Royal Copenhagen

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 water ways: 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.

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.
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, 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
Empire, Offenbach, Butterfly and Seagull
Tranquebar and Blue Line.
New and currently in production

Blue Fluted Plain,
White Fluted,
Blue Fluted Mega,
Black Fluted Mega,
Princess,
Blue Fluted Half Lace,
Blue Fluted Full Lace,
blomst,
Hav,
White Elements,
Blue Elements,
Multicoloured Elements,
Star Fluted Christmas,
Flora,
Blue Palmette,
White Fluted Half Lace,
Flora Danica

Discontinued

Blue Flower, Gemina, Gemma, Jingle Bells, Blue Line, Frijsenborg and Julian Marie
Seagull, Blue Henning Koppel, White Henning Koppel, Tema, Mexico
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 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.
Porcelein pipes, beginning in 1969 and manufactured for about 15 years.
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:

Year	Christmas Plate	Notes
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