Silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen became world-famous for creating wooden toys that had a soul and an impish sense of humor. With more than 2000 pieces to his name, he was one of Denmark's most prolific artisans in the 20th century. He is best known for his playful and cheerful monkeys, royal lifeguards and other wooden toys, but his repertoire of products also includes jewelry, cutlery, teapots and silver goblets. Kay Bojesen graduated as a silversmith in 1910 after completing his apprenticeship with silversmith Georg Jensen. As one of the first Danish artisans to do so, he embraced functionalism. He was among the pioneers who organized Den Permanente association – a cooperative of artists that included a shop and exhibition space, which over the decades came to represent the best in Danish and Scandinavian design. The year 1919 became the start of a New Era for Kay Bojesen. His son Otto was born and this life event sparked Kay Bojesen's imagination. In the 1930s, he started to indulge his interest in wood. He created a range of wooden toys that all lived up to his ideal that design should be round, soft and have a good feel to it. His idea was not to create lifelike copies of real animals or to be too sophisticated or focus too much on detail, but instead to create imaginative toys in designs based on a child's world where “lines need to smile”. With this basic philosophy in mind, Kay Bojesen created his beloved wooden toys that appeal to the child within us all. Kay Bojesen retained his childish curiosity till the end and left an important design heritage behind.
Kay Bojesen Small Bear Sculpture in Oak & Maple, Scandinavian Design
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Kay Bojesen's friendly Bear with open arms was born in 1952. The range includes a wealth of imaginative wooden toys and has a very special appeal for both children and adults. For ch...
Wood
Kay Bojesen 'The Skier Datti' Figurine, Wood, Scandinavian Design
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Kay Bojesen designed these two happy skiers towards the end of the 1940s. The happy girl skier with the red cheeks and big smile is called Datti, which was the pet-name of Kay Bojese...
Wood
Kay Bojesen Walnut Horse Sculpture - Scandinavian Modern Design
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
A gift for life! This Kay Bojesen first saw the light of day in the beginning of the 1930s. With its proud stance, luxurious mane and reins at the ready, the horse invites us on an i...
Wood
Kay Bojesen Oak & Smoked Oak Lovebirds, 3.5 in H
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Give a gift that will last a lifetime. Kay Bojesen's universe of wooden toys has just added more than songbirds to its family. These love birds only have eyes for each other as they ...
Wood
Christmas Lise Figurine by Kay Bojesen, FSC-Certified Beech
By Kay Bojesen
Located in New York, NY
Make Christmas even more with this cute, red-and-white Christmas Lise. The figurine, made of FSC®-certified painted beech has been given makeover. 17.5-cm high.
Wood
Wooden Firefighters Truck by Kay Bojesen, 1960s
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Kiel, SH
Fire fighters truck by Kay Bojesen painted beech 1960s.
Wood
Kay Bojeson Laurids Lonborg Hand Painted Stout Guardsman Figure
By Kay Bojesen, Laurids Lonborg
Located in Ferndale, MI
Kay Bojeson guardsman figure. Hand painted white red with black feet. Sold by Laurids Lonborg Denmark retains original label. Completely original condition with little to no wear.
Teak
Vintage Kay Bojesen Articulating Wood Toy Elephant
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Chicago, IL
A early Vintage Kay Bojesen Articulating wood toy elephant. signed with early Denmark signature on foot. Appears to have a slender chipped area on th...
Wood
Medium Bear Made In Oak & Maple By Kay Bojesen
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Lejre, DK
The Medium Bear is a mid-sized wooden figure designed by Kay Bojesen, crafted from oak and maple. This figure exemplifies Bojesen’s signature design style, blending simplicity with c...
Maple, Oak
70th Anniversary Reworked Little Elephant By Kay Bojsen
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Lejre, DK
Little Elephant reworked by Kay Bojesen, released for the 70th anniversary, is a special edition of the iconic wooden figure. Kay Bojesen began his career as a silversmith under Geor...
Wood
70th Anniversary Reworked Little Bear By Kay Bojesen
By Kay Bojesen
Located in Lejre, DK
Little Bear reworked by Kay Bojesen, released for the 70th anniversary, is a special edition of the iconic wooden figure. Kay Bojesen began his career as a silversmith under Georg Je...
Wood