‘Onion’ candleholders designed by by Jens Harald Quistgaard for Dansk Design in the
1960s. This set was produced in Denmark, and not imported from China as later editions of Dansk designs were.
The design is influenced the Japanese aesthetic of Kawaii (かわいい , or cute. Although it is often associated with contemporary design like Hello Kitty, it has a history in Japanese culture going back 100s of years; to the Edo period at least.
Jens Harald Quistgaard, designed with this aesthetic in mind - producing beautifully crafted small objects - from paperweights to candleholders.
Through a chance encounter between Danish Quistgaard and an American entrepreneur, Dansk Design was formed. His designs brought the cool of Scandinavian design in homeware to America and Japan from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Quistgaard, was a designer and sculptor. He remained the head designer at Dansk Design for over three decades. This simple candle holder is a beautiful example of his clean and articulate design.
