Style Other / Ref.13025

Kai Nielsen (1882–1924) for Bing & Grøndahl “Bacchanale” table garniture in glazed stoneware

This table garniture, composed of eight glazed stoneware pieces, depicts a bacchanale, a celebration in honor of Bacchus, the god of wine and festivity. Each element bears the incised factory mark of Bing & Grøndahl and is signed “Kai Nielsen.” The rounded, contorted figures are characteristic of the artist’s style. The drunken and slumbering procession culminates in the figure of Silenus riding his donkey. A biscuit version of this composition is preserved in the Nationalmuseum (inv. NMK 39/1914).

The quality of the finish is exceptional, and the color of the grapes creates a striking contrast with the natural stoneware-toned flesh. Nielsen’s intelligence and humor are evident in his choice of subject for a table garniture, transforming convivial excess into a refined decorative ensemble.

Kai Nielsen trained in sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts between 1902 and 1906. His career gained momentum in the 1910s following prestigious commissions: the Art Nouveau architect and designer Thorvald Bindesbøll commissioned a portrait bust; the city of Copenhagen entrusted him with the decoration of Blågårds Plads; and in 1921 the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek honored his work by installing a marble version of Water Mother in the museum’s atrium. In 2024, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek devoted a retrospective exhibition to his work.