Grethe Meyer, one of Denmark’s great designers and architects, will celebrate her 90th birthday on 8 April 2008. Among her many works, Grethe Meyer is famous for the Blue Line and White Pot services she created for Royal Copenhagen in 1965 and 1972. These multifunction services were to change how we laid our tables and perceived the functions of the dinner service. Royal Copenhagen is paying tribute to Grethe Meyer and her classic services with exciting table settings at its Flagship Store on Amagertorv in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Do you remember…?
If you’d like to see the distinctive Blue Line and White Pot services for which Grethe Meyer is famous, you pay a visit to Royal Copenhagen’s Flagship Store on Amagertorv in Copenhagen between 31st March and 17th April. The store is celebrating the architect’s birthday with exhibitions and exciting table settings using Blue Line and White Pot, which were among the hottest services of the 60s and 70s. Today the services are modern classics that are collected around the globe.
Straightforward and simple
Blue Line was Grethe Meyer’s first service for Royal Copenhagen. Launched in 1965, the service captured the spirit of the times in a big way. It was simple and multifunctional, making it ideal for the kitchen diner, the new room in the home. Blue Line was followed in 1972 by the timeless and simple White Pot, which also soon acquired the status of a modern classic. Just like Blue Line, White Pot is the very essence of the fusion between functionalism and aesthetics that is the cornerstone of Grethe Meyer’s designs. In the words of Grethe Meyer herself: “My products have to be straightforward – easy and nice to use and as simple and anonymous as possible.”
Multifunctional construction kit
Looking at the services, Grethe Meyer’s background as an architect is clear to see. Every single piece is well thought out with function and unity in mind. The services are systematised like a construction kit, with everything stacking and combining well. They also stand out for their great strength, making them both hardwearing and robust – perfect for restaurant use.
Blue Line and the new table setting
Blue Line was the service that changed people’s perceptions of the functions of a dinner service and the way in which the table was laid for a new generation of the Danish family. The service was thought through right down to the smallest details and had all the qualities demanded by the times, being stackable and multipurpose. With the dark blue edge line as the only decoration on the light grey faience, the design was both neutral and striking, making it suitable for every season.
Internationally acclaimed
It was not just in Denmark that Blue Line became a roaring success. At exhibitions around the globe it was extolled as Danish design at its best and it is now in the permanent collections of the world’s leading design museums. Its popularity remains unchallenged, with Blue Line still being produced as one of the best examples of a modern classic among dinner services.
Both Blue Line and White Pot are still in production and can be purchased from Royal Copenhagen’s store on Amager Torv and leading hardware stores.
The Danish Museum of Art and Design is also paying tribute to Grethe Meyer and exhibiting some of her less well-known work as well as the classic tableware and glassware for which she is famous.
In addition to a large number of Danish and international design awards, Grethe Meyer also received Scandinavia’s biggest and most prestigious award for the decorative arts, the Nordic Craftsman and Design Prize (1973), the Kay Bojesen Memorial Grant (1965) and the Thorvald Bindesbøll Medal (1983). In December 1997 she was awarded the Danish Design Council’s annual prize.
The exhibition is being held at Royal Copenhagen’s Flagship Store on Amagertorv from 31 March to 17 April 2008.
Click here for Danish version.
About Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory (in Danish: Den kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Queen Juliane Marie and has been recognised ever since by its factory mark, the three wavy lines above each other, which symbolises Denmark’s three straits: Øresund, Store Bælt and Lille Bælt.
Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grøndahl are trademarks of Royal Copenhagen A/S.