Kay Bojesen is famous for his wooden figures but it is widely unknown that Kay Bojesen was in fact a silversmith. He started his career as a silversmith with Georg Jensen and has designed both jewellery, cutlery and silverware. Interest in wood was sparked after the birth of his son Otto. This inspired his fascination with children's play and most importantly wooden toys.
Kay Bojesen began experimenting with wooden materials and soon he had created a series of wooden animals that would inspire children through play. For Kay Bojesen, it was important that the animals were not very realistic in order to trigger children's imagination. For this reason, his motto was "the lines should laugh".
Kay Bojesen is considered one of Denmark's foremost designers and when he died at the age of 72, he left a big legacy behind. A legacy of design icons like the classic wood pan, zebra, puffin and the pair of doves ‘Lovebirds’.
Alfred, the Kay Bojesen bird, is the latest addition to the family of wooden toys – from monkeys and hippos to songbirds.
Sunshine represents one of the five colour combinations in Kay Bojesen's range of songbirds.
Ruth is named after Kay Bojesen's Swedish daughter-in-law. With her femininity and pink body, she took the family by storm.
Raven, the black songbird, is made of painted beech. With its jet-black plumage, Raven is a stylish, classic addition to the otherwise colourful flock of Kay Bojesen birds
Kay is named after Mr. Bojesen himself who was a great fan of the colour blue. He was always either dressed in an immaculate blue suit, shirt and tie or a white smock.
Ernst is named after Kay Bojesen´s father. He was an editor, cultural personality and a creative soul, who inspired his son Kay to create a flock of beloved wooden figures.
Peter is named after the oldest of Kay Bojesen's four grandchildren, and the family describes him as an elegant, modern gentleman.
Pop is named after a Danish soda water called Soda Pop, which was the only thing Kay Bojesen ever drank.
Kay Bojesen's Songbirds are a family of eight birds created in 1950. Each bird has its own story.
Material painted beech
Height 15 cm