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A wish to embrace ‘new times’ Quality with a Timeless Aesthetic Danish Design Conquers the World

created a desire for more The most enduring design in Danish- According to Wolsgaard Iversen, Danish

modern and contemporary produced coffee and tea ware is the legendary designers — particularly furniture designers
‘Musselmalet’ (Blue Fluted) porcelain from
— began to really capture the world’s attention
designed objects. Royal Copenhagen — a 245-year-old Danish from around the 1950s when they participated
institution recognized for its unique crafts-
in international design competitions and fea-
manship, royal heritage and high-quality tured prominently in design-themed magazines.
porcelain with a timeless aesthetic. The em- The end of World War II had also made it eas-
blematic Pattern No. 1, Blue Fluted Plain de- ier to produce and export products and, in an
sign dates all the way back to 1775. atmosphere of new optimism and a stronger
“The Blue Fluted Plain teapot, together economy, there was a greater focus on, and
with the high-handled mug are classic and demand for, quality products.
timeless, elevating an everyday coffee or tea “A wish to embrace ‘new times’ created a
moment,” said Royal Copenhagen Global Mar- desire for more modern and contemporary
keting Communications and PR Manager designed objects,” Wolsgaard Iversen said.
Emily Wilder. “The high-handled mug was These economic and social conditions set
reintroduced a few years ago, inspired by a the scene for a ‘Danish invasion’ of the world
cup shape from 1884 and sits perfectly in the design market. Danish designers and products
hand while adding everyday elegance.” surged in popularity both in Denmark and inter-
nationally. They remain highly desirable today.
Yet, while they may have been relatively
new to the world stage in the mid-20th century,
Danish designers already had a long tradition of
producing quality objects, including jewelry and
the porcelain from Royal Copenhagen that has
been around for nearly 250 years.
Royal Copenhagen today upholds the
Photo / Cylinda-line by Arne Jacobsen Series for Stelton
Danish tradition for stylish and functional de-
sign of coffee and tea ware. It’s also where that
tradition probably began.
“Because Royal Copenhagen traces its
roots back 245 years, the brand has been a part
of a defining aesthetic for what is considered
‘Danish design and lifestyle,’” Wilder explained.
“But the most defining denominator with other
classic Scandinavian design brands is a strong
focus on solid craftmanship, on form and func-
tion and elegant simplicity in the design.”
More than two centuries after Royal Co-
penhagen produced its first Blue Fluted plain
tea pot and half a century after Erik Magnussen’s
EM77 thermos jug took the market by storm,
both remain icons of Danish design. They stand
alongside products by the likes of Georg Jensen
and Stelton as highly desirable items. So, what
will be the next Danish coffee or tea icon?
Photo / Helix Thermo Jug, Georg Jensen

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