[Copenhagen], Stender, ca. 1950. Gilt-printed cardboard box (13.6 x 6.9 x 3.1 cm) containing 18 printed napkins, of which one folded, and displayed as a fan.

A wonderful and peculiar object, being a napkin dispenser consisting of a clamshell box, which, upon opening, surprises with a pop-up fan and a gold-printed arch, with to the left and right a container with printed, folded napkins. The pop-up fan shows a printed, floral border similar to those of the napkins. One can imagine this object both on restaurant tables, or on the dressing tables of private homes. The Danish firm Stender was founded in 1888 by Carl Stender (1862-1902). The company included an art and card publisher, a reproduction company, a photolithography company, a book and copperplate printing company and a bookbinder. All of these companies, which are part of the publishing house, were housed in the company's property, Bernstorffsgade 23 in Copenhagen, built in 1917. In the same year, the art publisher P. Ipsens Enke took over. In 1995 it was acquired by a Swedish company, and the name disappeared. With a small label of the stationery store Gebrüder Scholl in Zürich, Switzerland, which existed from 1865 to after 1960. Light wear to edges, otherwise very good. An attractive, perhaps a unique item.