Peter Pan is in each of us! The magical world of wooden toys from Kay Bojesen

Wake up your inner child, it seems to be spoken by Kay Bojesen through every single one of his works.

Wooden block...

and skilful hands - that's all it takes to project the figure. However, if we add to this an extraordinary imagination, true talent and a sense of humour, something much more will arise - Wooden toy with a soul.

The ones from under Kay Bojesen's hand only came out like these. Perfect, refined in every way, and at the same time: cheerful, nice, unpretentious. And unique, just like the trees they were made from.

The goldsmith who was carving

Kay Bojesen had a jeweller's trade in his hand. His professional patience and the necessary attention to detail were certainly useful in creating wooden toys.
kay bojesen zebra
kay bojesen dog Tim

Inspiration

Some artists are pioneers; Kay Bojsen is one of them. He was among the first artists to adopt functionalism in Denmark. He was also one of the organizers of Den Permanente - an association of artists, which in a few decades has become a symbol of the best in Scandinavian design.

The birth of Otto's son marked the beginning of a new golden chapter in Kay Bojesen's life, which lasted until his death in 1958. Fascinated by the lush childhood imagination of his descendant and the memories of his own childhood, full of fun and joy, Kay Bojesen took the wood to the workshop to create durable, solid, beautiful and inspiring toys.

kay bojesen wooden monkey

A nice wooden monkey is still a symbol of Kay Bojesen's work.

Brand philosophy

Kay Bojesen avoided making detailed copies of animals according to their actual anatomy. He tried to make his design based on round, "soft" shapes. He argued that toys should not only look attractive, but should also be functional, i.e. user-friendly. The artist wanted every figurine that comes out of his hand to refer to the joyous "inner child" that is in each of us.

The cult heroine

Although the monkey only saw the light of day in 1951, it can be considered the most famous work of Kay Bojesen. Some claim that it was in its construction that the artist's motto that "the lines that make up the design of each figure need to smile" was fully revealed.

The monkey comes in several sizes; versions made of different types of wood are available: beech, oak, teak.

The golden 1930s.

One of Kay Bojesen's oldest projects is a wooden horse, which was created in the early 1930s. Shortly afterwards, a child rattle came out of his hands. The 1930s was also the time of the painted zebra, dogs (terrier and dachshund) and a beautiful pole horse. Each of the toys delighted (and continues to delight today!) with their simplicity and extremely high quality of workmanship, where every detail is worked out.

Choosing the figure of Kay Bojesen you can be sure that not only your child will play with it, but also your grandchildren, great-grandchildren... Not only because of its solid workmanship, but also because of its timeless design.

Because true beauty never gets boring!

    kay bojesen wooden horses
    kay bojesen horse on the poles
    kay bojesen wooden rattlesnake

Young toy tester

In 1922, Kay Bojesen took part in the Copenhagen Toy Design Competition. He justified his participation by the behaviour of his tiny son, who quickly dealt with every toy that came into his hands. The cute father wanted to create something that would survive Bojesen's childhood as a whole.

Additional attractions

Although Kay Bojesen's world is based on the presence of charming wooden animals, you can also meet other heroes in it. For example, the postman Einar, or the well-designed pair of skiers Datti and Bojesen. The wooden soldier also deserves special attention, which every toy player should have in his portfolio.

In the case of "human" heroes, one can often admire not only the construction and shape of the figure, but also its hand-painting.

Currently, Kay Bojesen's rich heritage is guarded by his grandchildren. The family has entrusted further development of the brand to the Rosendahl Group. Therefore, lovers of Kay Bojesen's work can take a breath of relief; although the legendary studio in Copenhagen closed down in the early 1990s, the Rosendahl group is constantly working to bring Kay Bojesen's projects back into circulation, respecting strict standards of materials and craftsmanship.

Kay Bojesen's wooden toys are a great gift idea for a child: for Children's Day, for the first communion or for birthday.

kay bojesen wooden toys

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