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The annual collectibles from Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grøndahl are the sum of all things Danish. A world full of plates, figurines, and ornaments to be explored by the many collectors of porcelain art at its best. Each item has been made from pure porcelain and gently painted by hand, and as tradition commands the 2004 collection is only available this year.
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas Plate 2004: Awaiting the Christmas Train
"Do you think Daddy will be here soon?"
4-year-old Julie thinks their father left a long time ago, but big brother Erik assures her that their father will soon return with an axe to fell the Christmas tree. Erik and Julie, their father and the dog Mikkel have been walking the forest for hours to find the family Christmas tree. Julie thinks they have found a fine tree. It is not taller than their mother can put the golden start on the top, and it is large enough for the family to reach round it when singing the Christmas hymns. The tree also has many thick branches with room for hanging all the family Christmas decorations: hearts, drums and cornets.
Now their father comes with the axe and cuts down the tree with powerful strokes. Erik helps their father carry the tree in the heavy end by the root, while Julie is allowed to hold the top of the tree, and they walk to the train waiting for them while Mikkel runs round them, wagging its tail.
They all get on the back of the train and it begins to run, leaving a white cloud of steam behind.
Royal Copenhagen has made Christmas Plates every year since 1908, and "Awaiting the Christmas Train" is no. 97 in the series. The motif of the Christmas Plate series is created by Sven Vestergaard and is also available as a porcelain bell, cup with saucer, bowl, drop and figurines.
The two children Erik and Julie are available as small figurines, as is this year’s figurine ornament, the locomotive.
Christmas Plaquette 2004: Old Mill at Stouby
On a hilltop in the wintry scene a mill is towering proudly. It has been here for more than 200 years, looking out over the landscape with its huge arms, which can be seen far away. On this starry night the arms stand still, but if you go close you can almost hear the whirring, groaning sound of the mill wheel.
The old mill at Stouby is beautifully situated in the Southern part of Denmark. The protected mill is one of the few post mills left in Denmark, and it functions as a working museum.
People thought the mill to have supernatural powers protecting against illness and old age. But the mill could also bring death and misfortune. According to the old superstition the arms of the mill must never be stopped in a cross, as this would mean the death of one of the villagers. When in 1987 the mill was put to use again after a restoration, a local family asked that the arms never be left in a cross. This was complied with, but nevertheless, one day the person who looked after the mill happened to leave the arms in a cross. That very day the son of the family drowned in the Baltic Sea.
The plaquette depicts Danish buildings and monuments. This year’s motif is created by Sven Vestergaard.
Children’s Christmas: Skating Princess
The Evening Star is reflected in the frozen lake. It just snowed, and now the snow is lying as a soft blanket over the trees and the thatched roof. Ellen and her little sister Beate are skating on the lake in front of their house, it is Christmas Day and the two little girls have got shiny new skates for Christmas presents by their parents.
Beate finds it difficult to keep balance, with the feet slipping all the time. She admiringly watches her big sister Ellen, who is a real skating princess, making fine circles in the ice and keeping balance by stretching her arms in front of her. "Look!" Ellen calls to their little brother Anders, while making a graceful curve.
Anders is not listening at all. A roebuck has appeared by the large birch tree, and Anders thinks it looks hungry, so he picks a couple of small twigs from the fir tree, holding them towards the animal. But it just stands looking at him. Perhaps it would prefer some of their mother’s Christmas biscuits?
At that moment their mother calls them. The roebuck jumps away, and dropping the twigs Anders runs into the house.
Royal Copenhagen’s annual series "Children’s Christmas" has been produced since 1998 in Ingrid Jensens characteristic manner. This year’s motif is called "Skating Princess".
The plate is also made as a special first day issue, accompanied by the plaquette as a free gift. The Skating Princess is also available as a figurine ornament.
Annual Mug 2004: Lise Malinowsky
"Summer-like with a feminine touch, a kind of light in the darkness". This is how the artist Lise Malinowsky describes her motif for this year’s edition of Royal Copenhagen’s useful annual mug with illustrations by Danish artists. Lise Malinowsky (born 1957) is among the most recognized artists in Denmark. She is a painter of great emotion, and a sensual expressionism runs all through her works, both in the exuberant use of colours and in the choice of motif.
Lise Malinowsky has been connected with Royal Copenhagen since 1993, and besides the motif of the annual mug she has created a number of beautiful and richly coloured one-off products.
Lise Malinowsky has been awarded a working scholarship by the Danish Arts Foundation and was elected artist of the year 1986 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten. She has exhibited in Denmark as well as abroad and had several decoration commissions, and is furthermore represented in museums all over the country.
This year’s motif is no. 38 in the series of Annual Mugs from Royal Copenhagen. The Annual Mug is available in two sizes.
Millennium Series 2004
The rain forest is bathed in moonlight. Emma and Frederik have spread a blanket and are now sitting quiet as mice while listening to the many sounds of the jungle. They have both put on their topees, and Frederik has also brought a pair of binoculars in order that he may better see the colourful animals at close range. But he does not need them now, as several of the inhabitants of the jungle have come up to the children to say hello.
