Quistgaard, Dansk and his love of Teak

An early photo of Jens, His Dansk designed logo burnt into the bottom of a bowl

Some more silo's of his desk, stool, grinder, ice bucket, cheese board, salad bowl and servers and a tray

His Iconic desk and stool

Some examples of his flatware

The iconic Congo Icebucket, Left: An early advertisement from the 1950's

Another example of an ice bucket and trash paper bin

His very collectable salt and paper mills

Some of Jen's designs in Teak including buffet, salad bowl, trays and side folding table

Jens Quistgaard (1919-2008) has been mentioned many times here before on my blog, His work was so prolific it is hard to just contain it all to one post. Jens was a master of Danish Design but also had a huge presence here in the USA, where he helped form the company Dansk International Designs in the 1950’s. Naturally talented as a child even, carving toys from scrap wood, Quistgaard went on to work as an apprentice at Georg Jensen before starting Dansk after he met American entrepreneur Ted Nierenberg after Ted saw some of Jen’s designs in Denmark.

On my blog I have concentrated heavily on his amazing enamel designs, this post is all about his Teak products, which he is probably, is best known for probably after his pots.

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Burma. Teak is a large, deciduous tree that is dominant in mixed hardwood forests. It has small, fragrant white flowers and papery leaves that are often hairy on the lower surface. Teak's high oil content, strong tensile strength and tight grain makes it a great material to work with.

Jen’s applied it to many silhouettes; His most famous in Teak is probably his Congo Ice Bucket inspired by a Viking ship, which have become very collectable. He also worked with may designs for trays and salad bowls, Quistgaard’s salad bowls infact were often made from separate staves of teak arranged in a circle, much as barrels are built. This used less wood than turning the bowls on a lathe and gave them striking radial lines in the process. He also designed in the material very sought after Dansk salt and pepper mills that have become iconic in their designs. Stainless steel was combined with teak to create elegant flatware that was an affordable alternative to sterling silver. His furniture designs in Teak are just so elegant and understated.

His designs have been put into the collections of and displayed at museums included the Louvre in Paris and at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. By 1982, he had created more than 2,000 different designs of dinnerware, glassware and items for the home. Quistgaard's legacy runs deep within the design world. In a historical context, he is now known as Denmark's first industrial designer.

Quistgaard, Dansk and those Købenstyle Pots

Dansk pots in use, Picture left: blueflowerginger

Some of the silhouettes

The pots inspire many pictures, An Ad probably from the 1970's

An Ad probably from the 1960's, Yellow is probably the most popular color

A pitcher in the small size in Turquoise, An Orange Baking Dish

A yellow loaf pan and Red pots stacked the way they were intended to be stored, Picture right: incolororder.blogspot.com

A later style pitcher in red and an orange butter warmer, Picture right: melissaeastondesign.com

A variety of pics showcasing the different styles, Please note: All pics credited where possible, Let me know if yours is not and I will re correct. 

A favorite of Prop and Food Stylists, Købenstyle Pots from Danish company Dansk have been popular ever since their release in the 1950’s. Designed by Jens H Quistgaard who in 1954 co-founded the company Dansk International Designs with Ted Nierenberg, an American entrepreneur with whom he worked for 30 years producing the majority of designs for the company, These pots have stood the test of time with their beautiful colors and lines. Quistgaard was an amazing designer who by 1982 had created more than 2,000 different designs for Dansk of dinnerware, glassware and items for the home. Sadly, he died in 2008.

The pots are made of enameled formed sheet steel in brilliant colors such as bright yellow, crimson, turquoise, orange, blue, almond, chocolate brown, both kelly green and hunter green, They also were very popular in black and white. Most have white interiors that contrast the exterior of the pot, but some can be the same color in and out. In addition to the lidded casserole in its two sizes is a range that includes also coffee pots, fondue pots, a stockpot, a frying pan, pitchers in 3 sizes, butter warmers, a baking dish, a paella pan in 2 sizes and loaf pans, Some were designed with wooden handles and others with the pronged handle that has become so famous.

The term Købenstyle comes from the shortening of København which is the Danish way of pronouncing their capital city Copenhagen, The Købenstyle line was originally manufactured by Danish supplier Glud & Marstrand, but, in 1966, Dansk switched to a French supplier. The earlier Danish-made pieces are marked with Dansk's "four ducks" logo, and are generally more sought-after by collectors than the later French ones. The initials "IHQ" are Jens Quistgaard's mark.

They have indeed become a modern classic. They hold much interest to me in particular as growing up in Australia I never really saw them there but when I came to the States, I realized how much of an affinity people here had for them, Having been distributed by an American owned company whose headquarters for years were in Mt Kisco, in New York, they were readily and easily available in the USA. Dansk is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Lenox Corporation with headquarters located in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Unfortunately they no longer produce the Købenstyle pot, but you can still pick up some vintage examples in Flea Markets and E-Bay. I have been collecting them for years now, I have to admit that are hard to find in good condition, I never tire of them or stop marveling at shiny wonderfulness.