About
Lifespan: 1886–1958
Birthplace: Copenhagen
Manufacturers: Kay Bojesen, Rosendahl Design Group
Story
Kay Bojesen (1886–1958) was one of twentieth-century Denmark’s most distinctive craftspeople and designers. Trained as a silversmith, he worked across cutlery, tableware, wooden toys, objects, and everyday utensils. His work combines functional clarity with a tactile friendliness and sense of humor.
Raised in Copenhagen, Bojesen began an apprenticeship in Georg Jensen’s silver workshop in 1907. After qualifying as a silversmith in 1910, he gained experience in Germany and Paris and opened his own workshop in Copenhagen in 1913. His early silverware could be decorative and influenced by Art Nouveau, but he gradually moved toward functionalism, emphasizing smooth surfaces and simple contours.
The birth of his son Otto in 1919 helped stimulate his interest in utensils and toys for children. In 1922 he received recognition in a toy competition organized by Dansk Arbejde and began to develop wooden toys more intensively. Instead of reproducing animals realistically, he reduced them to cylinders, spheres, and other simple forms, using a minimum of elements to create movement and expression.
In 1931 Bojesen helped establish Den Permanente, the permanent exhibition and sales venue for Danish craft and design, and in the mid-1930s he set up a combined shop and workshop at Bredgade 47. In 1938 he introduced the silver cutlery later known as “Grand Prix.” Designed as an undecorated tool that fits naturally in the hand and mouth, it won the Grand Prix at the 1951 Milan Triennale.
The Monkey, also introduced in 1951, originated in a practical problem: a coat hook for a child’s room. Its long arms could hang from a rail while hats or clothing could be placed over the legs, combining utility and play in a single object. The Bear, Elephant, Hippo, and other wooden animals share the same principle: rounded components and movable joints create familiarity without disguising the material. Whether working in silver, steel, or wood, Bojesen consistently sought to make everyday objects simple, usable, and slightly joyful.
History & Works
1886 (0 years old)
Born on 15 August in Copenhagen.
1903 (17 years old)
Entered commercial training and learned the basics of business before moving toward metalwork and craft.
1907 (21 years old)
Began training as a silversmith in Georg Jensen’s workshop.
1910 (24 years old)
Qualified as a silversmith, studied precious-metal craft in Germany, and later worked as a silversmith in Paris.
1913 (27 years old)
Returned to Copenhagen and opened his own silver workshop at Nybrogade 14; he also joined the Copenhagen Goldsmiths’ Guild.
1919 (33 years old)
Married Erna Drøge-Møller. Their son Otto was born the same year, encouraging Bojesen to think more closely about tableware and toys for children.
1922 (36 years old)
Entered and received an award in a toy competition organized by Dansk Arbejde, marking the beginning of more sustained wooden-toy production.
1929 (43 years old)
Produced cutlery for an exhibition, advancing the functional research that would later lead to the Grand Prix series.
1931 (45 years old)
Helped establish Den Permanente, the permanent exhibition and sales venue for Danish craft and design.
1934 (48 years old)
Designed the Dachshund Pind.
1935 (49 years old)
Opened a combined shop and workshop at Bredgade 47 and introduced the Zebra.
1938 (age 52)
Held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Copenhagen and presented the silver cutlery later known as Grand Prix.
1942 (age 56)
Created the wooden Royal Guardsmen figures.
1951 (age 65)
Introduced the Monkey, developed from the idea of a coat hook for a child’s room. In the same year, his 1938 silver cutlery won the Grand Prix at the 9th Milan Triennale.
1952 (age 66)
Introduced the Bear and received the designation of Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court.
1953 (age 67)
Introduced the Elephant. The Grand Prix cutlery was also produced in matte stainless steel, bringing it to a broader public.
1954 (age 68)
Created the Puffin.
1955 (age 69)
Created the Hippo, a humorous utilitarian object whose mouth can hold a pencil.
1957 (age 71)
Created the Rabbit.
1958 (age 72)
Died on 28 August, leaving more than 2,000 designs across silverware, cutlery, wooden toys, and everyday objects.
1991
Rosendahl began producing selected Kay Bojesen designs, including the wooden animals.
2011
His granddaughter Sus Bojesen Rosenqvist founded Kay Bojesen ApS, continuing the archive with particular emphasis on silverware and Grand Prix cutlery.
Furniture
Dachshund Pind (1934)
Zebra (1935)
Royal Guardsmen (1942)
Monkey (1951)
Bear (1952)
Elephant (1953)
Puffin (1954)
Hippo (1955)
Rabbit (1957)
Songbird (prototype developed in the 1950s)
Rocking Horse
Wooden Car
Wooden Train
Building Blocks
Grand Prix Cutlery (1938 / Grand Prix 1951)