Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory (), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It is recognized by its factory mark, the three wavy lines above each other, symbolizing Denmark's three waterways: Storebælt, Lillebælt and Øresund.
History Early years
Starting in the 17th century, Europeans, long fascinated by the blue and white porcelain exported from China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, began to imitate the precious ware. The Royal Copenhagen manufactory's operations began in a converted post office in 1775. It was founded by chemist Frantz Heinrich Müller who was given a 50-year monopoly to create porcelain. Though royal patronage was not at first official, the first pieces manufactured were dining services for the royal family. Johan Theodor Holmskjold was appointed as the first director-in-chief of the company.
When, in 1779, King Christian VII assumed financial responsibility, the manufactory was styled the Royal Porcelain Factory. Holmskjold headed the operations until his death in 1793.
The Royal Porcelain Factory was headed by pharmacist Ludvig Manthey from 1796 to 1811.
The company was later headed by Carl Wilhelm Bergsøe (18001861. He was the father of writer Wilhelm Bergsøe whose childhood memories served as inspiration for his novel Fra den gamle fabrik.
In 1851, Royal Copenhagen showed its production at the Great Exhibition in London. In 1868, as a result of royal companies' privatization, the Royal Porcelain Factory came into private ownership and was sold at auction. The buyer was businessman Gustav Adolph Falck (18331892).
Merger with Aluminia
In the mid-19th century the many large European porcelain companies generally stood aloof from artistic developments such as Japonisme, and the Arts and Crafts movement, concentrating on tableware, and often struggling to throw off what had become the deadening influence of Rococo and Neoclassical styles. In the 1870s most continued to produce an eclectic variety of revivalist styles, though sometimes experimenting with glazes, as at Meissen porcelain, which began to produce monochrome vases from 1883.Battie, 161–162; Mundt, 23–26,
The first major porcelain company to seriously change its styles was Royal Copenhagen, which made radical changes from 1883, when it was bought by Aluminia, an earthenware company. Arnold Krog, an architect under 30 with no practical experience of the industry, was made artistic director the next year, and rapidly shifted designs in the same directions art pottery was exploring, commissioning many painters to design for the factory. Japanese influences were initially very strong. The new wares soon won prizes at various international exhibitions, and most of the large porcelain makers began to move in similar directions,Battie, 162–163; Mundt, 30–31 causing problems for the smaller art potteries.
Shortly after Aluminia's acquisition, Royal Copenhagen production was moved to a modern factory building at Aluminia's site in Frederiksberg, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. At the Exposition Universelle (1889) in Paris, Royal Copenhagen won the Grand Prix, giving it international exposure.
Current company In recent years, Royal Copenhagen acquired Georg Jensen in 1972, incorporated with Holmegaard Glass Factory in 1985, and finally Bing & Grøndahl in 1987. Royal Copenhagen was a part of a group of Scandinavian companies, Royal Scandinavia, together with Georg Jensen, and was owned by a Danish private equity fund, Axcel. Following Axcel's acquisition of Royal Scandinavia, Holmegaard Glasværk was sold in an MBO, and a controlling interest in the Swedish glass works Orrefors Kosta Boda was sold to New Wave Group.
In December 2012, Axcel sold Royal Copenhagen to the Finnish listed company Fiskars, which was founded in 1649.
The company now produces its porcelain in Thailand. However, the luxury brand, Flora Danica, is still designed and painted in Denmark. Its design centre is also situated there so that the style and shape still retains its heritage.
Patterns (original manufacturer in parentheses)
Blue Fluted The factory's pattern No. 1, still in production, is "Musselmalet", "mussel-painted", called "Blue Fluted" in English-speaking countries. The "mussel blue" is cobalt. The discovery in 1772 of a rich vein of cobalt in Norway, the junior part of the joint kingdom, was quickly developed using some nearby water power into an industry, grinding cobalt to a fine dust to incorporate in ceramic glazes and glass manufacture. The mellowed Blaafarveværket site is a tourist attraction today. During the first half of the 19th century cobalt rivaled fisheries as the greatest source of wealth obtained from Norway. Many of the German porcelain manufactories in the 19th century produced a version of intense blue "echt Kobalt" decor combined with patterned gilding, using the Norwegian cobalt from Denmark.
