Kay Bojesen Grand Prix Polished Steel 5-Piece Place Setting

Kay Bojesen graduated as a silversmith in 1910 after completing his apprenticeship at Georg Jensen. He embraced the movement towards functionalism in Danish crafts by co-founding "Den Permanente" — a showcase retail shop featuring the best in Danish design. In the 1930s he explored his passion for wood. Creating animals that matched his belief that a product should be "round and soft and feel good in your hand." The lines in a design should "smile." He felt his animals should never be an exact replica of nature. With all of these beliefs in mind, Kay Bojesen has created treasured and beloved characters that appeal to the child within us all. Their easy expressions have brought joy to many the world over. Explore and experience the warmth of Kay Bojesen!

Silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen had a very special talent. He was able to bring wood to life, and he became world-famous for creating wooden toys that had soul and an impish sense of humor. He is best known for his playful and cheerful monkeys, royal guards and other wooden toys, but his wide-ranging production 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. 1919 became the start of a new era for Kay Bojesen. He got married and his son Otto was born. This sparked Kay Bojesen's imagination and fascination for children, toys and wood and brought back memories of his own childhood when his father (the publisher Ernst Bojesen — the publisher of the Danish satirical annual Blæksprutten (The Octopus)) cut wooden figures for him and encouraged his children to be creative, imaginative and playful.



Kay Bojesen conceived this flatware collection in 1938 to be highly ergonomic, functional, and pleasurable to use. He believed that utensils were meant to be held, well-loved, and put to good use; their aesthetic should be secondary to their functionality and convenience. Yet Bojesen's flatware is undeniably beautiful: elegant and unassuming, with the simple curvatures and clean lines characteristic of his renowned design language.

Perhaps that's why his silverware won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennial Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Architecture in 1951. We now present you with the winning flatware, now wrought in polished or matte steel in the original shape and full assortment.