A butterfly flits to Emma’s hand, and a bird with a long beak watches them, blinking kindly with its eyes. On a branch in front of Frederik a chameleon sits quite still with its long tail coiled up. "Perhaps it plays dead donkey?" Frederik wonders, but at that moment the light green animal jumps away. Frederik sees his teddy bear under a bush. He picks it up and places the binoculars in front of its eyes. It, too, should see the fine jungle animals.
Royal Copenhagen introduced the Millennium series to mark the Millennium.
You can follow the two children Emma and Frederik travelling around the world to share their care for the earth and its inhabitants.
The Millennium series is available as plate and plaquette, and the two children are also available as figurines. This year’s motif is created by Sven Vestergaard.
Bing & Grøndahl
Christmas Plate 2004: The Christmas Tree
Anton and Frederik’s father is cutting down the Christmas tree, and Anton is watching while jumping up and down. It is a cold December night just before Christmas and he is looking forward to get home to the warm room with the Christmas tree. No doubt their mother has already found the box of Christmas tree decorations so that they can decorate the tree with balls, drums and hearts, which they have made themselves. At last the big golden star must be placed on the top of the tree. "Perhaps the Christmas tree will reach the ceiling this year?" Anton wonders.
The snow falls from the tree with each blow of the axe. "Now it falls!" Frederik shouts. And quite right, the huge tree hits the ground with a groaning sound and they now get busy loading the tree onto the waiting sleigh before turning home. Daddy whips the horse and the snow is drifting while they glide through the silent forest.
The Christmas Plate from Bing & Grøndahl is the oldest collectible of the world. In 2004 the motif is called "The Christmas Tree" and is no. 110 of the series. This year’s plate is created by Jørgen Nielsen. The motif is also available as a bell and a drop.
In addition to this year’s Christmas Plate series a figurine ornament is available, a boy with a small hare, created by Sven Vestergaard.
Mother’s Day Plate: Otter with Cub
The otter is the largest beast of prey living in Denmark. It lives near lakes and streams, and with its slender body and strong tail it moves quickly through the water. A beautiful brown fur protects the otter against wind and weather and keeps it warm when swimming and hunting for fish.
An otter can have up to 4 cubs. When the cubs are 2-3 months old they are allowed out of the den to take their first swim together with their mother. They suck at their mother until they are 4-5 months old, and when they reach the age of one year they can look after themselves.
Not many have seen an otter, because it is shy and mostly appears at night. The otter has been close to become extinct in Denmark. Today it is totally protected and included in the list of endangered species.
Bing & Grøndahl issued the first Mother’s Day Plate in 1969 and this year’s motif "Otter with Cub " is no. 36 of the series. The motif has been created by Finn Clausen. The separate figurine of the young animal of the series, the otter cub, is designed by Pia Langelund.
Mother’s Day Jubilee Plate 2004: St. Bernard Dog with Puppies
On this year’s Mother’s Day Jubilee Plate a pack of St Bernard puppies romp around on the grass while their mother keeps an eye on them. A typical scene from the many homes where the good-natured St Bernard dog is a beloved member of the family.
The St Bernard dog of today is leading a more tranquil life than its ancestors living in the Swiss Alps 300 years ago. At that time the St Bernard dogs were the faithful followers of the monks in a remote monastery in the large St Bernard pass. But the monks discovered that the robust mountain dogs could also assist the travellers who got lost in the impassable pass. With their broad chest the dogs could clear a path through the snow, and they had an almost supernatural ability to find their way in even the heaviest snowstorm.
According to legend the dogs had a small barrel round their neck with an alcoholic drink to brace up the exhausted and chilled travellers. During the 200 years the dogs served as rescue dogs in the pass they saved around 2,000 lives. The dog Barry became particularly famous, saving more than 40 people from certain death in the cold masses of snow in the Alps in its lifetime.
In the series of Mother’s Day Jubilee Plate from Bing & Grøndahl we go back every 5 years in the history of the series and recreate a previous motif. The 2004 motif was originally issued in 1993. The artist is Allan Therkelsen.
Children’s Day Plate: Dancing Lesson
Emilie lifts up her red dress. Then she takes a step forward with one foot and twirls round to the sound of the scratching dance music of the gramophone. She has got new dancing shoes and now practises toe dancing all the time. It is difficult but she practises all day long, because it is her greatest wish some day to become a real ballerina. Then she will dance on a big stage in the finest white tulle skirt.
Her brother Anders has been allowed to put a record on the gramophone and now he turns the handle to make the music play. Their father has explained to Anders how the gramophone works: the needle runs in the grooves of the record, making music, which comes out of the big horn. But even so it is pure magic, he thinks, while turning the handle round and round.
The Children’s Day Plate series from Bing & Grøndahl was launched in 1985. This year’s motif is no. 20 of the series, and the artist is Sven Vestergaard.
Victor & Victoria’s Family
Theo is three years old today, and his mother has baked a birthday cake for him. It is a chocolate cake, for his mother knows that he loves chocolate. She has placed three candles on top of the brown icing. Now she carries in the cake, and she and his father sing a birthday song for him.
Theo thinks birthdays are great. He claps his hands, so that the orange hat with golden stars is almost falling off when his mother places the cake before him. "Blow!" she says, and Theo blows as best he can. He blows out all the candles and his mother and father clap their hands. "Well done", his father says.
In the continued series "Victor and Victoria’s Family" we follow the life and activities of the dear teddy bears for the second year running. The series is created by Sheilah Beckett.
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