Pair of Finn Juhl No. 48 Danish Modern Chairs for Baker, 1950's
About the Item
- Creator:Finn Juhl (Designer),Baker Furniture Company (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 27 in (68.58 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Great clean condition on wood and upholstery is new neutral fabric (boucle).
- Seller Location:East Hampton, NY
- 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.
Baker Furniture Company
Owing to the company’s collaborations with many leading designers and artists over time, vintage Baker furniture is consistently sought after today. The heritage brand’s chairs, dining tables, desks and other pieces are widely known to collectors and design enthusiasts for their fine craftsmanship and durability.
Within a few decades of its launch, Baker Furniture Company evolved into one of the largest and most important furniture manufacturers in the United States and became known for its high-quality production standards. Siebe Baker and business partner Henry Cook founded the original iteration of Baker Furniture Company in 1890 in Allegan, Michigan, after immigrating to the United States from the Netherlands. Allegan is a small town west of Grand Rapids, which, at that time was home to Widdicomb Furniture Co. and more and was known as America’s furniture capital. The company manufactured doors and interior moldings and introduced a combination desk and bookcase in 1893. In the early 1900s, Siebe became the sole owner of the business.
Among others, stage designer Joseph Urban and modernist designer Kem Weber contributed designs to Baker in the 1920s. In 1932, under the leadership of Siebe’s son, Hollis, who started at the company as a salesman but took the reins when his father passed in 1925, Baker Furniture introduced bedroom pieces and debuted its Manor House collection, which made reproductions of European furnishings available to the American market. (Hollis was an avid traveler and procured antiques overseas for the company to reproduce in the United States.) Soon, Baker Furniture Company moved to Holland, Michigan, and eventually opened showrooms in Grand Rapids and elsewhere.
Pioneering Scandinavian designer Finn Juhl created a Danish modern line for Baker in 1951, and the company produced his award-winning Chieftain chair for a short time. In the late 1950s, Baker introduced the Milling Road label to reach a younger audience with stylish but less costly furnishings like console tables, walnut dining chairs and more, and in 1961, British furniture designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings introduced a modern neoclassical line at Baker.
The 1960s and ’70s saw the introduction of historic reproduction furniture lines such as Woburn Abbey and the Historic Charleston collection, which remain very popular to this day. In 1990, Baker was licensed to produce a furniture line from Colonial Williamsburg. That same year, the Smithsonian Museum introduced Baker’s Chippendale chair into its permanent collection and the Grand Rapids Art Museum dedicated an exhibition to Baker’s 100th anniversary, a showcase that included 150 pieces of furniture Siebe Baker had collected as part of a larger assortment that had served as inspiration for his designs.
Today, vintage Baker furniture, such as its elegant mahogany nightstands and teak credenzas — particularly those crafted by Finn Juhl — sees high demand online and elsewhere. The company continues to produce contemporary collections with well-known designers such as Bill Sofield, Barbara Barry and Kara Mann and remains on par with some of the highest quality furniture in the industry.
Browse vintage Baker armchairs, sofas, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: North Miami, FL
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Mid-Century Modern Pair of Bentwood Armchairs, Czechoslovakia 1950Located in East Hampton, NYThese very chic Czechoslovakian mid-century modern armchairs with bent wood frame in slats and geometric curves. VERY VERY comfortable and perfect lo...Category
Vintage 1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Bentwood
- Exceptional Vintage Pair of Italian ChairsLocated in East Hampton, NYProfessionally restored and newly upholstered in eggplant tone thick weave silk chenille. Polished brass and tubular splayed legs. Mid sized chairs.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Vintage Baker Round Gueridon TablesBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in East Hampton, NYThis vintage pair of burnt tone mahogany round gueridons by Baker Furniture. Crown detail trim to top and 3 splayed legs with ring accent. Both retain o...Category
Vintage 1980s American Art Deco Gueridon
MaterialsMahogany
- Pair of French Faux Bois Side-chairsLocated in East Hampton, NYThis is a lovely pair of elegant faux bois wood chairs with rounded back in the style of Nina Ditzel. The wood is stripped and bleached to its be...Category
Vintage 1960s French French Provincial Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Vladimir Kagan Corkscrew Swivel Chairs for Directional in Bouclé, PAIRBy Vladimir KaganLocated in East Hampton, NYNewly reupholstered in a soft and nubby bouclé, these 'Corkscrew' swivel chairs, also often referred to as 'Nautilus', by Vladimir Kagan for Directional, circa 1980s / 90s. These cla...Category
Vintage 1980s American Armchairs
MaterialsBouclé
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar Armchairs, PairBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in East Hampton, NYPair of Edward Wormley, signed Dunbar armchairs (to underside) known as "Edward's Chair," these handsome examples have stained oak frames and stainless steel stretchers. Very high qu...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Pair of Danish Modern Lounge Chairs, Manner of Finn JuhlBy Finn JuhlLocated in Buffalo, NYClassic pair Danish modern armchairs, teakwood frames and upholstery. Stunning lines, design... retains original green wool fabric, usable...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Finn Juhl NV 48 Chair for Niels VodderBy Finn JuhlLocated in San Francisco, CAFinn Juhl model NV 48 armchair for Niels Vodder, with embossed maker's stamp to the rear stretcher. Good condition black leather upholstery with a refinished tea...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTeak
- Finn Juhl Delegate's ChairBy Finn Juhl, Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in Highland, INWe feel that Finn Juhl's delegate's chair (or FJ51) is one of his most under appreciated designs. Perhaps overshadowed by the sexy #45 chair, with which it shares many qualities, it ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTeak, Upholstery
- Finn Juhl for Cado Modular Sofa Lounge Armchairs 1950s, Danish ModernBy Cado, Finn JuhlLocated in Brooklyn, NYFinn Juhl for Cado Modular Modern sofa lounge armchair set 1950s rarity, signed. Gorgeous rosewood base. Rare Finn Juhl for Cado Danish Mid-Century Modern modular three-piece sofa,...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsTextile, Rosewood
- Finn Juhl Pair of Chieftain Chairs by BakerBy Baker Furniture Company, Finn JuhlLocated in Highland, INFinn Juhl's 1949 masterpiece, the chieftain chair, employs iconography of tribal forms and Juhl’s innovative approach to design which accentuates the separation of the seat, back, an...Category
Vintage 1940s American Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
- Danish Modern Rosewood Finn Juhl NV 45 Arm ChairBy Niels Vodder, Finn JuhlLocated in Minneapolis, MNThis exquisite and rare rosewood piece showcases Finn Juhl's highly sought-after design, the NV 45. It's a rare find, as this design is scarcely available, especially in Brazilian Ro...Category
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Rosewood