Royal Copenhagen plates with grandparents
From 1998 to 2003 Royal Copenhagen published a series of plates with motifs of children and their grandparents with different doings. The series was designed by the popular artist Sven Vestergaard, who has designed both figurines and plates for Royal Copenhagen.
The motif of the first Royal Copenhagen Grandparents plate shows a boy on a fishing trip with his grandfather. The boy sits on the river bank and is deeply focused on his fishing, while the dog is watching him attentively (while it is also watching the picnic basket). Meanwhile Grandpa is taking a rest with the pipe in his mouth.
The second Royal Copenhagen plate with grandparents shows a grandmother with her grandson on her lap while she tells a story. The motif depicts the warmth and comfort most children associate with their grandparents. While parents can sometimes be busy with jobs, the grandparents often have more time to concentrate on the children. The motif with Grandma in the rocking chair may not be completely up to date, but the story reading is something we can all relate to. With the carpet under the chair, surrounded by a lot of toys, and the grandmother's knitting on the table beside the chair, Sven Vestergaard has got many details on his Grandparents plate from 1999. He is able even to display a picture on the wall or perhaps it's a Royal Copenhagen tile with silhouette?
The Third plate in the Royal Copenhagen series of plates with grandparents shows a girl with her grandfather in the garden where they are in the process of seeding. Grandpa squats with his shovel and give good advice, while the girl is in the process of watering a box, which she has just been seeding. Maybe they planted cress, maybe they planted flowers or maybe they have sown carrots? Regardless of the crop, the box will soon begin to sprout if it is cared for with both water, heat and light.
In 2001, the subject of the Grandparents plate from Royal Copenhagen was a grandmother and her granddaughter in the kitchen in the process of baking cookies. The little girl is kneading the dough in the bowl, while the teddybear is watching. In front of the pair we see a plate of cakes and a rolling pin, a small bowl and a pitcher. On the wall in Grandma's kitchen hangs an old Danish doughnut pan. Today, the old Danish doughnut pans are often used for decorating with flowers etc.
The fifth Royal Copenhagen Plate with children and grandparents from 2002 shows grandfather's workshop - a paradise for a curious boy. The boy looks attentively while grandfather is putting the finishing touches on their joint effort to make a soapbox car. The boy standing with a brush in his hand and pots of paint at his feet, which indicates that the car will soon be ready for its first journey. In the background we see grandfather's large saw, which they have used to cut out the boards in the correct sizes, and his old workbench with the planer ready for use.
The last plate in the Royal Copenhagen porcelain series of plates with grandparents the little girl with her grandmother in the process of feeding the chickens from a dish of cereal. The big cock wants to get first, while the hens and their cute chicks are a little more patient. Grandma keeps a watchful eye on the scenario and takes care of the eggs, as she is standing with the basket in her hand. In the background we see the chicken coop, where the chickens spent their nights in order to be safe from the fox. Feeding time is the last plate in Sven Vestergaard's and Royal Copenhagen's plate series with grandparents.