Historical past of Dansk Fish Trivet — Gunnar Cyrén Maker Profile

The story behind the Dansk trivet is definitely a vogue one: Gunnar Cyrén, an award-winning Swedish designer liable for a few of the world’s most coveted flatware, would’ve by no means labored with Dansk if he hadn’t walked right into a Parisian lodge sporting his worst corduroy go well with.

Days previous to arriving on the lodge, a while through the summer season of 1969, Gunnar was within the midst of a household trip in Sweden’s Skåne county when the cellphone rang. On the opposite line was Dansk founder Ted Nierenberg—once more.

For years, Ted had courted Gunnar, writing letters and making calls begging him to entertain the concept of working collectively. Gunnar, a lauded glassblower, silversmith, and rising star in Scandinavian design, all the time declined.

However on that day, Gunnar ran out of excuses—prompting him to journey to Paris to satisfy the American businessman. And as quickly as he arrived, he knew he’d made a horrible mistake.

The lodge the place they had been assembly turned out to be certainly one of Europe’s fanciest—the type of place the place his go well with would make him stand out—and never in a great way. When Ted arrived dressed to match the situation, Gunnar grew to become sure: This was by no means meant to be.

After a fast introduction, the 2 males agreed to shortly test into their rooms after which meet again downstairs. Flustered, Gunnar tidied his outfit to one of the best of his skills then headed to the foyer. Minutes later, Ted reappeared in an outfit looser and extra informal than Gunnar’s corduroy disaster.

Ted’s fast change floored Gunnar and, per his autobiography, is what finally satisfied him to work for Dansk, which he did for the subsequent six years, creating over 300 unique designs from 1970 to 1976. Whereas a lot of Gunnar’s Dansk tableware stays celebrated at this time, none encapsulates his playful type greater than the fish trivet.

Initially constructed from plastic, the fish trivet weaves type, operate, and the Swede’s fervent curiosity with animal magnificence right into a sensible serving instrument. It’s the type of factor that makes cooking simpler and your eating desk extra enjoyable.

It’s not simply us—the trivet additionally occurred to be certainly one of Gunnar’s favourite designs. Just lately, in a dialog with the late designer’s three sons, they knowledgeable us that of all his accolades, certainly one of Gunnar’s proudest accomplishments was his first silver exhibition, which he held in 1977. It was his first time making a collection of labor funded completely by himself and void of any exterior artistic affect. In his autobiography, Gunnar labeled the present a chance “to work by way of one’s emotions.” And his sons confirmed that it’s no mistake that one of many exhibition’s items is a silver bowl topped with—what else?—a lid an identical to the fish trivet’s design.

Whereas that fish bowl will eternally stay an elusive collector’s merchandise, its supply materials is now rather more out there. At the moment, we’re completely satisfied to announce the relaunch of the Gunnar Cyren fish trivet—promising the identical timeless (but playful) design however in an improved, extra sturdy forged iron materials. Whether or not resting in your kitchen counter or held on the wall utilizing its ever handy loop, the trivet embodies the sort of retro type that’s nonetheless cool in any case these years—very like a corduroy go well with.