About Holmegaard
REFLECTIONS IN GLASS
REFLECTIONS IN GLASS
HOLMEGAARD HISTORY – FOUNDED BY A WOMAN WHO WAS AHEAD OF HER TIME
With a long and proud tradition of glass production since 1825, Holmegaard is a Danish design icon and one of the most recognized names in Scandinavian craftsmanship traditions. Holmegaard’s cultural heritage is more than just a tale of quality craftsmanship over time.
Holmegaard builds on the heritage of a remarkable woman who was ahead of her time – Countess Henriette Danneskiold-Samsøe – who not only pursued her late husband’s dream of creating a glasswork by Holmegaard marsh, but who also managed to transform it into ab artistic and aesthetic house that is still relevant today.
HIGH-QUALITY GLASS
Holmegaard produces both mouth-blown and machine-blown glass using the latest and most advanced production methods. Whether it’s mouth-blown or machine-made glass, Holmegaard always represents high quality and elegant design. Each piece of mouth-blown glass is unique and handmade by the glassblower, who carefully blows the right amount of air through the narrow pipe. Mouth blown glass from Holmegaard is known on the swan logo.
However, machine-blown glass does not mean glass produced without hard work. To ensure glass of the same high quality and elegance as mouth-blown glass, the machine-blown glass must go through an advanced production method that requires specially manufactured tools and high precision. Machine production is not just an automatic process that runs on rails. Machine workers work between glass spraying and noisy machines to ensure everything rotates, opens, closes, heats up, cools down, cuts and grinds at just the right time.
THE STORY BEHIND HOLMEGAARD
Henriette Danneskiold-Samsøe (born Kaas) is born into a large noble family in Copenhagen. She meets and falls in love with the young Count on Gisselfeld, Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe, and they get married.
Holmegaards Glasswork's history begins in 1823, when Count Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe applies to the Danish king to build a glassworks in Holmegaard marsh. But in 1823, the Count dies without receiving a reply to his application, and his widow Henriette is left with six children. When Henriette receives the King’s permission to construct the glassworks shortly after her husband’s death, she decides to continue the project.
LOVE OF GLASS ART
So in 1825 she founded Holmegaard Glasværk, and a small community of schools, good homes and market-based businesses began to grow. The glassworks was built on the marshland, because this location could provide the amount of fuel needed for the glass ovens’ high temperatures, and in 1825 the first production of Holmegaard Glasværk began. In the beginning, the glassworks only produces green bottles, but Henriette also wants to produce clear drinking glasses. Bohemian glassmakers are hired for the job as they are possess the fine craftsmanship skills required to do this.
Henriette becomes one of Denmark’s first female business leaders. And based on her correspondence with Hans Christian Andersen and other famous names, a picture of a very gifted, socially responsible and driven woman begins to emerge.
Up until 1831, Holmegaard worked with one stove, and only bottles were manufactured, but from 1832, household glass and later artificial and industrial glass were also produced.
FROM SMALL GLASS WORKSHOPS TO THE MODERN GROUP
Holmegaard joined Royal Copenhagen in 1985 (since Royal Scandinavia), but in 2008 Holmegaard was taken over by Rosendahl Design Group. The old glassworks building in Holmegaard came under compulsory auction in March 2010 and was taken over by Sparekassen Faaborg.
Holmegaard Glasswork’s history is a story about a couple of small glass workshops in a peat marsh, which over the course of 190 years would become a large, modern group. In 1906, Svend Hammershøi designed the wine glass series that became the first design from Holmegaard Glasswork. This marked the start of bringing other artists in to design and shape Holmegaard’s glassware. In 1928, Jacob E. Bang was employed as Holmegaard’s first designer and he created the JEB 65 vase. And from the 1940s, Per Lütken breathed life into more than 3,000 glass designs.
Today, we can look back at the many different designers and artists who have helped ensure Holmegaard’s development. And we are continuing the long and proud tradition, which means that to this day some of Denmark’s best artists are associated with Holmegaard’s glass production.
A BURNING PASSION FOR GLASS ART
Holmegaard’s story begins in 1825 with a strong woman ahead of her time, who went against the conventions of the era and started her own glassworks. Based on curiosity and craftsmanship, we see classic Danish glass design as an artistic combination of shapes and colors, where anything is possible.
Holmegaard is as relevant today as it was in its early days – created with an eye for both function and decor and a burning passion for our heritage and craftsmanship.
Holmegaard is a reflection in glass
Holmegaard is a world of glass, where original designs and excellent craftsmanship are at the heart of all the classics we know and admire. When we create beautiful and elegant glass products that radiate quality and style, we are building on 200 years of proud, hand-blown craftsmanship traditions. Glass designs that inspire reflection.
In the many beautiful glass designs we produce, we always try to push the boundaries of what is possible with glass. Glass has a unique ability to capture and reflect light. Holmegaard’s unique glass designs both play with the light and create optical effects that often reflect the thoughts our designers had when devising their designs.
