This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
Kay Bojesen Creates Delight
Kay Bojesen (1886-1958) was a Danish silversmith and toy designer. His monkey, displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from the 1950s to the 1960s, is widely accepted as a design classic.
Early Life
Bojesen was born on August 15, 1886, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began working for Danish silversmith Georg Jensen as a grocer in 1906. Jensen’s influence has influenced his early work, which has been described as being in an Art Nouveau style.
Wooden toys
Bojesen designed wooden toys, typically six to ten inches tall, with moveable limbs in 1922. Among the collection were:
- A teak and limba monkey (1951).
- An oak elephant.
- A bear made of oak and maple.
- A rocking horse of beech.
- A parrot.
- A dachshund.
- Toy soldiers of the Danish Royal Guard.
Bojensen established his workshop in a basement in Copenhagen, almost halfway between the Marble Cathedral, Scandinavia’s largest domed church, and the Royal Palace of Amalienborg. Despite the impressive surroundings, the cramped artist’s quarters overflowed with his work.
His unpainted wooden toys have gained him international acclaim. An educational consequence of a Bojesen toy is that it encourages youngsters to take the initiative; it is substantial, high-quality work. It reflects the transparent perennial world of form and abstract colour. It can withstand severe treatment and satisfies children’s need to employ their imaginations. A Bojensen toy is built on the principles of reason and intellect and provides a platform for creative expression.
Bojensen said the best toys are sand and water, which a child can find in nature, like acorns and seashells. The following are the best things: blocks, and after them come wheels.
Rosendahl bought the rights to the toys in 1990.
Bojesen was a co-founder of Den Permanente, an art gallery and shop that began in 1931 and exhibits contemporary Danish design.
Bojesen also created children’s furniture, jewellery, and housewares. After making a stainless steel cutlery set in 1938, Bojesen named the set “Grand Prix.” Kay Bojesen’s granddaughter, Susanne Bojesen Rosenqvist, has relaunched the Grand Prix cutlery today. The Grand Prix is Denmark’s national cutlery in every Danish Embassy worldwide.
Legacy
Bojesen died on August 28, 1958, at the age of 72. Copenhagen’s 1932-founded store was in operation until the 1980s. His widow, Erna Bojesen, continued his work until she died in 1986.
Bojesen was a member of the National Association of Danish Arts and Crafts and was honoured by the Danish National Committee of the OEMP (World Organisation for Early Childhood Education).
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
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