Kay Bojesen created some of the most loved wooden toys of the last century. While Kay Bojensen has already passed away, his legacy still lives today at Kay Bojesen Denmark, and in spring 2012, a new creation from
Kay Bojesen Denmark is launched to the delight of fans of all ages: The Songbird.
The songbird was created by Kay Bojesen in the 1950s, but never put into production, until now. Ruth, Pop, Otto, Kay, Peter and Sunshine are colorful bird figurines to delight design lovers of all ages. The six different songbirds are named after the designer and his family and all come with personalities of their own. These birds will make great evergreen gifts for children of all ages of today.
Birds from the patio of the family home
The Bojesen’s patio at the family home Bella Vista near Bellevue, north of Copenhagen, was full of flowers, wicker furniture – and birds. There can be no doubt that this is the source of Kay Bojesen’s inspiration for the carefree songbird that he designed in the 1950s and hand-painted in cheerful colors. It is clear that Ruth, Pop, Otto, Kay, Peter and Sunshine belong to the Bojesen animal family. All six birds have a clean, modern expression, stripped of superfluous details. And though clearly not an attempt to imitate nature, the birds are still so lifelike that it is easy to imagine them breaking out in song as the sun rises over the Sound. All six songbirds are made from solid beech wood and, of course, carefully hand-painted according to tradition.
Ruth, Pop, Otto, Kay, Peter and Sunshine are priced at $76.35 / EUR 66.95. You can find them at
Scandinavian Design Center (worldwide shipping),
Panik Design (UK based/ world wide).
Songbird personalities
Kay: Named after the master himself and a huge fan of the color blue. Kay Bojesen was always impeccably dressed in either a blue suit, shirt and tie or his white smock. A gentleman with a sense for underplayed, discreet elegance!
Peter: This songbird, dressed all in black, is named after Kay Bojesen’s eldest grandchild out of a flock of four. An elegant, modern gentleman!
Ruth: Full of life and with a jovial charm, Kay Bojesen’s Swedish daughter-in-law generously shared anecdotes from her life in the Bojesen family. Feminine and pink to the very tips of her feathers!
Otto: Kay and Erna Bojesen had only one child, but what a kid! Otto is the namesake of the noble songbird with the distinguished plumage who courts the love of his life, the songbird Ruth. What a handsome suitor in his grey tailcoat!
Pop: A sparkling name inspired by Kay Bojesen’s love of soda pop. It was actually the only thing he would drink, and with her orange colour, this songbird sends a fond thought to the soda pop of our childhood sipped through a striped straw. A delightful acquaintance!
Sunshine: The last songbird represents one of the five original color combinations created by Bojesen. Can you imagine a better start to the day than being showered in birdsong from a flock of colorful Sunshines? Green like the hope of spring!
Kay Bojesen Legacy Lives
Since Kay Bojesen Denmark relaunched The Dog, The Rabbit and The Hippo last year, interest in Kay Bojesen’s classic wooden designs has been tremendous. The Monkey and all his friends have gone from cool to cult, not least riding the wave of the nature trend as a strong element on the Scandinavian design scene.
More about Kay Bojesen’s legacy in the picture below.
Source: Kay Bojesen Denmark
