Kay Bojesen Christmas Figures: Santa, Santa Clara, Ole and Lise

Kay Bojesen Denmark makes four Christmas figures in painted beech: Santa Claus, Santa Clara, Christmas Ole and Christmas Lise. This guide looks at what sets each one apart, how they work as a group on a shelf or windowsill, and where the small Santa's cap fits in.

Wooden figures in the Kay Bojesen manner

Kay Bojesen trained as a silversmith before he turned to wood, and the figures that carry his name today still follow the rules he set for toys: simple turned shapes, few details, and a face that looks pleased to see you. His monkeys, bears and guardsmen were meant to be picked up and played with, not kept behind glass. The Christmas figures are produced by Rosendahl Design Group under the Kay Bojesen Denmark name, and they share that vocabulary. The bodies are built from rounded, almost geometric parts, the arms sit on at the shoulder, and the paint is laid on in flat, clear fields of colour.

All four are made in beech and painted. Beech is a dense, close-grained hardwood that takes paint evenly and holds a crisp edge, which is why the white trims, black buttons and red caps read so sharply even at a distance. For more on how Bojesen moved from silver to wood, read From Silversmith to Toymaker: Kay Bojesen's Wooden Figures.

Santa Claus and Santa Clara: the older pair

The Santa Claus H19.5 cm red/white is the most detailed of the four. He stands with his knees slightly bent, a sack at his side and a walking stick in his hand, dressed in red with white cuffs, a white belt and white boots. A grey beard frames a small round nose, and the tall red cap ends in a turned bobble. He measures 19.5 cm high, 11 cm wide and 5 cm deep, and weighs 0.15 kg. The sack and stick widen his footprint, so give him a little more room than his depth figure suggests.

His partner is the Santa Clara / Mrs Santa H19.5 cm red/white. She is the same height, 19.5 cm, so the two stand eye to eye. Her silhouette is quieter: a long red dress that flares slightly towards the hem, three black buttons, a white belt and white cuffs, with bare wooden hands left in the natural colour of the beech. Rosy painted cheeks give her the same gentle expression that runs through the whole Bojesen family. She measures 10.5 cm wide and 8.5 cm deep and weighs 0.17 kg, the heaviest of the group, because the full skirt is a solid block of wood. That depth makes her very stable on a narrow sill.

Placed side by side, the pair work as a mirror image. He is busy, with props and a forward lean; she is upright and still. On a mantelpiece, set them about a hand's width apart so the sack does not crowd her skirt.

Christmas Ole and Christmas Lise: the younger pair

The Christmas Ole H17.5 red/blue/white and the Christmas Lise H17,5 red/blue/white are a step smaller at 17.5 cm each. Where the Santas are red and white, Ole and Lise add blue, which gives them a brighter, more playful palette. They read as children dressed up for the holiday, both wearing the same tall red cap with a white band.

Ole wears a red jacket with a white shirt front, a small black bow tie, square painted pockets, blue trousers and black shoes. Seen from behind, his hair is painted a warm brown under the cap. He measures 17.5 cm high, 6.5 cm wide and 4 cm deep and weighs 0.07 kg.

Lise has a red pinafore with white dots over a white blouse, red bands at the wrists, blue socks and white shoes. Her listed dimensions are 17.5 cm high and 6.5 cm wide, with a 5 cm diameter, and she also weighs 0.07 kg. Both are slim enough for a bookshelf between spines, and light enough for a child to hold without effort.

The four figures side by side

The table below collects the measurements given for each figure, so you can plan a shelf or a windowsill before the figures arrive in the room.

The 2 cm difference in height is enough to make the grouping feel like a family rather than a row of identical pieces. A simple arrangement is the two Santas at the back and Ole and Lise slightly in front and to the side, so all four faces are visible. On a deep windowsill, a shallow arc works well. On a narrow mantelpiece, keep them in a line and let the height step down from the Santas to the children.

Santa's caps for the rest of the collection

Many Kay Bojesen homes already have a monkey, a bear or a guardsman on display. The Santa's caps let those figures join in for December. They come in three sizes, mini, small and medium, and are made to fit Kay Bojesen figures. The Santa's cap small red/white is 6 cm high with a 5 cm diameter and weighs 0.03 kg. It is turned and painted in the same red and white as the Santas, with a white bobble on top and a thin elastic cord at the brim to hold it in place.

Match the cap size to the head of the figure you plan to dress rather than to its overall height, since heads vary across the range. If you are unsure, the small cap is a sensible starting point for a mid-sized figure, and it can move from one figure to another as the season goes on.

Display and care through the season

Painted beech is easy to live with, but it asks for two things. Keep the figures out of direct sunlight, which can fade the red over time, especially on a south-facing windowsill. And clean them only with a dry, soft cloth. Water and detergents can lift paint at the edges, and the figures should never go in a dishwasher.

When the season ends, wrap each figure separately in soft paper before boxing it, so caps and painted noses do not knock against one another. Stored that way, the set comes out each December looking much as it did the year before, and over time it becomes part of how the household marks Christmas.

The Christmas figures sit alongside monkeys, birds, elephants and guardsmen in the same workshop tradition. See the full Wooden Figures & Sculptures collection to find companions for your Santas.