Historical past of Dansk Fish Trivet — Gunnar Cyrén Maker Profile

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

Days previous to arriving on the resort, a while in the course of the summer time of 1969, Gunnar was within the midst of a household trip in Sweden’s Skåne county when the telephone 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 thought of working collectively. Gunnar, a lauded glassblower, silversmith, and rising star in Scandinavian design, at all times declined.

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

The resort the place they have been assembly turned out to be one in every of Europe’s fanciest—the type of place the place his swimsuit would make him stand out—and never in a great way. When Ted arrived dressed to match the placement, Gunnar turned 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 in the end satisfied him to work for Dansk, which he did for the following six years, creating over 300 authentic designs from 1970 to 1976. Whereas a lot of Gunnar’s Dansk tableware stays celebrated right this moment, none encapsulates his playful model greater than the fish trivet.

Initially made out of plastic, the fish trivet weaves kind, 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 one in every of Gunnar’s favourite designs. Lately, in a dialog with the late designer’s three sons, they knowledgeable us that of all his accolades, one in every of Gunnar’s proudest accomplishments was his first silver exhibition, which he held in 1977. It was his first time making a sequence of labor funded fully by himself and void of any exterior artistic affect. In his autobiography, Gunnar labeled the present a possibility “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 equivalent to the fish trivet’s design.

Whereas that fish bowl will ceaselessly stay an elusive collector’s merchandise, its supply materials is now way more obtainable. At present, 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 form of retro model that’s nonetheless cool in spite of everything these years—very like a corduroy swimsuit.