Hans Wegner 1788 Easy Chair, Oiled Oak and Leather
About the Item
- Creator:Fredericia (Manufacturer),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.65 in (88.02 cm)Width: 25.79 in (65.51 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70.01 cm)Seat Height: 17.13 in (43.52 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:Oak,Other
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Contemporary
- Production Type:New & Custom(Current Production)
- Estimated Production Time:Available Now
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Berkeley, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1353214290851
Hans J. Wegner
Best known for his chairs and other seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Hans Wegner’s best chair designs have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs — for example, the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat — bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room.
Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
Find vintage Hans Wegner lounge chairs, armchairs, daybeds and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Fredericia
Since the early 20th century, Fredericia has manufactured alluring and sophisticated Scandinavian furniture produced with the highest standards of quality in mind. The Danish brand collaborates with today’s top design talent and over time partnered with celebrated mid-century modernists such as Hans Wegner, Arne Vodder, Jens Risom — a leading figure in Scandinavian design and Knoll’s first designer — and Nanna Ditzel, whose Hanging Egg chair for Sika was a favorite for flashy fashion shoots of the 1960s.
Fredericia was founded in 1911 by N.P. Ravnsø as the Fredericia Chair Factory. In 1930, with the idea of creating a range of durable furniture made in the traditional styles of the era, Fredericia secured a license to manufacture pieces for German company Thonet.
In 1955 Danish businessman Andreas Graversen acquired Fredericia. Graversen had previously established what would become a long-lived partnership with notable furniture designer Børge Mogensen, a former teaching assistant to pioneering architect and designer Kaare Klint. Graversen sought to introduce modern flourishes to traditional Scandinavian furniture design at Fredericia — and owing to his business savvy and vision, coupled with Mogensen's artistic sensibilities and deep understanding of organic materials, the company successfully debuted various furnishings designed in the Scandinavian modern style that are still coveted today.
Fredericia brought Mogensen's iconic Spanish chair to market in 1958. With its solid European oak frame, wide armrests and suspended saddle leather seat and backrest, this signature piece solidified Fredericia's standing in Denmark — and around the world — as a premier furniture company. Mogensen designed many renowned pieces during his career at Fredericia, including the practical, rustic Hunting chair.
After Mogensen's death in 1972, Fredericia continued to flourish as a manufacturer. The company continues to work with legendary designers — witness its impossibly innovative Stingray rocking chair, designed by Thomas Pedersen, for example — and in 2020 acquired the Erik Jørgensen furniture company. Fredericia is now owned by Graversen's son, Thomas Graversen.
On 1stDibs, explore a range of vintage Fredericia seating, storage pieces and tables.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Berkeley, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Hans Wegner 1788 Easy Chair, Oiled Oak and FabricBy Hans J. Wegner, FredericiaLocated in Berkeley, CAHans Wegner designed the sophisticated 1788 armchair in 1963. The lightweight wooden design with interchangeable cushions is ideal for both exclusive public spaces and private homes....Category
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MaterialsOak
- Hans Wegner 1788 Easy Chair, Oiled Oak and FabricBy Hans J. Wegner, FredericiaLocated in Berkeley, CAHans Wegner designed the sophisticated 1788 armchair in 1963. The lightweight wooden design with interchangeable cushions is ideal for both exclusive public spaces and private homes....Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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- Hans Wegner 1788 Easy Chair, Laquered Oak and LeatherBy Hans J. Wegner, FredericiaLocated in Berkeley, CAHans Wegner designed the sophisticated 1788 armchair in 1963. The lightweight wooden design with interchangeable cushions is ideal for both exclusive public spaces and private homes....Category
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- Hans Wegner 1788 Easy Chair, Soaped Oak and LeatherBy Hans J. Wegner, FredericiaLocated in Berkeley, CAHans Wegner designed the sophisticated 1788 armchair in 1963. The lightweight wooden design with interchangeable cushions is ideal for both exclusive public spaces and private homes....Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsOak
- Hans Wegner 1788 Easy ChairBy Hans J. Wegner, FredericiaLocated in Berkeley, CAHans Wegner designed the sophisticated 1788 armchair in 1963. The lightweight wooden design with interchangeable cushions is ideal for both exclusive public spaces and private homes.Category
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MaterialsOak
