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Jens Quistgaard Building and Garden Elements

Danish, 1919-2008

The postwar-era work of Danish sculptor and designer Jens Harald Quistgaard 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. Having created serving pieces and barware for Dansk Designs for 30 years, Quistgaard produced striking Scandinavian modernist designs that married function with sophisticated form.

After demonstrating artistic talent at a young age, Quistgaard was gifted a forge and anvil so that he could work in his mother’s kitchen. He 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.

By 1954, Quistgaard had become known for his designs in Denmark when American entrepreneur and businessman, Ted Nierenberg, discovered his work. The two formed a partnership to mass-produce Quistgaard’s wares in New York while the designer remained in Copenhagen. 

The long-distance relationship flourished for three decades, during which millions of Quistgaard pieces were manufactured in the factories of Dansk Designs, Nierenberg’s company. Owing primarily to the partnership between Dansk Designs and Quistgaard, many Americans became familiar with Scandinavian modernism. In the postwar era, American tastemakers sold the citizenry on the “Scandinavian dream,” suggesting that, like us, the inhabitants of the Nordic nations valued home, hearth, family and good craftsmanship and design, as well as democracy. 

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 utilized exceptional materials in the creation of his coveted cookware and serving pieces, opting for warm teak and exotic woods and reintroducing steel as a go-to option for kitchen wares.

Quistgaard’s designs won numerous awards and are held in the collections of museums all over the world. His work can be found in the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and elsewhere.  

Find vintage Jens Harald Quistgaard decorative objectsserveware and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Jens Quistgaard
Jens Quistgaard Fireplace Tools for Dansk Designs
By Jens Quistgaard
Located in San Mateo, CA
Rare set of Dansk fireplace tools designed by Jens Quistgaard. These consist of a poker, broom and shovel and are held on a wall mounted rack. This set...
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1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jens Quistgaard Building and Garden Elements

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Jens Quistgaard building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs.

Jens Quistgaard building and garden elements are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Jens Quistgaard building and garden elements, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original building and garden elements by Jens Quistgaard were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in scandinavia during the mid-20th century. Prices for Jens Quistgaard building and garden elements can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,800 and can go as high as $8,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,650.

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