The list below describes each edition of the Royal Copenhagen
Christmas Plate from 1980 till today, the motif and the artist.
Find your favourite(s) and buy them online here.
Royal Copenhagen Christmas Plates from 1908 -
1940: (for the years 1941 till today, please use links
below)
| Photo |
Year |
Motif |
Designer |
 |
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plate
1980
(Ø 18cm)
|
Bringing Home the
Christmas Tree |
Kaj Lange |
 |
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plate
1981
(Ø 18cm)
|
Admiring the Christmas
Tree |
Kaj Lange |
 |
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plate
1982
(Ø 18cm)
|
Waiting for Christmas |
Kaj Lange |
 |
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plate
1983
(Ø 18cm)
|
Merry Christmas |
Kaj Lange |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1984
(Ø 18cm)
|
Jingle Bells |
Kaj Lange |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1985
(Ø 18cm)
|
The Snowman |
Kaj Lange |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1986
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas Vacation |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1987
(Ø 18cm)
|
Winter Birds |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1988
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas Eve in Copenhagen |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1989
(Ø 18cm)
|
The Old Skating Pond |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1990
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas at Tivoli |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1991
(Ø 18cm)
|
The Festival of Santa
Lucia |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1992
(Ø 18cm)
|
The Royal Coach |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1993
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas Guests |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1994
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas Shopping |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1995
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas at the Manor House |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1996
(Ø 18cm)
|
Lighting the Street Lamps |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1997
(Ø 18cm)
|
Roskilde Cathedral |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1998
(Ø 18cm)
|
Welcome Home |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
1999
(Ø 18cm)
|
The Sleigh Ride |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2000
(Ø 18cm)
|
Decorating the Tree. |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2001
(Ø 18cm)
|
Watching the Birds |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2002
(Ø 18cm)
|
Winter in the Forest |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2003
(Ø 18cm)
|
Chrismas Eve |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2004
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas Train |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2005
(Ø 18cm)
|
Hans Christian Andersen House |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2006
(Ø 18cm)
|
Kronborg Palace |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2007
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas in Nyhavn |
Sven Vestergaard |
 |
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2008
(Ø 18cm)
|
The 2008 Christmas plate beautifully illustrates a Copenhagen
Christmas, with blooming Christmas roses and marvellous
architecture in the strokes of painter Sven Vestergaard. The
evocative motifs also mark the celebration of the 100-year
anniversary of Royal Copenhagen?s traditional Christmas plates. -
Read more about the The 100th. year of Royal
copenhagen below.
|
Sven Vestergaard |
|
|
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2009
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas at Amagertorv
|
Sven Vestergaard |
|
|
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2010
(Ø 18cm)
|
Christmas in Greenland
|
Sven Vestergaard |
|
|
Royal Copenhagen Christmas plate
2011
(Ø 18cm)
|
Waiting for Santa Claus
|
Sven Vestergaard |
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plates 1908 - 1940
Royal Copenhagen
Christmas Plates 1941 - 1979
Generel history about the
Christmas plates
In this series of Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates, which among
other things describe the Danish Christmas traditions.
The 100th year of Royal Copenhagen's
Christmas plate is celebrated with a view of the Danish
capital and the evocative theme: "Christmas in Copenhagen". Sven
Vestergaard has decorated the 2008 Christmas Plate with his
interpretation of the most beautiful of the Danish capital's
towers: the Stock Exchange, City Hall, the Round Tower,
Christiansborg Palace, the Church of Our Lady, Our Saviour's Church
and the Marble Church. Svend Vestergaard has been one of the
designers behind Royal Copenhagen's Christmas plates since 1985,
and with these characteristic towers and spires, he illustrates the
unique landmarks of a city studded with truly rich architecture.
The Copenhagen towers motif draws a direct parallel to earlier
plate motifs; Our Saviour's Church appeared as a separate motif in
1917 and the Church of Our Lady in 1949. In front of the plate's
towers, the artist has drawn a bouquet of flowering Christmas
roses, inspired by the wonderful story about a poor girl who wanted
to bring flowers to Jesus crib. As she had no money, she wept so
much that Christmas roses began to grow where her tears fell to the
earth. Behind the towers we see the radiance that lights up
"Christmas in Copenhagen". This is a fond reference to the first
Royal Copenhagen Christmas Plate, which was created a hundred years
ago. On the 1908 plate the artist illuminated the Madonna and Child
with the same radiance.