- Hans Wegner 1788 Easy Chair, Black Laquered Oak and LeatherBy Hans J. Wegner, FredericiaLocated in Berkeley, CAHans Wegner designed the sophisticated 1788 armchair in 1963. The lightweight wooden design with interchangeable cushions is ideal for both exclusive public spaces and private homes....Category
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- Hans J. Wegner / Easy chair. GE-260A / GETAMABy Hans J. WegnerLocated in 足立区, JPThe item is in good condition. The fabric is reupholstered using Danish fabric. There is a maker's stamp on the back of the chair.Category
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- Hans J. Wegner / Easy chair GE-270 / GETAMABy Hans J. WegnerLocated in 足立区, JPThe item is in good condition. The fabric is reupholstered using Danish fabric hallingdal65. There is a maker's stamp on the back of the chair.Category
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- Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn Dining Chair in Oak and LeatherBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Waalwijk, NLHans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn, dining chair, model 'CH 33', oak, leather, Denmark, design 1954, later production. Dining chair designed by Danish designer Hans J. Wegner. Th...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
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- Hans Wegner Peacock ChairBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLA PP550 ‘Peacock’ chair designed by Hans Wegner in 1947 for Johannes Hansen. Modeled after a traditional American Windsor chair, Hans Wegner’s Peacock chair strips the form to reveal its construction while retaining aesthetic, decorative impact. The chair reveals a modernist approach to designing around the human body and using natural materials, with one exception. The “rush” seat is actually made of paper cord: when the chair was first designed in 1947, shortages caused by World War II prevented Wegner from using jute. Fellow designer Finn Juhl gave the nickname of ‘Peacock,’ seeing the chair’s flattened spindles and magnificent arc resembling the bird’s plumage. Dimensions: 41 3/4 in. H × 27 1/2 in. W × 20 1/2 in. D Seat: 22 1/2 in. x 19 3/4 in. x 12 in. at back Floor to top of seat: 14 in. Top of seat to arm rest: 10 1/8 in. Seat to top head rest: 31 3/4 in. Condition: Excellent, with some minor wear throughout. Wood splits to three of the seat joints measuring 1 inch, 1/2 and 1/4 inch on either side, and 1/4 inch. Area of discoloration to arm, possibly from sticker, measuring approximately 3/4 inch. Some nicks to side of one arm. On the other arm, a scratch measuring 1 1/8 inches on the side. Literature: 40 years of Danish furniture design: 1947-1956, ed. Grete Jalk, vol. 3 (Copenhagen: Lindhardt og Ringhof, 1987), pp. 15-17. Arne Karlsen, Danish Furniture Design: in the 20th Century, vol. 2 (Copenhagen: Christian Ejlers, 2007), p. 90. Christian Holmsted Olesen, Wegner: Just One Good Chair (Germany, Hatje Cantz Verlag GmbH & Company KG, 2014). Johan Møller Nielson, Wegner en Dansk Møbelkunstner (Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1965), pp. 42, 98, 103, 106. Noritsugu Oda, Danish Chairs (San Francisco: Chronicle Books), 1996, pp. 106, 107. Svend Erik Møller and Viggo Sten Møller...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Ash, Teak
- Hans Wegner Peacock ChairBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLA mid-century modern PP550 ‘Peacock’ chair designed by Hans Wegner in 1947 for Johannes Hansen. Modeled after a traditional American Windsor chair, Hans Wegner’s Peacock chair strips the form to reveal its construction while retaining aesthetic, decorative impact. The chair reveals a modernist approach to designing around the human body and using natural materials, with one exception. The “rush” seat is actually made of paper cord: when the chair was first designed in 1947, shortages caused by World War II prevented Wegner from using jute. Fellow designer Finn Juhl gave the nickname of ‘Peacock,’ seeing the chair’s flattened spindles and magnificent arc resembling the bird’s plumage. Dimensions: 41 3/4 in. H × 27 1/2 in. W × 20 1/2 in. D Seat: 22 1/2 in. x 19 3/4 in. x 12 in. at back Floor to top of seat: 14 in. Top of seat to arm rest: 10 1/8 in. Seat to top head rest: 31 3/4 in. Condition: Excellent, with some minor wear throughout. Gap between arm and chair back measuring approximately 1/4 inch. Some light water staining on both arms. Wood split to one seat joint measuring 3/8 and 5/8 inches on either side. Four deeper scratches on back. Area of staining on bottom chair rung measuring 2 3/4 inches long. Chair back’s fifth spindle from right with wood chip measuring 1 inch long. Chair back’s sixth spindle from left loose. Literature: 40 years of Danish furniture design: 1947-1956, ed. Grete Jalk, vol. 3 (Copenhagen: Lindhardt og Ringhof, 1987), pp. 15-17. Arne Karlsen...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Ash, Teak
- Hans Wegner Black Leather and Chrome Airport Chairs, Set of 6By Hans J. WegnerLocated in Westport, CTHans Wegner black leather and chrome airport chairs (CH401 Kastrup Chair), set of 6 Made for Copenhagen Airport in 1958 by Danish designer Hans J. Wegner as part of the "Kastrup"-series. Originally produced as model AP40 and later by Carl Hanson...Category
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