Kähler: A Ceramic Legacy

Mid-century Denmark was chock-full of small ceramic shops, a few of which gained fame from their collaborative relationships with well-known Scandinavian artists. One of the most important ceramic workshops to contribute to this ceramic history is the famed Kähler company.

The Kähler ceramics company was founded in 1893 by Herman J. Kähler, a trained potter and immigrant from northern Germany. Herman stuck to traditional methods, making objects for everyday use.  His legacy was carried on for three more generations, but evolved from a workshop with strict use of traditional methods to an enticing experimental playground that attracted skilled ceramicists as well as celebrated painters and sculpture artists. These artists were able to experiment with various glazing techniques and painterly themes in the Kähler workshop and brought artistic recognition to a brand already establishing itself for quality-crafted ceramics.

The Kähler family legacy ended with the departure of the fourth generation from the factory in 1974, but today, the company lives on adapting to the changing ceramics market while maintaining relationships within the contemporary Danish design community.