A Vintage Clam Chair, by Arnold Madsen for Vik & Blindheim, Norway 1953
About the Item
- Creator:Vik & Blindheim (Manufacturer),Arnold Madsen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Width: 25.6 in (65 cm)Depth: 34.65 in (88 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1953
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hønefoss, NO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7194235652072
Arnold Madsen
A powerhouse duo in Danish furniture design throughout the mid-20th century, Henry Hans Schubell and Arnold Madsen collaborated as Madsen & Schubell with Dutch company Bovenkamp and Vik & Blindheim on a range of furnishings and created memorable lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating throughout the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s — such as the wingback Pragh chair and the iconic Clam chair — that represent the finest of Scandinavian modern design.
In 1944, a skilled upholster by the name of Arnold Madsen requested assistance from a cabinetmaker to make a prototype lounge chair based on a plaster model he’d made. Accepting the challenge, Schubell impressed Madsen to the point that he suggested they enter into a partnership. The Clam chair was their first collaboration as Madsen & Schubell.
According to Aaron FitzGerald, of Dagmar gallery, Madsen’s Clam chair is “one of the most sought-after and simultaneously misattributed and copied chair designs of the twentieth century.” In the past, it was ascribed to the Norwegian retailer Martin Olsen and then the Danish architect Philip Arctander. It was only through some dogged research by a team of international design historians and collectors that it was finally correctly associated with Madsen.
In the backyard of a modest home in Copenhagen, Schubell built wooden frames which Madsen then upholstered. They sold their finished products to dealers under their joint name, earning enough money to move production to a factory outside the city. Some models, such as the Clam, were under license by Norwegian company Vik & Blindheim while others were manufactured by Bovenkamp in the Netherlands. The pair’s partnership ended in 1963 in order for the designers to establish separate companies. Madsen opened a new upholstery firm with his son, Ib Madsen, under the name Madsen og Schubell, and Schubell continued to build frames for Madsen as Schubell & Son. (At some point, Ib also traded under the name Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell.)
Vintage Madsen & Schubell chairs offer sturdy build quality and the kind of superior upholstery that is typical among mid-century Scandinavian furniture. Working with a range of woods including teak, rosewood and birch, Madsen & Schubell accented natural wood grains with soft lambswool and sheepskin for a variety of comfortable seating.
Find vintage Arnold Madsen Clam chairs, lounge chairs and other seating on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Hønefoss, Norway
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Rare Pair of Loungers by Fredrik Kayser, Model No 860 for Vatne LenestolfabrikkBy Fredrik A. Kayser, Vatne MøblerLocated in Hønefoss, 30A rare pair of organic chaped lounge chairs, model 860 by Fredrik A. Kayser for Vatne Lenestolfabrikk. Upholstered in a 100% wool fabric in a ...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Teak
- Danish Cabinetmaker Wing Back Chair in Wool Velour, Denmark, 1940sLocated in Hønefoss, 30The practical and comfortable designs of Danish cabinetmakers defined mid-20th century modern seating. The Danish Cabinetmakers focused on minimalist design executed by expertly skil...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Velvet
- Danish Cabinetmaker Wing Back Chair in Original condition, Denmark, 1940sLocated in Hønefoss, 30The practical and comfortable designs of Danish cabinetmakers defined mid-20th century modern seating. The Danish Cabinetmakers focused on minimalist design executed by expertly skil...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Velvet
- Black Vintage Scandinavian Stoneware Bowl, Norway circa 1950sLocated in Hønefoss, 30A beautiful black stoneware bowl with organic shapes, produced in Norway in the 1950s. In good vintage condition consistent with age and use.Category
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsCeramic
- Antique Scandinavian Bible, Norway 1810Located in Hønefoss, 30A beautiful antique bible from Scandinavia in the year 1810. The cover are probably even older, possibly late 1700s. Works perfect as a Wabi Sabi decoration element to give the r...Category
Antique 1810s Norwegian Romantic Antiquities
MaterialsPaper
- A Mid-Century Scandinavian Milking Stool, Norway c. 1960sLocated in Hønefoss, 30A Scandinavian Mid-Century milking stool by unknown designer, Norway, c. 1960s. Pinewood with lovely patina. In good vintage conditioon with wear consitent with age and use.Category
Vintage 1960s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsPine
- Arnold Madsen Vintage 1950s Sheepskin Clam ChairBy Vik & Blindheim, Arnold MadsenLocated in London, GBArnold Madsen - The Clam Chair, 1944 A rare and highly collectible original production from the early 1950s of the iconic Clam Chair by Arnold Madsen. This example was produced unde...Category
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Beech
- Philip Arctander Sheepskin Clam Chair by Vik & BlindheimBy Vik & Blindheim, Philip ArctanderLocated in Littleton, CO"Muslingestolen", aka "the clam chair" lounge chair designed in 1944 by Danish architect Philip Arctander. The chair was first produced in Denmark by Nordisk Staal & Mobel Centra...Category
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Oak
- “Clam Chair“ by Arnold Madsen 1944 Madsen & Schubell Sheepskin DenmarkBy Madsen & Schubell, Arnold MadsenLocated in Berlin, BEThis “Clam” chair has a beloved design thanks to which it is considered by some as one of the most attractive chairs of “Nordic Design”. The model has a rather perplexing history, and has been attributed to several designers before, the latest being the Danish architect Phillip Arctander. However, recent research revealed that the “Clam” is the model that in fact started the story of Madsen & Schubell. Arnold Madsen designed the chair in 1944 in his small basement workshop in Gothersgade, Copenhagen. This chair has a characteristic organic shape with soft curves, perched on club-shaped beech legs. The name comes from the shape of the seat and back that together form the silhouette of an open clam. The round armrests compliment the overall round feel of the chair. The seat is slightly raised towards the front, while the back is tilted back to provide great sitting comfort. The seat and back are covered in cream-white sheepskin, adding to the soft and cosy feel of this “Clam”. In 1944, the chair was already exhibited in conjunction with the presentation of the newly opened furniture store NY FORM A/S in Copenhagen, which sold leading design of the day. In 1953, Madsen & Schubell sold the licence for the chair to the Norwegian company Vik and Blindheim.Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Jute, Beech
- Re-Edition Sheepskin Clam Chair by Arnold MadsenBy Arnold MadsenLocated in London, EnglandArnold Madsen The Clam Chair, 1944 The Clam chair was first designed in 1944 in Copenhagen by Danish upholsterer Arnold Madsen. In 1945 Arnold foun...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Wool, Bouclé, Beech, Oak, Walnut
- Sheepskin Clam Chairs by Arnold Madsen - New EditionBy Arnold MadsenLocated in London, GBOfficial Re-Edition of the iconic Clam Chair by Arnold Madsen. Dagmar in collaboration with the estate of Arnold Madsen is proud to re-lau...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Fabric, Bouclé, Oak, Walnut
- Re-Edition Sheepskin Clam Chair by Arnold MadsenBy Arnold MadsenLocated in London, EnglandOfficial Re-Edition of the iconic Clam Chair by Arnold Madsen. Dagmar in collaboration with the estate of Arnold Madsen is proud to re-lau...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Wool, Bouclé, Beech, Oak, Walnut