Through the eyes of Japanese and European collectors Royal Copenhagen and Scandinavian Design : Art Nouveau to Modern
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From Upper left; 1. Royal Copenhagen, Plate “Blue Fluted”, ca. 1795, Shiokawa collection. 2. Royal Copenhagen, Figure of sleeping cat, underglazes, 1958, Shiokawa collection. 3. Kosta, Vase, 1950s, Private collection. 4. Orrefors, Ariel vase, designed 1940, Private collection. 5. Rörstrand, Pen tray with applied otters and frog, overglazes, 1897-1910, Shiokawa collection. 6.Georg Jensen, Brooch no. 309, 1945 and later, Private collection.
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In the Nordic countries, where winters are long, people have placed great importance on life inside the home. They have incorporated beautiful design into everyday items such as tableware that brightens the dining table. This exhibition focuses on Denmark and Sweden and introduces the appeal of Nordic design through ceramics, silverware, and glassware produced from the late nineteenth century into the twentieth century.
Royal Copenhagen, which originated from the Royal Danish Porcelain Factory, gained early international recognition for its high‑quality porcelain and became one of the pioneers of Nordic Art Nouveau. Around the same period, Jens Jensen began his career as a ceramic artist at Bing & Grøndahl, a major competitor of Royal Copenhagen. He later founded Georg Jensen, a company celebrated for its silver products.
In Sweden, Rörstrand, the oldest ceramics manufacturer in the Nordic region, created refined ceramics. By the 1950s, glassmakers such as Orrefors and Kosta were also producing highly artistic glass pieces.
Please enjoy the development of Nordic design from Art Nouveau to modernism, presented through about 200 carefully selected works from notable private collections in Japan and Europe.