Flora Danica
In 1790, Royal Copenhagen was commissioned by King Christian VII to produce a "Flora Danica" dinner service, with gilded edges and botanical motifs copied from the ongoing illustrated Flora Danica. It was intended as a gift for Catherine the Great; Royal Copenhagen has produced hand-painted pieces of "Flora Danica" to this day.
Other classical patterns Blue Flower, Henriette, Saxon Flower, Fan, Gemina, and Gemma (Royal Copenhagen) Empire, Offenbach, Butterfly and Seagull (Bing & Grøndahl) Tranquebar and Blue Line (Aluminia).
New and currently in production Blue Fluted Plain (1775, revised in 1885), White Fluted (1775), Blue Fluted Mega (2000), Black Fluted Mega (2006), Princess (1978), Blue Fluted Half Lace (1888), Blue Fluted Full Lace (1775, revised in 1885), blomst (-), Hav (2019), White Elements (2008), Blue Elements (2011), Multicoloured Elements (2008), Star Fluted Christmas (2006), Flora (2012), Blue Palmette (2004), White Fluted Half Lace, Flora Danica (1790)
Discontinued Blue Flower, Gemina, Gemma, Jingle Bells, Blue Line, Frijsenborg and Julian Marie (Royal Copenhagen) Seagull, Blue Henning Koppel, White Henning Koppel, Tema, Mexico (Bing & Grøndahl)
Collectables
Royal Copenhagen 2010 plaquettes: Numbered and named cobalt blue decorated plates depicted a variety of scenes, holidays, years, and occasions. Most commonly round, they measured about 8 cm (3-1/4") in diameter, with a blue scene on white background. Larger, approximately 18.5 cm, blue on white cobalt blue decorated plates, created annually for Mother's Day, the Olympics and other commemorations. Some weren't annual issues, instead depicted scenes. In 1895, Royal Copenhagen began producing annual Christmas plates, and continue to do so. Porcelain pipes, beginning in 1969 and manufactured for about 15 years. An American porcelain collector commissioned a hand-painted hippopotamus service, completed in 2006.
Christmas plates The tradition of Christmas plates started hundreds of years ago in Europe, when wealthy people presented their servants with cakes and sweets, served on decorative plates of wood or metal at Christmas time. The servants referred to these gifts as their Christmas Plate. In 1895 Bing & Grøndahl produced the first Christmas plate made from porcelain, with the date inscribed, and has made one each year since. In 1908 the Royal Copenhagen factory followed suit. Each year these plates are made in limited quantities and have been collectable for over 100 years. Each plate is made in the year of issue only, after which the mould is destroyed, and the design is never made again.
The themes since 1908 are:
YearChristmas PlateNotes 1908 Madonna & Child 1909 Danish Landscape 1910 The Magi 1911 Thief Plate 1911 Landscape 1912 Christmas Tree 1913 Frederiks Kirke Frederik's Church 1914 Helligåndskirken Church of the Holy Ghost 1915 Danish Landscape 1916 Shepherds in the Field 1917 Vor Frelsers Kirke Church of Our Saviour, Christianshavn 1918 The Shepherds 1919 In The Park 1920 Mary & Child 1921 Aabenraa Market 1922 Three Singing Angels 1923 Landscape 1924 Sailing Ship 1925 Christianshavn 1926 Christianshavns Kanal 1927 Ship's Boy at Tiller 1928 Vicar's Family 1929 Grundtvigs Kirke Grundtvig's Church 1930 Fishing Boats 1931 Mother & Child 1932 Frederiksberg 1933 Storebæltsfærgerne Great Belt ferries 1934 Eremitageslottet Hermitage Hunting Lodge 1935 Kronborg 1936 Roskilde Domkirke Roskilde Cathedral 1937 Copenhagen 1938 Østerlars Church 1939 Ship on Greenland Ice 1940 The Good Shepherd 1941 Village Church 1942 Bell Tower 