Founded in 1775 as the Royal Porcelain Factory, the company became known as Royal Copenhagen. In 1882, it merged with the faience factory Aluminia. Two years later, in 1884, architect Arnold Krog was appointed as artistic director, an event that marked the beginning of what is often referred to as the company's golden age. This period continued until 1985 when stoneware production ceased. It is this particular era that holds our interest, as it saw a wide range of talented stoneware artists who left a lasting mark on the Scandinavian Arts and Crafts movement.
Aluminia: A Faience Adventure
Facing financial pressure, Aluminia hired six artists to turn the company's fortunes around. The artists created the highly successful faience series, Tenera, which was produced until the mid-1980s. The artists behind this success were Berte Jessen, Inge-Lise Kofoed, Kari Christensen, Marianne Johnson, Beth Breyern, and Gretel Heiland-Hansen.
Another equally successful series was Baca, created by seven artists: Nils Thorsson, Johanne Gerber, Ellen Malmer, Ivan Weiss, Anne Marie Trolle, Inge-Lise Kofoed, and Beth Breyen. The Baca line includes about 200 objects, and together with the Tenera line, both have become highly collectible.
Focus on the Art of Glaze
The stoneware department at Royal Copenhagen was renowned for its high technical quality, particularly for the development of exciting new glazes. These glazes were the result of close collaboration between artists and engineers. While the list of artists is very long, we would like to highlight a few notable figures: Carl Halier, Jais Nielsen, Niels Thorsson, Helge Christoffersen, Gertrud Vasegaard, Bente Hansen, Knud Kyhn, Bode Willumsen, Mogensen, Eva Stæhr-Nielsen, Patrick Norstrøm, Gerhard Henning, Axel Salto, Johannes Hedegaard, and Ivan Weiss. There were many more artists, including a large number of freelance potters who worked for Royal Copenhagen during this period.
