Scandinavian Modern Stoneware Vase attributed to Axel Salto for Royal Copenhagen, 1960s

Axel Johannes Salto (1889-1961) was a Danish painter, graphic designer, illustrator, and ceramic artist, who was primarily known for his sensuous and earthy stoneware. Breaking away from his contemporaries to design pieces that were highly unconventional, Salto’s signature designs resisted functionalism, and anticipated later sculptural trends in mid-century European and North American ceramics.

Born in 1889 in Copenhagen, Salto studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1909 to 1914. Inspired by his undergraduate studies, Salto’s early work subtly reflected certain iconography from classical languages and Greek mythology, as well as the visual motifs of Art Deco. His work had a penchant to oppose functionalist aesthetics in favor for more sculptural and botanical forms. His style evolved over the course of his career, from heavy and somber woodcuts to gracefully turned stoneware pieces that captured the ephemeral qualities of life and the fertile forms of nature. To achieve this, Salto used relief patterns and ornamentations on his pieces as an instrument for various glazing techniques.

In 1916, Salto visited Paris and met Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. As an avid painter himself, the meeting had considerable impact on Salto and his artistic ambitions. Salto returned to Denmark and established the influential albeit short-lived art journal, The Blade. As editor and contributor, Salto’s aim was to spark a conversation of Modernist art and theory in Northern Europe. Published from 1917 until 1919, contributors included Otto Gelsted (1888-1968), Poul Henningsen (1894-1967), and Harald Giersing (1881-1927), with original artwork by Vilhelm Lundstrøm (1893-1950), Olaf Rude (1886-1957), and William Scharff (1886-1959).

In 1921, Salto formed a group of experimental artists who lived and worked together in Paris. The group, which consisted of Svend Johansen (1890-1970), Vilhelm Lundstrøm, and Karl Larsen, exhibited their art regularly in Paris throughout the 1920s. From 1923 until 1929, Salto worked with Danish porcelain manufacturer Bing & Grondahl in Copenhagen, receiving a silver medal for pieces exhibited at the Paris World Fair in 1925. During the 1930s, Salto joined the porcelain factory Royal Copenhagen, where he experimented with the development of glazes and bright colors, such as turquoise.

Unlike his contemporaries who were influenced by Japanese and Chinese ceramic traditions,  Salto’s best known pieces combine uninhibited shapes with unexpected colors and glazes. His pieces are often grouped into three categories: budding, sprouting, and fluted; as each expresses movement and growth through the tactile forms that imitate gourds, seed pods, buds, and ripe fruits.

Salto received many awards and accolades including the Paris World Exhibition Grand Prix in 1937, the Eckersberg Medal in 1938, the Milan Triennial Grand Prix in 1951, and the Prince Eugen Medal in 1959.  Although Salto is most known for his ceramic pieces, he was an active painter throught his life; illustrating several children's stories and poetry, as well as designing textiles for the Danish manufacturer L.F. Foght.

Salto passed away in 1961 in Frederiksberg.

The Royal Copenhagen brand was founded as the Royal Danish Porcelain Manufactory in 1775 by chemist Frantz Heinrich Müller (1738-1820), under the protection of Denmark’s Queen Juliane Marie. Like all monarch-sponsored porcelain workshops initiated in countries around Europe in the 18^th century (e.g. Meissen, Sèvres, Wedgewood), Royal Copenhagen products were intended to compete in the market for expertly crafted Chinese imports, which were wildly popular among European aristocracy at the time. When Müller discovered a Danish source for kaolin, the crucial ingredient in fine, hard-paste porcelain, the Queen seized the opportunity to contribute to her local economy (as well as her international status) and awarded Müller a 50-year monopoly on porcelain production in Denmark.

Royal Copenhagen’s signature Blue Fluted pattern—the cobalt blue-on-white scrolling floral motif—was developed from the outset under Müller’s direction to imitate the stylized chrysanthemums found on Chinese imports, as well as the look of Meissen porcelain (the first true porcelain produced in Europe). This collection and its variants continue to be the brand’s bestseller today. Other iconic works from Royal Copenhagen’s production include the Flora Danica service (1790-1803), which feature polychrome plants and flowers inspired by the botanical encyclopedia of the same name and originally made for Catherine II of Russia; and, more recently, the modernist Blue Line dinnerware collection developed by architect-designer Grethe Meyer in 1965. 

In nearly 250 years, the Royal Copenhagen brand has produced over 1,500 pattern variations on high-quality porcelain and faience cups, mugs, jugs, bowls, plates, tea sets, and more, typically employing highly skilled artisans and, since the 20^th century, collaborating with talented designers. The production procedure for each piece has evolved since the early days, but it still takes a few months to complete each set. The process starts with a delicate model produced by a 3D printer and then perfected by hand. This first sculpture is then used to make the final mold by a computerized milling machine; a porcelain liquid is then carefully poured into this and embellished with handles and decorations. Lastly, the unique artwork is hand-painted before it is glazed and fired at nearly 1375°C.

Over time, Royal Copenhagen has passed hands from succeeding Danish sovereigns to the Aluminia faience company in 1882, and later in the 20^th century incorporating with other Danish applied arts specialists like Georg Jensen, Holmegaard Glassworks, and Bing & Grøndahl. It’s now a subsidiary of Fiskars. The brand’s identifying stamps have also changed over time, but have consistently included three elements: three wavy lines symbolizing the Øresund, the Great Belt, and the Little Belt waterways in Denmark, the crown emblem representing the traditional royal patronage, and the individual artist’s signature marks.