Libreria di Poul Cadovius per Royal Copenhagen, anni '60

Il designer e produttore danese Poul Cadovius nasce a Frederiksberg nel 1911. Nonostante la sua prima formazione fosse stata da sellaio e tappezziere, Cadovius viene ben presto affascinato dall'industria del design industriale, e nel 1945 fonda la propria fabbrica di mobili sotto il nome di Royal Systems; poco tempo dopo ha la brillante e rivoluzionaria idea di progettare librerie e scaffali sospesi, così da sfruttare al massimo lo spazio di ogni ambiente. La sua unità di mensole  Royal System (1948) vince nel 1950 la medaglia d'oro alla Fiera del mobile finlandese e nel 1957 la medaglia d'argento alla XI Triennale di Milano, e rimarrà una pietra miliare del design Mid-Century moderno durante tutti gli anni '50 e '60.

Tra il 1964 e il 1967 Cadovius acquista la ben nota fabbrica di mobili France & Søn - che portò la produzione di mobili in teak a livello seriale - presto rinominata CADO. Attraverso France & Søn e CADO, Cadovius collabora con un notevole numero dei più famosi designer danesi del tempo, come Sigvar Bernadotte, Grete Jalk, Arne Vodder, Edvard Kindt-Larsen, e Finn Juhl. Prodotti realizzati da CADO includono il 594 Dining Table and Chairs (1971) di Ditte e Adrian Hetah, la Lounge Chair e Model 290 Chairs (1968) di Steen Ostergaard, la serie Senator Chair (anni '60) di Ole Wanscher, così come una serie di tavolini da caffè prodotta negli anni '60 da Cadovius stesso in alluminio e palissandro dipinti a mano da Susan Fjedldoe Mygge.

La sua estetica minimalista è considerata come una perfetta armonia tra forma e funzionalità - è industriale, economica ed elegante. Sebbene il Royal System sia stato il suo contributo maggiore al modernismo danese, Cadovius registrò nel corso della sua lunga carriera più di 400 brevetti, lasciandosi alle spalle un'importante eredità che ha ispirato moltissimi designer.

Cadovius muore nel 2011 all'età di 99 anni.

The Royal Copenhagen brand was founded as the Royal Danish Porcelain Manufactory in 1775 by chemist Frantz Heinrich Müller (1738-1820), under the protection of Denmark’s Queen Juliane Marie. Like all monarch-sponsored porcelain workshops initiated in countries around Europe in the 18^th century (e.g. Meissen, Sèvres, Wedgewood), Royal Copenhagen products were intended to compete in the market for expertly crafted Chinese imports, which were wildly popular among European aristocracy at the time. When Müller discovered a Danish source for kaolin, the crucial ingredient in fine, hard-paste porcelain, the Queen seized the opportunity to contribute to her local economy (as well as her international status) and awarded Müller a 50-year monopoly on porcelain production in Denmark.

Royal Copenhagen’s signature Blue Fluted pattern—the cobalt blue-on-white scrolling floral motif—was developed from the outset under Müller’s direction to imitate the stylized chrysanthemums found on Chinese imports, as well as the look of Meissen porcelain (the first true porcelain produced in Europe). This collection and its variants continue to be the brand’s bestseller today. Other iconic works from Royal Copenhagen’s production include the Flora Danica service (1790-1803), which feature polychrome plants and flowers inspired by the botanical encyclopedia of the same name and originally made for Catherine II of Russia; and, more recently, the modernist Blue Line dinnerware collection developed by architect-designer Grethe Meyer in 1965. 

In nearly 250 years, the Royal Copenhagen brand has produced over 1,500 pattern variations on high-quality porcelain and faience cups, mugs, jugs, bowls, plates, tea sets, and more, typically employing highly skilled artisans and, since the 20^th century, collaborating with talented designers. The production procedure for each piece has evolved since the early days, but it still takes a few months to complete each set. The process starts with a delicate model produced by a 3D printer and then perfected by hand. This first sculpture is then used to make the final mold by a computerized milling machine; a porcelain liquid is then carefully poured into this and embellished with handles and decorations. Lastly, the unique artwork is hand-painted before it is glazed and fired at nearly 1375°C.

Over time, Royal Copenhagen has passed hands from succeeding Danish sovereigns to the Aluminia faience company in 1882, and later in the 20^th century incorporating with other Danish applied arts specialists like Georg Jensen, Holmegaard Glassworks, and Bing & Grøndahl. It’s now a subsidiary of Fiskars. The brand’s identifying stamps have also changed over time, but have consistently included three elements: three wavy lines symbolizing the Øresund, the Great Belt, and the Little Belt waterways in Denmark, the crown emblem representing the traditional royal patronage, and the individual artist’s signature marks.