ORIGINAL STORIES IN WOOD
When the Kay Bojesen brand was founded back in 1932, it marked the start of a story about a craftsman with a great sense of humor and plenty of curiosity. Kay Bojesen created his animals and figures based on the philosophy that good design should be accessible to everyone, and over time Kay Bojesen has become synonymous with original Danish design.
Kay Bojesen is the epitome of original Danish design; his soft, round shapes and smiling lines create original stories in wood. Kay Bojesen’s designs have always been based on the world of children. A world full of curiosity and imagination, which has inspired many of the iconic characters we know today.
Danish quality design through generations
Some of the designs Kay Bojesen is best known for include the imaginative monkeys, the soldiers from the Royal Danish Guard and other wooden animals – a happy family filled, the highest quality and sustainable materials. Kay Bojesen's collection is a real tribute to the inner child – and appeals to children, adults and fans alike looking for beautiful design objects that can stay with them throughout their lives.
Kay Bojesen is the story of one of the strongest and most loved brands in Danish design history, with classics in a class of their own. A creative, playful filled with love and the highest quality in sustainable materials. With smiling lines and unique shapes, Kay Bojesen turned wood into original stories that appealed to all generations.
Silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen had a very special talent. He was able to design wood in a very special way, and he became world-famous for creating wooden animals with soul, humour and a twinkle in their eye. Kay Bojesen is one of the most productive Danish artisans of the 20th century, with more than 2,000 pieces to his name.
He is best known for his joie de vivre monkeys, soldiers from the Royal Danish Guard and other wooden animals.
Kay Bojesen kept his childish curiosity and joie de vivre until the very end. He died at the age of 72, leaving behind a significant design legacy. A legacy that is now protected by his family.
The Rosendahl Design Group is grateful for being chosen by the Bojesen family to develop, produce and distribute their grandfather’s beloved designs. Since Kay Bojesen’s legendary store in Bredgade closed back in 1990, production of several of his products has ceased. It is therefore a great pleasure for the Rosendahl Design Group to be able to re-introduce several of Kay Bojesen’s fantastic older designs according to their original drawings and with great respect for Kay Bojesen’s high demands for material and craftsmanship.
See what date your favourite animal was designed on Kay Bojesen’s historical timeline.
Kay Bojesen is synonymous with original and vibrant Danish craftsmanship and designs based on humour and imagination. The classic designs created from Kay Bojesen’s original figures represent craftsmanship at its finest. With their smiling lines, soft shapes and humour, Kay Bojesen’s figures and designs decorate and adorn any surface. And by combining craftsmanship and humor, Kay Bojesen has managed to turn wood into original and vibrant stories.
Designs that are born from humor and imagination are perhaps best exemplified in the Kay Bojesen's many different wooden figures. These beloved wooden figures appeal to the child in all of us.
The most famous of all Kay Bojesen’s figures, the Monkey, was born in 1951. The little wooden monkey that made Kay Bojesen so famous actually came about when the designer wanted to make a hook to hang the children’s jackets on. Instead, it ended up as a piece of iconic Danish art. At whatever stage of your life you come across the monkey, he will soon become a friend for life and a beloved design icon in your home.
It is in this cross-field between functionality, aesthetics and imagination that we strive to continue Kay Bojesen's joy and work and bring it to homes all over the world.
When we renew the classic designs Kay Bojesen made, it is always with respect and an eye for traditions. The relaunched Marine, for example, is designed with exactly the same basic shape as the original figure – tall, proud and charming, with the head slightly tilted. The details of the painting and the position of the eyes have been slightly adjusted, but with great respect for the original design. However, the figure is still as simple, stylish and iconic as the original. The uniform is navy blue, and the distinctive collar with the white stripes is painted by hand with great precision, just like the rest of the figure.
The world of Kay Bojesen is not one you ever grow out of. It’s a world you keep growing with. The aesthetics and materials are long-lasting, which is also why Monkey and the other characters have a special knack in capturing our hearts.
Meanwhile, we're also ahead at the future and we want our products to be able to keep up with the times. Inspired by the current era we live in, Kay Bojesen Denmark has launched a panda in FSCTM certified wood, inspired by two pandas who came to the Copenhagen zoo in 2019. With the typical and distinctive panda features, Kay Bojesen's Denmark Panda has its very own charisma.
The panda’s cute tumbler body is shaped after Kay Bojesen's Bear, and dressed in black and white colors, creating a new yet original design with all that famous Bojesen charm.
Kay Bojesen was passionate about anything that made children and the young at heart happy. And this is probably also why his designs have a specical place in the hearts of the many people who grew up with them. Especially in the Nordic countries, where the iconic wooden figures are given as gifts for christenings, confirmations and birthdays and naturally become part of the family. True to Kay Bojesen’s DNA, most of our products and figures are designed to be passed down through the line – and thus the magical world of Kay Bojesen continues to bring joy to generation after generation.
BRAND TRAITS: WHAT DO THEY EACH MEAN?
Kay Bojesen’s iconic brand is based on a solid foundation of values and a unique approach to design that has made our products popular year after year. Our strong foundations underpins the way we run our brand, design and product development. We always follow the times and bring new ideas to life, but it is equally important to us to stick to traditions and look back to the core values that Kay Bojesen stood for. Here are some of our special traits.
