Vintage Shell Chair by Hans J. Wegner, Designed in 1963
View Similar Items
Vintage Shell Chair by Hans J. Wegner, Designed in 1963
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 36.23 in (92 cm)Depth: 32.68 in (83 cm)Seat Height: 13.78 in (35 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Oak,Oiled
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. This product will be inspected thoroughly at our professional workshop by our educated employees, who assure the product quality.
- Seller Location:Lejre, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1209226545412
Shell Chair
Also known as the “smiling chair,” the Three-Legged Shell chair — now merely called the Shell — is an example of Hans J. Wegner’s rare forays into plywood. The pioneering Danish furniture maker, whose works of Scandinavian modernism are among the most celebrated designs in the world, much preferred solid wood, a material with which he had extensive experience.
Wegner (1914–2007) was the son of a cobbler and apprenticed to a cabinetmaker for much of his youth. He went on to study at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (then the Danish School of Arts and Crafts) and then worked as a designer for Erik Møller and Arne Jacobsen in the 1940s before opening his own studio. Chairs became Wegner’s specialty, and over the years he designed over 500 of them. More than 100 of his designs, such as the Wishbone chair and the Papa Bear chair, went into production.
In terms of both process and aesthetics, the Shell chair was ahead of its time when it was introduced in 1963. The expressive seat and back are made out of form-pressed oak or walnut laminates and topped with upholstered cushions for maximum comfort. Wegner made scale models to test various leg configurations and eventually landed on the tapered three-leg structure that gives the chair a feeling of lightness. Nevertheless, the structure is very stable, featuring two front legs made of one continuous piece and a separate hind leg that supports the backrest.
Often described as being “wing-like,” the chair’s radical fluid lines were considered a bit too futuristic when the chair was first introduced during the 1963 Furniture Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen. Initially, mixed reviews from critics as well as the general public along with production difficulties resulted in a very limited early run. Twelve new models were produced for a retrospective exhibition celebrating Wegner’s 77th birthday in 1989, and the design began garnering renewed attention — a photograph of the chair was even selected to grace the cover of the exhibition catalog.
In 1998, nearly a decade following the piece’s reemergence at the retrospective event, Carl Hansen & Søn reintroduced the Shell chair 35 years after it was first released and it has felt relevant ever since. Sculptural and sleek — and “beautiful from all sides and angles,” as Wegner intended for his seating — the Shell chair makes an immediate statement in any interior.
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.
- The Airport-Chair, Model AP37, Designed by Hans J. Wegner in the 1950sBy Hans J. Wegner, A. P. StohlenLocated in Lejre, DKThe Airport Chair, model AP37, is a quintessential example of Hans J. Wegner's iconic design prowess, exuding elegance and comfort in equal measure. Crafted in the 1950s by AP Stolen...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Set of 2 Armchairs Model Ge284 Designed By Hans J. Wegner Made By GetamaBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Lejre, DKThis set of two armchairs, model GE284, designed by the legendary Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by Getama in the 1960s, exemplifies the epitome of mid-century Danish design. Despit...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Kastrup Chair in Black Leather Model CH401 By Hans J. Wegner & Carl Hansen & SønBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Lejre, DKThe CH401 lounge chair, designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1958, is a notable piece from the minimalist Kastrup Series, which continues to be in use in the inviting interior of Copenhagen...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Airport Chair, Model Ap-38, by Hans J. Wegner and A.P. Stolen, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, A.P. StolenLocated in Lejre, DKThe airport chair, model AP-38, designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1958 and manufactured by A.P. Stolen in the 1960s, is a classic and iconic piece of furniture in the mid-century modern ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Armchair Made In Dark Oak Model GE530 By Hans J. Wegner From 1960sBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Lejre, DKAn armchair in dark oak, upholstered with light fabric and model number GE530, is a splendid example of Hans J. Wegner's unique contribution to Danish furniture...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Pair of Original Teak and Oak Cigar Lounge Chairs by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMABy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Lejre, DKHans J. Wegner Pair of GE-240 Cigar chairs, 1955 Produced by Getama in Gedsted, Denmark in the 1950s. These examples of Wegner's iconic lounge chair are made from European oak with...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak, Teak
- Shell Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA laminated orange lacquered "shell" lounge chair with upholstered seat and back.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Shell Chair by Hans Wegner in Walnut and BeechBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in North Hollywood, CAShell chair by Hans Wegner in laminated walnut seat and back and solid beech wood frame. It has the original screws on the bottom of seat t...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Walnut
- Lounge Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Sagaponack, NYA lounge chair of generous scale having a solid oak frame and retaining the original orange wool upholstery. Two available.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Upholstery
$11,500 / item - CH07 Shell Chair by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & SonBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Little Burstead, EssexWhen Hans J. Wegner designed this chair in 1963 it was a little too radical for the public and it was sold in very low numbers, and because of this when the world became aware of the...Category
1990s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak, Walnut, Plywood
- Papa Bear Chair by Hans WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, A.P. StolenLocated in Oklahoma City, OKThe Papa Bear Chair, a classic design by Hans Wagner, showcases timeless elegance with its iconic mid-century modern silhouette. This particular piece has been meticulously reupholst...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Wood
$20,400 Sale Price11% Off - 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
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Design Icon Ilse Crawford on Her Colorful New Hans Wegner Chairs
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.