Bing & Grøndahl Christmas anniversary plate 1965 churchgoers 1947 motif

Bing & Grøndahl Christmas anniversary plate 1965 marks the 70th year of the world's first Christmas plate from 1895 and continues one of the series' well-known winter motifs in the larger anniversary format. This edition bears the motif from the 1947 Christmas plate, and Achton Friis' "Churchgoers on their way to church on Christmas Day" unfolds the Nordic Christmas atmosphere with a calmness and narrative that still speaks strongly today.

The motif shows churchgoers moving through the snow-covered landscape toward the church. The tall church with its distinctive tower rests quietly in the background, while a bright star shines over the winter scene. In front of the church, the road winds through the snow, and in the foreground a small group of people walk closely together in the cold. This gives the motif both depth and presence. It is a scene of silence, expectation, and community, where the Christmas holiday is felt without grand effects.

It is precisely the connection between the anniversary year 1965 and the original 1947 motif that makes the plate particularly interesting. Bing & Grøndahl's Christmas anniversary plates were issued every fifth year from 1915, and the idea was to reissue selected popular motifs from the regular Christmas plate series on a larger plate. Here, "Churchgoers on their way to church on Christmas Day" therefore gets new life in a size that both highlights the motif's fine details and makes the plate usable in everyday life.

The blue underglaze and the classic porcelain expression fit beautifully into both traditional and simpler homes. The plate can be hung on the wall as part of a collection, used in a display with years of special significance, or brought out as a plate for Christmas lunch, lunch dishes, or servings all year round. Using older quality design like this is at the same time a fine way to give good craftsmanship new life and let history have a natural place in the home of today.

On the front, the years 1895 and 1965 appear as a visible part of the anniversary story, and this emphasizes the plate's role as both a utilitarian object, wall decoration, and collector's item with historical roots.

Product information:
Manufacturer: Bing & Grøndahl
Artist: Achton Friis
Series: 5-year Christmas anniversary plates
Year: 1965
Motif: Churchgoers on their way to church on Christmas Day
Original motif from Christmas plate: 1947
Dimensions: Ø 23 cm
Hanging: Two holes on the back for hanging
Dishwasher safe: Yes