Most people are familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale about Clumsy Hans.
The two brothers smear their mouths with cod liver oil, but it is the third brother – uneducated yet brimming with creativity and the ability to speak his mind – who becomes king, marries a wife, is crowned and sits upon a throne.
Nis Hauge’s version of Clumsy Hans cannot speak and does not possess great wisdom either. But it is Danish design with a focus on functionality.
And so it allows creativity to flourish – and that’s almost better than becoming king and getting a throne.
Celebrating creativity and a sense of play
Designer Nis Hauge (b. 1972) conceived the first version of Clumsy Hans as a toy, precisely because it could be twisted and shaped into a myriad of different forms.
Something that could stimulate children’s creativity, curiosity and imagination – all key elements in Nis Hauge’s design universe.
Creativity, a sense of playfulness and ideas must be nurtured, and it certainly doesn’t matter if this happens at the dinner table.
Trivets that can vary in shape and style
Just like Clumsy Hans in the fairy tale, the Clumsy Hans trivet is… well, clumsy, yet extremely charming.
It consists of small modules that can be twisted and bent. This means that both the large and small trivets can vary in shape and design.
As a trivet, Clumsy Hans has been designed with the aim of creating a functional and recognisable product that is also a playful sculpture on the dining table and in the little corners of the home.
Its ‘clumsy’ structure makes it possible to create figures full of life – and it’s the perfect pastime to let your creativity run wild whilst waiting for the trivets to protect the table from hot pots and pans.
An adventure in itself
Clumsy Hans has been selected by MoMA to feature in their collection, which brings together classic modern and cutting-edge design products for children and adults.
That in itself is something of a fairy tale – even if it isn’t mentioned in the alderman’s newspaper.
