Vintage 1960s Danish Three-Seat Sofa Model GE-300/3 by Hans Wegner for GETAMA
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),GETAMA (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 83 in (210.82 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Good Vintage condition Normal wear and use for age.
- Seller Location:BROOKLYN, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1793230675942
Hans J. Wegner
Best known for his chairs and 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 Wegner’s best chair designs, seen in dealer listings below, 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.
GETAMA
The story of how GETAMA got its name is perhaps as unique as the range of subdued but sophisticated Scandinavian modern furniture for which the manufacturer is known (thanks to a partnership with Hans Wegner).
In the late 1890s in the Danish town of Gedsted, a young cabinetmaker by the name of Carl Pedersen opted to use seaweed — rather than the traditional heather or straw — as mattress stuffing. Pedersen named his new factory Gedsted Tang-og Madrasfabrik (the “Gedsted Seaweed and Mattress Factory”), which he abbreviated to GETAMA. Seaweed’s fire-retardant properties make it an excellent and safe upholstery material for mattresses, chairs and sofas. Pedersen leveraged this quality as a selling point — the abundance of seaweed on the shores of Denmark and its weightlessness added to its appeal as an economical but durable upholstery filling for all kinds of furnishings. The crowning quality was its softness.
GETAMA’s seaweed mattresses proved so popular for their comfort and durability that Pedersen had to expand into a larger factory within the first year. He felt almost obligated to launch a line of bedroom furniture to accompany his much-loved mattresses.
The working relationship established in 1959 between Hans Wegner and GETAMA afforded the company the opportunity to break into the international market. Wegner — a legendary Danish carpenter and furniture designer revered by mid-century modern collectors everywhere — became one of the brand’s principal designers and often spent a great deal of time at the factory — refining and adjusting each new piece until he felt satisfied that it was ready for production. For decades, Wegner’s impressive contributions to GETAMA’s daybeds, lounge chairs, sofas and dining room tables became the backbone of the company’s sales.
Over the years, other designers entered into working agreements with GETAMA, including Nissen & Gehl, OM Design, 2R Design, Blum and Balle, and Jørgen Gammelgaard. Copenhagen native Nanna Ditzel, a Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alum who trained under Kaare Klint, designed GETAMA’s Mondial coffee table. Alongside her husband, Jørgen Ditzel, she also created the sensuously curvy and wildly popular Ring chair.
Today, the sleek modern furniture that GETAMA manufactures is still inclusive of their lauded mattresses.
On 1stDibs, find vintage GETAMA seating, tables, storage cabinets and other furniture.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Mid-Century Danish Modern Beautiful Brown Leather 3 Seat Sofa Wood LegsBy Børge Mogensen, Stouby Polster MøbelfabrikLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMid-century Danish modern beautiful dark brown leather 3 seat sofa birch wood legs. Style of Børge Mogensen. Dark Brown leather is soft and shows little signs of use but broken in ni...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Birch
- Mid Century Danish Modern 2-Seat Sofa by Aage Petersen for Getama GE88By Aage Petersen, GETAMALocated in BROOKLYN, NYDanish Modern 2-Seat Sofa by Aage Petersen for Getama Model number GE88. This 2-seat sofa couch has a minimalist teak frame with angled back legs and slat wood backside. Has oatmeal ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian low 4 Seat brown Sofa Couch by DUXBy Dux of SwedenLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMid-century Scandinavian Modern low 4 seat low sofa couch by DUX in original Dark Brown woven wool upholstery with solid teak legs. All Original 1960's Upholstery in beautiful condit...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
- Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian Long Low 4 Seat Yellow Tweed Sofa Couch by DUXBy Dux of SwedenLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMidcentury Scandinavian Modern long low 4 seat low sofa couch by DUX in original Yellow woven tweed upholstery with chrome steel legs. All Original 1970s Upholstery in beautiful vintage condition. Wonderful design and very comfortable. Shows very little wear and signs of use. Made in Sweden. Labeled. Located In Kingston NY...Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Mid-Century Danish Modern Long Sofa Designed by Johannes Aasbjerg Teak LegsBy Johannes AasbjergLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful 1955 Danish Sofa designed by Johannes Aasbjerg has original upholstery with a 4 seat design. Long 106 inch long sofa. Sits on 8 Solid teak tapered legs. Use As-Is or have i...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsTeak, Upholstery
- Mid-Century Norwegian Modern Ekornes Brown Leather oak 3 Seater SofaBy EkornessLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMid-century Norwegian Modern Ekornes Brown leather oak 3 seater sofa. Superb tufted dark brown leather with solid oak wood frame. Beautiful condition and very comfortable. Great Norw...Category
Vintage 1970s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsOak, Leather
- Hans J. Wegner GE6 Daybed Sofa for GETAMABy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Buffalo, NYThe perfect New York sofa and guest bed, and one of the finest daybed designs of the era. The model GE6 Daybed designed by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA. This brillia...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Daybeds
MaterialsMetal
- Hans J. Wegner GE6 Daybed Sofa for GETAMABy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe perfect New York sofa and guest bed, and one of the finest daybed designs of the era. The model GE6 Daybed designed by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA. This brillia...Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Modern Daybeds
MaterialsTeak
- Hans Wegner GE6 Daybed Sofa for GETAMABy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYLow sofa with lifting backrest to open to a daybed. Designed by Hans Wegner with simple mid-century lines and construction. Please confirm location.Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Danish Design Classsic GE 290 Three Seater Sofa by Hans Wegner for GETAMA, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Renens, CHOne of the most recognized designs by Hans Wegner and probably the whole danish mid-century modern period is the GE 290 sofa and arm chair produced by Getama....Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Danish Design Classsic GE 290 Three Seater Sofa by Hans Wegner for GETAMA, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Renens, CHOne of the most recognized designs by Hans Wegner and probably the whole danish mid-century modern period is the GE 290 sofa and arm chair produced by Getama. The 290 series is recog...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA Model GE-290 SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Norwalk, CTTranscend time with this resplendent Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA Model GE-290 Sofa—a beacon of 1960s Danish design and a testament to understated elegance. Craf...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsBeech
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.