The Kåhler pottery was founded by Joachim Christian Hermann Kähler in 1839 and this exhibition at Den Frie - for the CHART Design Fair - is in part to mark their 180th anniversary.

Initially, Kähler produced stoves and cooking pots and kitchenwares. Two sons - Hermann A Kähler and his younger brother Carl Frederik Kähler - took over the factory in 1872. After a fire in 1875, a new factory was established and the company began producing finer ceramics, particularly vases, and began working with ceramic artists including H Brendekilde, L A Ring and Carl Lund and later Karl Hansen Reistrup and then Svend Hammershøi who became the artistic director of the company.

Kähler experimented with shapes, glazes - particularly a hallmark deep red lustre - and with decorative techniques of painting by hand.

The exhibition here showed a range of their pieces through the history of the factory that show how, as a commercial company, they had to respond to changes of fashion but also, by employing well-established and talented artists, they could also set certain styles.

Plaster casts for slip-pouring moulded, rather than thrown, pieces and sample strips of glaze colours gave some insight into the technical aspects of the high-quality ceramics.

In 1974 the factory was sold to Næstved municipality and then passed through a number of owners including Holmegaard but since 2018 has been part of the Rosendahl Group.

Kähler

Work is moving forward fast to convert a de-commissioned mid century electricity sub station in the centre of the city into a new restaurant and luxury hotel.

The massive concrete building on Bremerholm - opposite the Magasin department store - has a monumental facade of bronze slats that was designed by Hans Hansen from the city architects office and completed in 1963.

Acquired by the Kähler Group, the hotel will be called the Hotel Hermann K after the potter Hermann Kähler who established the ceramic factory in Næstved in 1839. The hotel will be part of the Brøchner group that includes SP34 and the Hotel Astoria at the central railway station.

A massive new doorway has been cut through the front and inside there is a high and dramatic entrance area.