Meet The Designer Behind Dansk’s ’70s-Era Fish Trivet

The story behind the Dansk trivet is actually a fashion one: Gunnar Cyrén, an award-winning Swedish designer responsible for some of the world’s most coveted flatware, would’ve never worked with Dansk if he hadn’t walked into a Parisian hotel wearing his worst corduroy suit.

Days prior to arriving at the hotel, some time during the summer of 1969, Gunnar was in the midst of a family vacation in Sweden’s Skåne county when the phone rang. On the other line was Dansk founder Ted Nierenberg—again.

For years, Ted had courted Gunnar, writing letters and making calls begging him to entertain the idea of working together. Gunnar, a lauded glassblower, silversmith, and rising star in Scandinavian design, always declined.

But on that day, Gunnar ran out of excuses—prompting him to travel to Paris to meet the American businessman. And as soon as he arrived, he knew he’d made a terrible mistake.

The hotel where they were meeting turned out to be one of Europe’s fanciest—the sort of place where his suit would make him stand out—and not in a good way. When Ted arrived dressed to match the location, Gunnar became certain: This was never meant to be.

After a quick introduction, the two men agreed to quickly check into their rooms and then meet back downstairs. Flustered, Gunnar tidied his outfit to the best of his abilities then headed to the lobby. Minutes later, Ted reappeared in an outfit looser and more casual than Gunnar’s corduroy catastrophe.

Ted’s quick change floored Gunnar and, per his autobiography, is what ultimately convinced him to work for Dansk, which he did for the next six years, creating over 300 original designs from 1970 to 1976. While much of Gunnar’s Dansk tableware remains celebrated today, none encapsulates his playful style more than the fish trivet.

Originally made from plastic, the fish trivet weaves form, function, and the Swede’s fervent curiosity with animal beauty into a practical serving tool. It’s the sort of thing that makes cooking easier and your dining table more fun.

It’s not just us—the trivet also happened to be one of Gunnar’s favorite designs. Recently, in a conversation with the late designer’s three sons, they informed us that of all his accolades, one of Gunnar’s proudest accomplishments was his first silver exhibition, which he held in 1977. It was his first time creating a series of work funded entirely by himself and void of any external creative influence. In his autobiography, Gunnar labeled the show an opportunity “to work through one’s feelings.” And his sons confirmed that it’s no mistake that one of the exhibition’s pieces is a silver bowl topped with—what else?—a lid identical to the fish trivet’s design.

While that fish bowl will forever remain an elusive collector’s item, its source material is now much more available. Today, we’re happy to announce the relaunch of the Gunnar Cyren fish trivet—promising the same timeless (yet playful) design but in an improved, more durable cast iron material. Whether resting on your kitchen counter or hung on the wall using its ever convenient loop, the trivet embodies the kind of retro style that’s still cool after all these years—much like a corduroy suit.

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What vintage Dansk design should we relaunch next? Let us know in the comments below!