The Christmas plates remarkable journey
From the early 19hundreds until today, where the plate has
become a popular collector's item, the lovely wall decoration has
made a long and remarkable journey. At the Nordic Exhibition of
1888, Royal Copenhagen (then known as the Royal Danish Porcelain
Manufactory) displayed a series of plates with the factory's three
familiar waves and a royal crown, all painted in blue. The plates
were intended as advertising for the factory, and they made quite a
stir with the public. Crown Princess Louise was so taken with them
that she immediately bought one and rumours of the royal purchase
spread like wildfire, with the result that people were soon queuing
up to buy plates. The plates were incredibly modern and different.
In an age when everything was decorated with curlicues and gold,
the simplicity and restrained colour palette of the plates were
something quite new. It was 20 years before the Christmas Plate was
born as a collectible, however at the time, a rival porcelain
factory Bing & Grøndahl had been batch producing plates since
1895. In the beginning, the motifs were selected on the basis of a
contest among the factory's porcelain painters, which resulted in
great variation in expressions. Later, artists took it in turn to
supply the motifs, which were often based on various events in
Denmark. For example, the plate from 1935 illustrates the Little
Belt Bridge that connected Denmark that same year. One of the most
well known plate motifs is the kneeling angle on the plate from
1945. At the time, the angel's prayer without a doubt symbolised
gratitude for the end of the war and liberation of Denmark. Famous
Danish landmarks, including the Training Ship Danmark, the Little
Mermaid, Tivolis Pantomime Theatre and Hans Christian Andersen's
House, have also featured on the plates. Hans Christian Andersen's
House provided the motif for the plate in 2005, when the author's
bicentenary was celebrated all over the world.
100 years of production unchanged
At Royal Copenhagen's factory outside Copenhagen, the
plates are made in the same way as over a hundred years ago. The
first plates of this type date all the way back to 1895. The
production of the plate for the year starts with the artist, who
draws the motif. The artist's drawing goes to the model shop, where
it is transferred to a plaster model freehand. Creating shadows and
nuances of colour by scratching the lines of the drawing in relief
on the white plaster demands great skill and accuracy. Once the
original model has been cut from the drawing, copies are made of
it. These moulds can only be used 30-50 times, so new ones have to
be made constantly. Then the plate itself is moulded by pressing
the porcelain paste down over the mould, on which the motif appears
in relief. The delicate shades of blue that give the plate their
character are produced by combining traditional porcelain painting
with a special spray technique. The colour is sprayed on carefully
in several thin coats and then partly brushed off again. This
technique creates a special effect that makes it possible to
produce fine shades and nuances. From under a transparent coating
of clear glaze the colour shines out with a vibrancy all of its
own. This technique is still recognised today as being typical of
Royal Copenhagen's plates.
The 100thanniversary of Royal Copenhagen's Christmas
plate is being celebrated in 2008 with festivities and events in
Denmark, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Italy and the United States. For the
occasion, Royal Copenhagen has produced an exclusive silk scarf
showing 26 of the last 100 years of plate motifs. The gorgeous
scarf in shades of blue will be on sale in select stores in Europe
and Asia. No other Christmas plate collection in the world can
rival the long and wonderful history of Danish Christmas plates.
Right up to the present day, every single year has seen the launch
of a plate with changing motifs taken from Denmark's countryside,
history and traditions.
Only two artists have designed all Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plates from 1980-2008, namely Kaj
Lange and Sven Vestergaard. Sven
Vestergaard, had designed the 2008 Royal Copenhagen
Christmas plate, he has many years of experience designing for
Royal Copenhagen.
- Employed at the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory as an
overglaze painter, 1952-59.
- Designer of the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory's
Centenary Bowl, 1975.
- Designer of Royal Copenhagen's Christmas plates, 1985-.
- Own studio, working on a freelance basis for Royal Copenhagen,
1989-.
An early start....
At the age of 16 Sven Vestergaard was employed at the Royal
Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory as an apprentice in the overglaze
department. The effect of this decision is still evident in his
meticulous attention to minute detail and the subtleties of the
porcelain medium.
In 1959 Sven left the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory and
started working as illustrator at various Danish advertising
agencies as well as Berlingske Tidende, Denmark's oldest
newspaper.
...and a happy return
When the position as draughtsman in the factory's design studio
became vacant in 1975, Sven Vestergaard, who had never lost his
love for porcelain, was happy to return and develop his talents as
an artist. That same year Sven Vestergaard's artwork was chosen for
the Christmas plate, "Danish Watermill", his first Christmas plate
in a series of many.
In 1985 he became designer of Royal Copenhagen's Christmas
plates and in 1989 he got his own studio, working on a freelance
basis for Royal Copenhagen.
Royal
Copenhagen Christmas plates 1908 - 1940
Royal
Copenhagen Christmas Plates 1941 - 1979