A month after Fjord Classic flatware made its appearance, Dansk comes out with a resissue of Flamestone dinnerware collection. A great time for Dansk collectors! Featuring many of the best original pieces – as well as a few new ones – the collection is a great addition to Quistgaard’s legacy, again in production.
Flamestone was originally designed by Jens Quistgaard around 1957 as the first in a long string of dinnerware lines from Dansk. It’s ability to go from oven to table was highly touted as something new, a big part of Dansk’s vision to push a new modern style of dining and entertaining. The outside of the pieces have a rustic rough “burnt umber” finish while the insides are finished in white porcelain so the food has an appropriate surface to sit on. While modern in design and application, the pieces have a timeless look and feel, almost as primitive as they are modern.
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- Dansk Flamestone by Jens Quistgaard
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- Dansk Flamestone by Jens Quistgaard
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- Dansk Flamestone by Jens Quistgaard
Because the vintage pieces are quite valuable, these new reissues would be a great way to fill out a Dansk collection and are appropriate for every day use. The reissues are complimented by a few new twists. The place settings include a basic bowl which was not part of the original collection. Also, they are available in Ivory, which I assume means that the porcelain coating is covering the entire pieces. Ivory is not my cup of tea (although you can get a tea cup), but it’s cool to see Dansk looking back to its roots overall. I hope they do well and continue the great work.
Almost makes me want to get a new set of dishes. I’m actually partial to Flamestone Smooth, which came out in the 60s, also by Quistgaard. It has a similar white on umber design, but without the “fluting” along the edges giving it a cleaner look. I actually chose Noritake Colorwave Graphite for my home because they have a look and feel very similar to Smooth Flamestone – only made for today’s dishwasher and microwave living.
You’ll be happy to know that the new Flamestone is glazed inside and out, so it’s compatible with contemporary microwaves and dishwashers. The exterior glaze is about as matte as a glaze can be, but not quite as matte as the original ‘bisque’ surfaces. The plates are smaller to fit into cabinets, so don’t expect them to quite match the originals in size either. The accessory items, including the iconic tall beverage server match up with the originals quite well – in size and details.
I too prefer the Smooth Flamestone – for me, it is the epitome of Scandinavian style from that time. I especially love the simple post handles, and the mugs are gorgeous (the Fluted Flamestone didn’t have a mug at all, but it does in the new iteration).