२१ फेब्रुवारी, २०२३

"'Dansk' is like when you sell vodka in the USA. You use its Russian name and you kind of keep the original letters on the bottle and brochures."

Said Jen Quistgaard, quoted in the book, "Jens Quistgaard: The Sculpting Designer," which is reviewed in The New Yorker, in "Dansk and the Promise of a Simple Scandinavian Life/A new monograph documents how Scandinavian design charmed America" (The New Yorker)

The book "seeks to disentangle the man from the brand..."
...but the housewares consumer of 2023 treats the book like a catalogue. Yes, I would like Fjord flatware, which almost seamlessly combines teak with stainless steel. Yes, I would like an enamelled Købenstyle casserole, whose lid serves as a trivet, in brilliant red or turquoise. Yes, I would like a wenge bowl with matching salad servers, which cleverly hook on the side. Yes, I will cook and eat an Emily Nunn salad, an Alison Roman pasta, a Smitten Kitchen bake, from any of the above. The life style that Quistgaard’s design suggested... so closely aligns with how we aspire to live now....

८ टिप्पण्या:

Gusty Winds म्हणाले...

Best part of Scandinavian life are the hot chicks and Raclette grilling.

Combine the two with some good wine and you've got yourself a kick ass Saturday night.

ngtrains म्हणाले...

We were ‘into Dansk’ in the early 60’s. About all we have left is a table and a beautiful set of wooden salad bowls. They are as perfect as ever, and hard to think they are nearly 60 years old.

Big Mike म्हणाले...

Our “dishwasher-safe” Dansk dishes are not really dishwasher safe. Their gorgeous pattern has faded away until our most-used dinner plates are basically faded to white.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Häagen-Dazs.

But at least that name has a real reason beyond marketing bullshit...

hawkeyedjb म्हणाले...

Dansk is like an orphan, tossed around to various foster homes over the years. It's been part of some large conglomerates and now rests with a small foodie outlet. Any connection to Denmark or its founders is long gone, and the products are mostly made in Asia. But the design is still interesting.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

“ Any connection to Denmark or its founders is long gone, ”

It was originally American. That’s the point of the quote in the post title.

Beth B म्हणाले...

Original Dansk cookware can still be found pretty regularly on Ebay. I bought a vintage Kobenstyle rectangular casserole pan years ago and it makes the most perfect lasagna. Great clean-up for anything I've ever thrown at it, even a rack of messy ribs with Thai chili sauce. Forget about the new made-in-china knock-offs. Stick with the original estate sale/Ebay finds. They won't let you down.

Fred Drinkwater म्हणाले...

My father sold his golf clubs in 1958 and started buying woodworking tools. There was a "Scandinavian Design" furniture store in the next town, which he'd visit to get ideas. I grew up with (and making) what's now called "Mid century modern" furniture. Maybe twenty pieces, a few of which I still have. Along with the tools.

Notice: My ancestry includes a gang of Holmbergs, so I have a right to that culture.

That store is still in business, nearly sixty years later.