Nanna Ditzel

Nanna Ditzel (1923-2005) was born in Copenhagen. Originally trained as a cabinetmaker, she later studied at the School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, graduating with a degree in furniture design in 1946. In that same year, she established a design studio with her husband Jørgen Ditzel and worked with him until his untimely death in 1961.

Throughout her career, which spanned almost six decades, she experimented with new materials such as foam rubber, fiberglass and wicker. She worked in many disciplines, designing furniture, jewelry, tableware and textiles and continued to create furniture and jewelry up to the end of her life. Much is still in production.

In 1968 she moved to London, where she and husband Kurt Heide opened the international furniture house Interspace in Hampstead. In 1986 she moved back to Denmark and opened her own studio.

She was exhibited internationally with one-woman shows in Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Vienna, London, Stockholm, Milan, Glasgow, Manchester, Reykjavik, Paris and nationally in Denmark. During her lifetime, she was awarded many international prizes for her awards, including many medals from the Triennale in Milan and the prestigious Lunning Prize and is remembered as "The First Lady of Scandinavian Design." 

From nanna-ditzel-design.dk and furnituredesign24.com

Sausage chairs
1stdibs.com

Child's high chair
1stdibs.com

Hanging Egg wicker chair
nanna-ditzel-design.dk

Easy chair
houzz.com

Skal chair
furnituredesign24.com

Settee, chairs and table
bolighuset-ry.dk

Trinidad chair
arttattler.com

Child's Toadstool
arttattler.com

Silver bracelet, 1951
nanna-ditzel-design.dk

Wristwatch for Georg Jensen, 1995
nanna-ditzel-design.dk

Here's a delightful interview with Nanna Ditzel in 2005, shortly before her death. She discusses the Trinidad chair, designed in 1993, one of her award-winning pieces. The clip also includes production of a Trinidad chair.

youtube.com

Uploaded by fredericiafurniture, March 22, 2010

Pronunciation Guide

Jens Quistgaard

Jens Quistgaard

Jens Quistgaard (1919-2008) was the son of sculptor Harald Quistgaard. The elder Quistgaard trained his son as a sculptor at an early age. At the same time, the young Jens learned to be a draftsman, joiner, smith and potter, all of which he mastered. His first museum showing was at age 15. He later apprenticed with silversmith Georg Jensen. He started his artistic career as a portrait painter, but he also created in metals and ceramics at that time.

During the 1940s, Quistgaard designed flatware, glassware, cookware and furniture. He also created graphic designs and did some architectural work. During World War II, he was part of the Danish Resistance.

In 1954 he started Dansk Designs Ltd. with American entrepreneur Ted Nierenberg and was the chief designer for the company for the next 30 years. During this period, he created flatware, cookware, pitchers, bowls, carving boards, ice buckets, candleholders, trays and tableware.

Though not as well-known as many designers of the time, Quistgaard's pieces could be found in millions of homes around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s, and he played an important role in introducing Danish Modern design to the public. During his career, he produced over 2000 designs.

From jensquistgaard.com

Tiny taper candleholder
scandinavianmod.com

Chafing dish
treadwaygallery.com

Rare Woods ice bucket
artnet.com

Nesting tables
surflicka.com

Kobenstyle fondue pot
cityissue.com

Leather, teak and chrome lounge chair
uuiuu.com

Fjord flatware
designandfun.com

Teak desk
treadwaygallery.com

Tiny taper candleholder
scandinavianmod.com

Teak pepper mills
dwell.com

Congo ice bucket
1stdibs.com

Enamel pitchers
...so the fondue pot won't look so out of place
spinariodesign.com

Pronunciation Guide

Titillating teak

At my age, not many things leave me breathless, but a gorgeous piece of teak still can.

The latest thing on my To Drool For list is a Jens Quistgaard ice bucket. I don't think I've ever seen anything with quite as commanding a presence. The svelte contours and the oversized handle keep calling my name, but until I find one at a bargain price, I will probably resist its charms.

Other look-but-don't-touch item are the $3500 Emil Milan salad bowl set and Henning Koppel for Georg Jensen ice bucket, but more reasonably priced items, like bowls and trays, can always be found on eBay. One of my favorite eBay finds is still a teak tray which holds five smaller teardrop shaped coaster/snack trays.

As much as I use and abuse my teak tea cart (which serves as a table for my laptop), occasionally my heart still skips a beat when I stand back and admire its design, especially the tray top which lifts off the cart for serving. Before writing this post, I gave it a good polish, vowing never again to mistreat my faithful friend again.

Jens Quistgaard ice bucket
modernfindings.com

Emil Milan salad set
vandm.com

Henning Koppel for Georg Jensen ice bucket
arcadja.com

Teak and silver bowls
1stdibs.com

My teak hostess set

My teak tea cart

My teak tea cart with tray removed

Marvelous metals

Three designers in metal--Jens Quistgaard, Grete Prytz Kittelsen and Lino Sabattini—produced some of the most memorable pieces of the mid-century era.

Jens Quistgaard (1919-2008) is best known for his skills in three dimensional design, his innovative ways, and his traditional craftsmanship.  His parents were a sculptor and a painter, and Georg Jensen, one of Denmark's most lauded silversmiths, was his mentor. Early in his design career Quistgaard moved to the United States, where he continued to work in a Danish inspired style. His production was funded at the time by American entrepreneur Ted Nierenberg, and together in the early 1950's they founded  Dansk Designs, the seminal American company working in the Danish Modern style.

Another recognizable collection of mid-century metals includes saucepans, a kettle, coffee pots, bowls and other brightly colored pieces decorated with the Lotus pattern, which was designed by Grete Prytz Kittelsen (1917-2010) for Cathrineholm of Norway in the 1960s. Kittelsen was born in Oslo, Norway, and was educated in Paris, as well as the Art Institute in Chicago. She was a major factor in the rise in popularity of Scandinavian design.

Lino Sabattini (1925- ) is a brilliant but entirely self-taught Italian designer. His designs are beautiful, elegant and distinguished by consummate craftsmanship. It was thanks to Gio Ponti, who raved about Lino Sabattini's designs, that Sabattini became known to a wide following. Lion Sabattini became director of design at the prestigious Cristofle Orfèvrerie, where he created metalware notable for abstract, organic modern forms between 1956 and 1963.

From sllab.net and kettererkunst.com

Jens Quistgaard candleholder for Dansk
etsy.com - ObjectOfBeauty

Kobenstyle cookware by Jens Quistgaard
etsy.com - blueflowervintage

Jens Quistgaard fireplace tools
1stdibs.com

Grete Prytz Kittelsen  kettle
aftenbladet.no

Cathrineholm fondue pot
modernfindings.com

Tea and coffee service by Lino Sabattini
theimagazine.com

Lino Sabattini tray
galleryL7.com