one of Denmark’s biggest design names and his crafts are some of the most sought-after in Danish design.

Legacy

Kay Bojesen kept his childish curiosity and joie de vivre until the very end. He died at the age of 72, leaving behind a significant design legacy. A legacy that is now protected by his family.

The Rosendahl Design Group is grateful for being chosen by the Bojesen family to develop, produce and distribute their grandfather’s beloved designs. Since Kay Bojesen’s legendary store in Bredgade closed back in 1990, production of several of his products has ceased. It is therefore a great pleasure for the Rosendahl Design Group to be able to re-introduce several of Kay Bojesen’s fantastic older designs according to their original drawings and with great respect for Kay Bojesen’s high demands for material and craftsmanship.