Finn Juhl, Pair of Teak Easy Chairs, Model Fd138, France & Son, 1959
About the Item
- Creator:France & Søn (Manufacturer),Finn Juhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 27.56 in (70 cm)Depth: 28.35 in (72 cm)Seat Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1959
- Condition:Reupholstered. In very good condition, with new upholstery.
- Seller Location:Wargrave, GB
- Reference Number:
Finn Juhl
Along with Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl was one of the great masters of mid-20th-century Danish design. Juhl was the first among that group to have his work promoted overseas, bringing the character of the nation’s furnishings — and the inherent principles of grace, craftsmanship and utility on which they were based — to an international audience. A stylistic maverick, Juhl embraced expressive, free-flowing shapes in chair and sofa designs much earlier than his colleagues, yet even his quietest pieces incorporate supple, curving forms that are at once elegant and ergonomic.
As a young man, Juhl hoped to become an art historian, but his father steered him into a more practical course of study in architecture. He began designing furniture in the late 1930s, a discipline in which, despite his education, Juhl was self-taught, and quite proud of the fact. His earliest works, designed in the late 1930s, are perhaps his most idiosyncratic. The influence of contemporary art is clear in Juhl's 1939 Pelican chair: an almost Surrealist take on the classic wing chair. Critics reviled the piece, however; one said it looked like a "tired walrus." Juhl had tempered his creativity by 1945, when the Danish furniture-making firm Niels Vodder began to issue his designs. Yet his now-classic NV 45 armchair still demonstrates panache, with a seat that floats above the chair’s teak frame.
Juhl first exhibited his work in the United States in 1950, championed by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., an influential design critic and scion of America’s most prominent family of modern architecture and design patrons. (Kaufmann’s father commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the house “Fallingwater.”) Juhl quickly won a following for such signature designs as the supremely comfortable Chieftan lounge chair, the biomorphic Baker sofa, and the Judas table, a piece ornamented with stylish inlaid silver plaquettes.
As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, Finn Juhl’s furniture — as well as his lighting, ceramics, tableware and accessories — has an air of relaxed sophistication and elegance that is unique in the realm of mid-20th-century design.
France & Søn
Danish manufacturer France & Søn is best known for its prolific output of elegant mid-century modern furnishings in teak and leather, yet its multinational beginnings took shape during the 1930s.
After businessman Charles William Fearnley France (1897–1972) moved from his native England to Denmark in 1936, he began to operate a small mattress factory alongside his friend Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker, under the name France & Daverkosen. Shortly afterward, Daverkosen passed away, and when Denmark was invaded during the Second World War, Charles was captured and sent to a prison camp in Germany. When he was released, the British entrepreneur set out to produce furniture in the early 1950s, setting up a shop in Hillerød to manufacture the kind of sleek beech and teak goods that were gaining widespread acclaim around the world. In 1957, France’s son James joined the business, and the company changed its name to reflect the addition.
Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, France & Søn produced a stunning array — and staggering quantity — of designs, with elegant modernist lounge chairs and armchairs, teak and rosewood dining tables and other furnishings by the likes of Finn Juhl, Grete Valk, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen all gracing its catalogues.
Even as there was a focus on mass production at France & Søn — and the brand doesn’t quite enjoy the same renown as fellow mid-century Danish furniture makers such as Carl Hansen & Søn — Charles France believed in making quality furniture, and the company’s offerings evoke the warmth of the handcrafted work that is typically associated with Scandinavian modernism.
In the 1960s, the company was bought by Danish designer Poul Cadovius, who folded it into the operations at CADO, a company he founded during the 1950s. Surviving examples of early work from the brand as well as modern icons by the likes of Verner Panton that followed in later years continue to be in demand.
Find a collection of France & Søn furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Wargrave, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Finn Juhl, 108 Chair, 1946, in Teak, Made by Niels Vodder, Copenhagen, StampedBy Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireFinn Juhl, teak 108 Chair, 1946, made by Niels Vodder, Copenhagen, stamped This is an early original chair, made by cabinet maker Niels Vodder in Copenhagen and bearing the stampe...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Model NV45 Easy Chair, Designed by Finn Juhl, Made by Niels Vodder, 1940sBy Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireModel NV45 easy chair, designed by Finn Juhl and manufactured by Niels Vodder, Denmark, 1940s. Original teak frame, recently upholstered in light oatmeal wool fabric with pale grey ...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Finn Juhl, Pair of Fireplace Chairs, model BO59, by Bovirke, designed 1946By Finn Juhl, BovirkeLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireFinn Juhl, Pair of Fireplace Chairs, model BO59, by Bovirke, designed 1946 This iconic design is known as the Westermanns Kaminstol or Firepl...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Finn Juhl, Teak Fireplace Chair, Model BO59, designed 1946 for Bovirke, DenmarkBy Finn Juhl, BovirkeLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireAn exquisite teak Fireplace chair, model BO59, designed by Finn Juhl in 1946 and manufactured by Bovirke, Denmark. This iconic design is also known as the Westermanns Kaminstol or...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Finn Juhl for Kay Bojesen, Dennark, Set of 6 Teak Wood Bowls , All SignedBy Finn JuhlLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireFinn Juhl design circa 1951 for Kay Bojesen, Denmark. Carved teak wood of organic form, all 6 are signed by makers stamp to the underside. One with older repair.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsTeak
- Jean Prouvé, Pair of Standard Chairs, model 306, circa 1950By Jean ProuvéLocated in Wargrave, BerkshirePair of original "semi-metal" Standard chairs, model 306, designed by Jean Prouvé, and dating from around 1950. Constructed from plywood with the original ribbed vinyl covering and...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Enamel
- Finn Juhl / Easy chair. FD-138 / France & SonBy Finn JuhlLocated in 足立区, JPThe item is in good condition. There is a maker's medallion on the back of the chair.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Finn Juhl "FD141" Teak Easy Chair, for France & SonsBy France & Søn, Finn JuhlLocated in VANCOUVER, CATeak Danish "FD141" easy chair by Finn Juhl for France & Sons, circa 1950's. Sculpted teak frame with beautiful, smooth joinery. Iconic lounger features an elegant floating seat, the...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Teak
- Early Model Finn Juhl for France & Søn Pair of Lounge Chairs in TeakBy Finn Juhl, France & SønLocated in Waalwijk, NLFinn Juhl for France & Søn, pair of lounge chairs early model '136', teak, fabric upholstery, Denmark, 1959. Very honest and open design by the Danish architect and designer Finn J...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Early Model Finn Juhl for France & Søn Lounge Chair in TeakBy Finn Juhl, France & SønLocated in Waalwijk, NLFinn Juhl for France & Søn, lounge chair early model '136', teak, fabric upholstery, Denmark, 1959. Very honest and open design by the Danish architect and designer Finn Juhl. As a...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Finn Juhl Easy Chairs Model 138 Produced by France & Son in DenmarkBy Finn JuhlLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare easy chairs model 138 designed by Finn Juhl. Produced by France & Son in Denmark.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Finn Juhl for France & Son 'Diplomat' ChairBy France & Søn, Finn JuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CADenmark, Finn Juhl for France & Son 'Diplomat' chair in rosewood.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood