Little did Fanny Garde realize in 1895 when she created it, how widely popular the Bing & Grondahl dinner service, Seagull, would become. It has often been described as one of the most typical Danish objects you can buy.

No wonder the Seagull service is considered one of the most typical Danish objects. It reflects Danish nature as well as the traditions of Danish craftsmanship. Denmark is surrounded by blue sea, and Danish decorative art mirrors this in this renowned, delicate porcelain in shades of soft blue, achieved from the unique underglaze decoration technique, developed in Denmark in the 1880es.

The artist behind the Seagull service, Fanny Garde (1855-1925), was one of the pioneers of this development, and one of the first popular dinner services produced using this special craftsmanship technique was hers.

The Seagull service was created at the dawn of the Art Nouveau era, and expresses the then completely new feeling: the need for nature, light and air. Natural subjects were much in vogue, and Fanny Garde chose the seagull as her main motif.

Graceful seagulls glide over plates and other pieces. Pale blue lower halves blend completely into the white on the top halves. Sea horses form handles and scales form the pattern round the edges.

At the turn of the century, the seagull was not as common in Denmark as now, and thus more appreciated. Outside the window of her studio, Fanny Garde had erected a feeding box for the seagulls. They would land on it and feed, providing her with both inspiration and live models.

Seagull, together with Blue Fluted and Blue Flower, is one of the 20th century’s most popular porcelain services in Denmark, and has, naturally, a place at The Danish National Museum as an example of something typically Danish.

Seagull is decorated with gold along the borders, on the beak of the seagull and on the sea horse.

The Seagull dinner service is dishwasher-safe and will tolerate up to 75 degrees Centigrade (165 degrees Fahrenheit), heating up in oven and gradually cooling down. Not suitable for microwave oven.