Joachim Christian Herman Kähler (1808–84) from Heiligenhafen in the Duchy of Holstein established himself as a potter in Næstved in 1839, producing heating stoves, cooking pots and kitchenware.

[4] Inspired by Vilhelm Klein, Herman A. Kähler started to experiment with more appealing designs with glazed finishes.

[5] Kähler became interested in obtaining the red lustre glaze known as maiolica which had been produced in Gubbio, Italy, in the 16th century.

[3] The designer Karl Hansen Reistrup (1863–1929) soon joined the enterprise, assisting in the production of finely formed, artistically decorated items, especially vases.

[5] After Herman A. Kähler died in 1917, his son Hans Christian assumed responsibility for the company benefiting from the involvement of painters Signe Steffensen and Tulle Emborg.