Posted by Vividify Editorial
on October 20, 2026
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Kay Bojesen's standard bearer is made in four heights, and the gap between the smallest and the largest is more than eight times over: 18.5 cm at one end, 154 cm at the other. The figure is the same in every size, so the real question is scale. This guide sets the four versions side by side and explains where each one sits most comfortably in a home.
A flag carrier from the 1942 Royal Guard
Kay Bojesen (1886–1958) trained as a silversmith under Georg Jensen before turning to wood, and he spent the rest of his career making useful and playful things with the same care. His Royal Guard series dates from 1942, the middle of the German occupation of Denmark, and it took as its subject the guardsmen of the Royal Life Guards, a familiar sight outside the royal residences in Copenhagen. The figures were cheerful rather than martial, with simple forms and a painted uniform that reads clearly from across a room.
The standard bearer is the member of the regiment who carries the flag. In Bojesen's version the raised flag adds height and colour above the figure, which gives the standard bearer a strong vertical line and makes it one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the series. All four sizes are made in painted beech in the red/blue/white colourway, and they are still produced to Bojesen's designs by Rosendahl Design Group.
The four sizes compared
The measurements below come straight from the product specifications. Width is listed only where it is given; for the two larger figures the specification gives height and depth.
| Mini | Small | Medium | Large | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 18.5 cm | 29.5 cm | 77 cm | 154 cm |
| Width x depth | 4.5 x 7 cm | 7 x 10.5 cm | Depth 16 cm | Depth 32 cm |
| Weight | 0.05 kg | 0.165 kg | 1.4 kg | 10.5 kg |
| Material | Painted beech | Painted beech | Painted beech, polyester | Painted beech, polyester |
| Designer and series | Kay Bojesen, Royal Guard series, 1942 | |||
| Best for | Bookshelf, desk, windowsill | Shelf, sideboard, nursery dresser | Nursery or living room floor, low bench | Hallway or nursery floor, as a room feature |
Two jumps stand out. Between the small and the medium the height more than doubles and the weight rises from 0.165 kg to 1.4 kg, which moves the figure from furniture top to floor. Between the medium and the large the height doubles again and the weight climbs to 10.5 kg, which turns it from a figure into something closer to a piece of furniture.
Mini and small: figures for shelves and sills
The Standard-bearer mini red/blue/white is 18.5 cm tall and weighs 0.05 kg. Its footprint of 4.5 by 7 cm fits on a narrow bookshelf, between picture frames, or on a windowsill where the light picks up the painted colours. At this size it is easy to group with other Royal Guard minis or with a few of the wooden animals, and it is light enough to move every time you rearrange a shelf. If the flag is ever lost or damaged, a replacement textile flag exists for the mini, which matters for a figure that is likely to be picked up often.
The Standard-bearer small red/blue/white rises to 29.5 cm on a base of 7 by 10.5 cm. That extra height gives it more presence on a sideboard or a chest of drawers, where a mini can look lost against lamps and books. It still sits happily on an ordinary shelf, as long as the shelf has around 30 cm of clear height. In a nursery, a small standard bearer on top of a dresser is at eye level for an adult and out of reach for a toddler, which suits a figure meant to last.
Medium and large: standard bearers for the floor
At 77 cm the Standard-bearer medium red/blue/white is too tall for most shelves and is best treated as a floor piece. It stands roughly at the height of a dining table, so it reads well beside an armchair, next to a low bench in a hallway, or in the corner of a nursery where a child can look it in the eye. Its depth is 16 cm and it weighs 1.4 kg, enough to stand steadily while still being easy to lift and move. From this size up the flag is made of polyester rather than wood, so it hangs and moves like a real flag.
The Standard-bearer large red/blue/white is a different proposition. At 154 cm it is close to the height of an adult, and at 10.5 kg it needs a fixed place rather than a spot it gets moved in and out of. It works where there is open floor and some distance to stand back: the end of a long hallway, beside an entrance, or as the one large feature in a generous nursery. Give it a corner or a wall behind it, so the depth of 32 cm sits comfortably and it is not in a walking line.
How to choose between them
Start with the surface you have in mind, then let the size follow.
- A shelf or windowsill: choose the mini. It is the easiest to group and the lightest to move.
- A sideboard, dresser or desk with headroom: choose the small. At 29.5 cm it holds its own next to lamps and books.
- The floor of a nursery or living room: choose the medium. It is tall enough to stand alone yet light enough to shift when the room changes.
- An entrance hall or a large room that needs a focal point: choose the large, and decide on its spot in advance.
The figures share their proportions, so it is also possible to use two sizes together, for example a large in the hallway and a mini on a nearby shelf. Wood is a living material, and grain and tone vary from one figure to the next. Keep every size away from direct sunlight and radiators, and wipe it with a dry, soft cloth. For the wider story of the series, read our piece on the Kay Bojesen Guardsman and Sentry Box.
The standard bearer is one of many Royal Guard figures, birds and animals by the same hand. See the full Kay Bojesen collection.