1970s Rare Elephant Dansk Animal Paperweight Silver Plated by Gunnar Cyren
About the Item
- Creator:Gunnar Cyren (Designer),Dansk (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)Width: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)Depth: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:Silver Plate,Cast
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Any questions please inquire. These items are vintage with minimal flaws that do not compromise the integrity of their function and design.
- Seller Location:San Diego, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: LU936641292172 DJ1stDibs: LU936641292172
Dansk
Ironically, Dansk Designs, the tableware company practically synonymous with Danish design (“Dansk,” in fact, translates to “Danish”), was the brainchild of an American couple, Ted and Martha Nierenberg.
The Nierenbergs, who founded the business in 1954, initially worked out of the garage of their Great Neck, Long Island, home and marketed their serveware, tables, decorative objects and other products largely in the United States. But they had a secret weapon: Jens Quistgaard.
After demonstrating artistic talent at a young age, the Copenhagen native was gifted a forge and anvil so that he could work in his mother’s kitchen. Quistgaard built toys, jewelry and hunting knives under his father’s tutelage. Later, he spent years learning from local artisans how to produce wood, metal, ceramic and glass models. Quistgaard’s career path solidified during his apprenticeship as a silversmith with legendary Danish silver firm Georg Jensen.
The Nierenbergs discovered the sculptor and designer on their honeymoon, which they’d spent traveling through Europe searching for top-quality goods that might form the basis of a business.
After they hired Quistgaard and launched Dansk, their products swiftly came to epitomize the best of accessible Scandinavian design for mid-century American consumers, who fell for the firm’s staved-teak salad bowls, colorful casseroles and stainless-steel flatware, all of which managed to look handmade despite being mass-produced.
The long-distance relationship flourished for 30 years, during which millions of Quistgaard pieces were manufactured in the company's factories.
The designs for Quistgaard’s Købenstyle line and other collections during the mid-1950s were revolutionary, with bowls built like barrels and charming, lightweight monochrome tableware in enameled steel. Quistgaard’s work married function with striking, sophisticated form. He utilized exceptional materials in the creation of his coveted cookware, barware and serving pieces, opting for warm teak and exotic woods and reintroducing steel as a go-to option for kitchen wares.
Quistgaard’s postwar-era Scandinavian modernist work is still exceedingly popular in living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens in the United States, Europe and Japan, particularly in the homes of mid-century design enthusiasts.
Find vintage Dansk Designs furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
You May Also Like
Late 20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern Paperweights
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern Paperweights
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Japanese Modern Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Modern More Desk Accessories
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern More Desk Accessories
Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Crystal
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Alabaster
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Blown Glass
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern More Candle Holders
Zinc
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Candelabras
Iron
More From This Seller
View AllLate 20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern Paperweights
Zinc
Late 20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern More Candle Holders
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Candlesticks
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Candlesticks
Iron
20th Century Thai Space Age Decorative Bowls
Plastic, Birch
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Paperweights
Brass
