Søholm Ceramic Dish — Midnight Relief, Bornholm 1960s

Archive Name

The Mother’s Quiet Circle

Object Summary

A commemorative porcelain plate by Bing & Grøndahl, Copenhagen, depicting a mother cat and her kitten in cobalt blue relief. Produced as part of the Danish porcelain house’s Mother’s Day series, the piece captures a moment of calm intimacy rendered in the flowing, organic style that defined mid-century Scandinavian porcelain. Reimagined for feline rituals.

Archive Description

In 1969 the Copenhagen porcelain house Bing & Grøndahl introduced a special series of Mother’s Day plates — each created to honour the quiet strength of maternal care.

The composition is rendered in Bing & Grøndahl’s characteristic cobalt blue glaze, a technique long associated with Danish porcelain tradition. As the glaze settles across the relief surface it deepens within the carved lines and softens across the raised forms, giving the scene both clarity and depth.

The circular composition reinforces the theme of protection — mother and kitten forming a small, self-contained world. Around them the porcelain remains calm and open, allowing the central relief to carry the emotional weight of the piece.

Marked on the underside with the Bing & Grøndahl Copenhagen stamp and edition numbering, the plate belongs to a series that connected Danish craftsmanship with universal themes of care, protection, and family.

Within the context of Approved by Marx, the object takes on a new role — not only as a commemorative plate, but as a quiet reminder of the bond between cats and those who care for them.

Suggested Use

Food Vessel or Ritual Plate

An object originally created as a commemorative plate now enters the daily rituals of the home.

The shallow porcelain surface allows comfortable access for whiskers if used for feeding, while the wide diameter provides stability and calm presence.

The plate may also be displayed as a ritual object — a reflection on companionship, care, and the quiet trust that exists between cats and the humans who share their lives.

Provenance

Denmark, 1971
Bing & Grøndahl, Copenhagen

Part of the Bing & Grøndahl Mother’s Day collection.

Acquired in Copenhagen.

Condition — Approved by Marx Grade

Archive

Excellent preserved condition.

No chips, cracks, or structural damage observed.
Relief detail remains crisp and the cobalt glaze retains its clarity and depth.

Objects of this grade represent pieces preserved with exceptional integrity.

Object Specifications

Maker: Bing & Grøndahl
Origin: Copenhagen, Denmark
Year: 1971

Material: Glazed porcelain

Diameter: 15 cm
Height: 3 cm

Weight: 210 g

What Arrives

Each object is prepared for its next life with care. Your plate arrives wrapped in protective wool and paper, housed within a rigid archival box.
Inside you will find:

• The object
• An Approved by Marx archive card
• Care guidance for continued use

Prepared and shipped from Copenhagen.