Featured Unusual mid century ceramic/pottery cigarette case by Dansk Japan?

I found this at a thrift store & I've tried google image search & searching Dansk pottery cigarette case but I can't find anything?

Also, I may be wrong but I thought Dansk was Danish, not Japanese?

Any thoughts on this piece?

PS - The symbol in the center of the lid - is that their logo? Or is it something that keeps the tobacco moist like a humidor?
PSS - I am calling it mid century because of the abstract-ish design on the cover (looks kind of like a Miro, right?) - is it from the mid century, or older?
Thank you!

 

You're right, Dansk is Danish for Danish. But apparently the Japanese have also named a town 'Scotland' so they could make 'Whisky from Scotland', so who knows what they get up to.

 

lol - Usually Made in Japan makes you think quality & Made in China makes you think cheap/copy - but this (and "whiskey from Scotland") seems pretty shady!

 

Looks like a genuine Japanese company inspired by Danish design. Very odd

And I cant seem to find any pieces written in Japanese. So it's a Japanese company... designing Danish ware... and selling it to English speaking countries.

 

They also makes paperweight figurines, which are also collectible.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1122925977/vintage-dansk-cow-figurine-gunnar-cyren

 

From a 1981 Minneapolis Star article.
"Dansk International Designs Ltd. makes use of designer skills from many countries, and has its tableware manufactured under contract in Europe, Japan, and the United States."

 

Dansk International Designs started in 1974.
Dansk Designs incorporated In 1954.
That's all I know about this company.
Mikey

 

About half my Dansk dinnerware was made in Japan, half in Portugal.

 

It is a cigarette case right? I can't seem to find any other examples

 

All of my daily use dishes are Dansk - but they're almost all the grey/blue Generation Blue Mist pattern. I've never seen this color in Dansk ware. Must be much newer than my 70's dishes.

 

I'd just describe it as a ceramic box. Like a trinket box. 1970s plus or minus a decade.

 

Here's one on Ebay. Different design, but I think has the same stamp mark. When seeing the price, note that this Ebay one has two chips.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133935943141

 

Definitely more 70s-80s than mcm. I think its just a trinket box,no real set purpose.

 

@journeymagazine
I think yours will get extra points for the design/pattern and knowing the designers name.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/947536...how_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
Screenshot from Pinterest:


Etsy:

On my phone I can't find any date of sale, so I have no idea when this happened. Maybe somebody with a big monitor can find the date.

 

Dansk has always been an American company, founded in 1954 by Martha and Ted Nierenberg with Danish designer Jens Quistgaard - over the years they continued the Danish Modern design aesthetic, but their production was sourced from a number of different countries...

~Cheryl

 

I decided to check Flipper Tools to find a date. Etsy no longer provides that information to them.

https://www.flippertools.com/tools/...how_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

 

Thank you! - Should I call it a ceramic box or can I say cigarette box?
Thanks again!

 

Definitely ceramic box.