1943 Flight Into Egypt 1944 Winter Scene 1945 Peaceful Motif 1946 Zealand Church 1947 The Good Shepherd 1948 Nødebo Kirke Nødebo Church 1949 Vor Frue Kirke Church of Our Lady 1950 Boeslunde Church 1951 Christmas Angel 1952 Christmas In The Forest 1953 Frederiksberg 1954 Amalienborg 1955 Fanø Girl 1956 Rosenborg Slot Rosenborg Castle 1957 The Good Shepherd 1958 Grønland Greenland 1959 Christmas Night 1960 The Stag 1961 Training Ship Denmark 1962 Den lille havfrue The Little Mermaid 1963 Højsager Mill 1964 Fetching The Tree 1965 Little Skaters 1966 The Blackbird At Christmas 1967 The Royal Oak 1968 The Last Umiak 1969 Old Farmyard 1970 Christmas Rose & Cat 1971 Hare In Winter 1972 In The Desert 1973 Train Homeward Bound 1974 Owl 1975 Marselisborg Slot Marselisborg Palace 1976 Vibæk Mill 1977 Immervad Bridge 1978 Greenland Scene 1979 Choosing The Tree 1980 Bringing Home The Tree 1981 Admiring The Tree 1982 Waiting For Christmas 1983 Merry Christmas 1984 Jingle Bells 1985 The Snowman 1986 Christmas Holidays 1987 Winter Birds 1988 Copenhagen Skyline 1989 Old Skating Pond 1990 Tivoli Gardens 1991 Santa Lucia Fest 1992 The Royal Coach 1993 Arriving Train 1994 Home From Shopping 1995 The Manor House 1996 Street Lamps 1997 Roskilde Domkirke Roskilde Cathedral 1998 Boat Scene 1999 The Sleigh Ride 2000 Trimming The Tree 2001 Watching The Birds 2002 Winter In The Forest 2003 Season's Greetings 2004 Awaiting The Christmas Train 2005 Hans Christian Andersen House 2006 Kronborg 2007 Christmas in Nyhavn 2008 Copenhagen Christmas 2009 Christmas at Amagertorv Amager Square 2010 Christmas in Greenland 2011 Waiting For Santa Claus 2012 Sailing The North Sea 2013 Copenhagen Harbour 2014 Hans Christian Andersen 2015 Christmas Days 2016 Ice Skating In Copenhargen 2017 Walk At The Lakes 2018 Christmas Tree Market 2019 Meeting in the field 2020 Church Of Our Lady Vor Frue Kirke 2021 Winter in the Garden 2022 Frederiksborg castle 2023 Meeting in the Paddock 2024 Christmas Anticipation 2025 Grundtvig's Church Grundtvigs Kirke
See also Porcelain manufacturing companies in Europe
Further reading Bojesen, Benedicte, and Steen Nottelmann. Royal Copenhagen Art, Industry. Lyngby: Sophienholm, 1996. Christoffersen, Lars. Christmas Plates & Other Commemoratives from Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grøndahl. A Schiffer book for collectors. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Pub, 2004. Table of contents Heritage, Robert J. Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Animals and Figurines. A Schiffer book for collectors. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Pub, 1997. Kongelige Porcelainsfabrik, Bredo L. Grandjean, Dyveke Helsted, and Merete Bodelsen. The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory 1775-1975. Copenhagen: The Manufactory, [eksp., Amagertorv 6], 1975. Pope, Caroline, and Nick Pope. A Collector's Guide to Royal Copenhagen Porcelain. A Schiffer book for collectors. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2001. Wagner, Peter, Steen Nottelmann, Finn Andersen, and Paul Nesbitt. Flora Danica. Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, 1994. Winstone, H. V. F. Royal Copenhagen. [London]: Stacey International, 1984.
References
Battie, David, ed., Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia of Porcelain, 1990, Conran Octopus, Mundt, Barbara, in Hungarian Ceramics from the Zsolnay Manufactory, 1853–2001, ed. Ács, Piroska et al., 2002, Yale University Press, , 9780300097047, google books
External links
Hey, Arthur: Royal Copenhagen