Beth Breyen was one of six young, female designers, recruited by artist Nils Thorsson, to come work for Royal Copenhagen in the post-WW2 era. She was born in Norway and studied art in Oslo (form 1956 to 1960). Thorsson developed the Modernist Tenera line at Royal Copenhagen and allowed his young design staff artists to contribute their own ideas to the various items within the range. Beth Breyen seems to have been inspired by fluffy—perhaps slightly demented—birds. It is a recurring theme in her work.
This ceramic plaque, made in the Sixties or Seventies, shows a pair of birds (is it a mother and a chick?) standing against a rich blue background. It was sculpted by Breyen and produced jointly by Royal Copenhagen and Aluminia (whose owners had purchased Royal Copenhagen in 1882). The plaque can be hung on the wall or mounted within a larger tiling project. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome work of art.
More Birds of a Feather tomorrow and in the days to come.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.