The wooden animal figurines by Danish designer, Kay Bojesen, have been charming children and adults for decades. The latest addition is a small, cute panda promoting the WWF's work to protect endangered species.
THE NEWEST MEMBER of the family of animal figurines created by Kay Bojesen (1886–1958) is a wooden panda launched in the fall of 2019. The panda's design is based on Bojesen's bear figurine of 1952, but this unique piece is clearly distinguished from its big brother by its smaller size and black and white coloring.
The animal figurines go back a century to 1919, when Bojesen, who was a silversmith at the time, became a father. Over the years, the rich imagination and skilled hands of the new father enabled him to create a series of wooden animal figurines for his children. Bojesen's love of figurines continued after his children had grown up, and he began designing wooden animals for a wider public in the 1930s.
Despite their fairy tale character, Kay Bojesen's animals were often inspired by actual events.
Despite their fairy tale character, Bojesen's animals were often inspired by actual events. The best known of the figurines, the teak monkeys of 1951, were designed after a trip to Africa. The inspiration for the wooden bear of 1952 was an abandoned bear cub who grew up in the home of the Director of Copenhagen Zoo.
The new arrival is also connected to Copenhagen Zoo: it was inspired by the pandas which arrived at the zoo in spring 2019. Designed in close cooperation with Bojesen's descendants, the little panda is 15 cm high and made of FSC-certified beech.
The panda is also known as the mascot of the World Wildlife Fund and a symbol for endangered species. For every panda sold, Kay Bojesen Denmark will donate some of the proceeds to the WWF for the protection of endangered species.
See also:
• The wooden panda >
• All Kay Bojesen's products >
Text: Nora Uotila Images: Kay Bojesen