Danish Luxury

Design Design objects Kay Bojesen

Elephant

Kay Bojesen's wooden elephant of 1953 in oak, with a trunk and legs that move, made today by Rosendahl.

Designed by
Kay Bojesen
First made
1953

Visit rosendahl.com

The Elephant small in oak, trunk lowered
The Elephant small in oak, trunk lowered

Pictures © Kay Bojesen, from rosendahl.com.

Why it is renowned

Kay Bojesen is best known for his wooden animals, and the oak elephant is one of the toys named among them.1 It joined his animal family in 1953, two years after the Monkey, and Rosendahl still makes it in four sizes, from liliput to large.23

The story

Bojesen added the elephant to his wooden animals in 1953.2 He made it large and sturdy, in oak, with a trunk and legs that can be moved.2 A rarer version was made in grey with pink ears.2 He died in 1958, and in 1991 the rights to his wooden designs were sold to Erik Rosendahl.2 Rosendahl now makes the elephant in oak in liliput, mini, small and large sizes, and in mixed wood.34

  • Monkey, Kay Bojesen's jointed wooden monkey of 1951
  • Bear, Kay Bojesen's wooden bear of 1952
  • Royal Guard, Kay Bojesen's wooden soldiers of 1942
Sources
  1. Kay Bojesen, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org, read 1 October 2026.
  2. Kay Bojesen timeline, Rosendahl. rosendahl.com, read 1 October 2026.
  3. Kay Bojesen Elephants, Rosendahl. rosendahl.com, read 1 October 2026.
  4. Elephant small in oak, Rosendahl. rosendahl.com, read 1 October 2026.

Last checked 1 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.