Verner Panton introduced the word “groovy” — or at least its Danish equivalent — into the Scandinavian modern design lexicon. He developed fantastical, futuristic forms and embraced bright colors and new materials such as plastic, fabric-covered polyurethane foam and steel-wire framing for the creation of his chairs, sofas, floor lamps and other furnishings. And Panton’s ebullient Pop art sensibility made him an international design star of the 1960s and ’70s. This radical departure from classic Danish modernism, however, actually stemmed from his training under the greats of that design style.
Born on the largely rural Danish island of Funen, Panton studied architecture and engineering at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where the lighting designer Poul Henningsen was one of his teachers. After graduating, in 1951, Panton worked in the architectural office of Arne Jacobsen, and he became a close friend of Hans Wegner's.
Henningsen taught a scientific approach to design; Jacobsen was forever researching new materials; and Wegner, the leader in modern furniture design using traditional woodworking and joinery, encouraged experimental form.
Panton opened his own design office in 1955, issuing tubular steel chairs with woven seating. His iconoclastic aesthetic was announced with his 1958 Cone chair, modified a year later as the Heart Cone chair. Made of upholstered sheet metal and with a conical base in place of legs, the design shocked visitors to a furniture trade show in Copenhagen.
Panton went on to successive bravura technical feats. His curving, stackable Panton chair, his most popular design, was the first chair to be made from a single piece of molded plastic.
Panton had been experimenting with ideas for chairs made of a single material since the late 1950s. He debuted his plastic seat for the public in the design magazine Mobilia in 1967 and then at the 1968 Cologne Furniture Fair. The designer’s S-Chair models 275 and 276, manufactured during the mid-1960s by August Sommer and distributed by the bentwood specialists at Gebrüder Thonet, were the first legless chairs crafted from a single piece of plywood.
Panton would spend the latter half of the 1960s and early ’70s developing all-encompassing room environments composed of sinuous and fluid-formed modular seating made of foam and metal wire. He also created a series of remarkable lighting designs, most notably his Fun chandeliers — introduced in 1964 and composed of scores of shimmering capiz-shell disks — and the Space Age VP Globe pendant light of 1969.
Panton’s designs are made to stand out and put an eye-catching exclamation point on even the most modern decor.
Find vintage Verner Panton chairs, magazine racks, rugs, table lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.
big verner panton curve curtain by mira-x
By Verner Panton
Located in Munich, DE
very big curtain by verner panton in good original condition. 265 cm long with 14cm hem. could possible made a little bid longer...
Cotton
Large Vintage Mid Century Kreis Verner Panton Textile 4'1" x 8'6"
By Verner Panton
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Scandinavian Verner Panton “Checkers II” Textile, Country Of Origin: Scandinavia, Circa Date: Mid 20th Century
Other
Vintage Scandinavian Verner Panton “Checkers II” Textile 4' x 8'7"
By Verner Panton
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Scandinavian Verner Panton “Checkers II” Textile, Country Of Origin: Scandinavia, Circa Date: Mid 20th Century
Other
5 Pieces of Mira x Fabric by Verner Panton, and One Piece of 70's Fabric
By Mira-X, Verner Panton
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
We have 2 pieces of Green Velour Squares by Panton for Mira X formerly curtains some fading on one and a split on the other as per photos. Two pieces of Blue Purple and Red squares, ...
Fabric
$4,400 / set
Verner Panton Middle Wave Mira X Fabric Curtains
By Verner Panton
Located in Geneva, CH
Pair of Middle Wave Mira X fabric curtains by Verner Panton 1973 Very good vintage condition, no fading. Lined with brown fabric. 2 pieces of 175cm wide and 240cm high Ready to ...
Fabric
Sven Markelius "Pythagoras" for Knoll Textiles Drapery Panel
By Knoll, Sven Markelius
Located in Hanover, MA
Sven Markelius (1889-1970), Pythagoras drapery panel produced in 1952 by Ljungberg's Textile AB, Sweden for Knoll Associates, New York, NY. Overall dime...
Linen
$995Sale Price|66% Off
H 34 in W 45 in D 20 in
Early 20th century Mid-Eastern Camel Head Dress Textile Wall Hanging
Located in Savannah, GA
Large size woven camel's headdress featuring much detail with bright strong colors and multiple wool tassels. This piece is difficult to photograph without a camel as a model but it ...
Cotton, Wool
$175 / item
H 0.1 in W 52 in D 37 in
Bit Map Throw Blanket 04 by Luft Tanaka, Multicolor, Digital, cotton, 37"x52"
By Luft Tanaka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bit map throw blanket 04 by Luft Tanaka Studio A colorful graphic throw blanket / wall tapestry woven out of 100 % cotton yarn based on digital pixel art created using an early bitmap drawing software from the 1980s and 1990s. The cartoon like clip-art graphic makes it a perfect addition for a kid's room and grown-ups looking for a touch of 90's throwback. Measures: 37" x 52" / 94cm x 132cm Please inquire if you're interested in other sizes: 50" x 60" / 127cm x 152cm 60" x 80" / 152cm x 203cm The Bit Map Series is based on digital “doodles” Luft makes using Kid...
Cotton
Mira-X Circular Pattern Textile Panel by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Paris, FR
This Mira-X textile panel designed by Verner Panton features a bold circular composition rendered in concentric rings of saturated color. The rhythmic geometry and optical depth exem...
Wool, Natural Fiber
$1,190
H 1 in W 10 in D 20 in
Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Large Linen Textile Swatch 1955 Signed, Schumacher
By Frank Lloyd Wright, Schumacher
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Panel swatch dating to frank Lloyd wright’s original 1955 collection for Schumacher. "Design 102" Extremely rare original large scale fabric swatch. This swatch is also in the collec...
Linen
Graphic Hand Woven Shaker Textile
By Shakers
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Late 19th or early 20th century Shaker textile with colorful and graphic horizontal bands and scalloped border. Ohio/Pennsylvania origin. Professio...
Wool
Silk Brocade Vintage Indian Sari, Mid 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
A lavish sari from India, hand-crafted out of a single piece of silk brocade. Mid 20th Century, circa 1970. Gold Paisley brocade on burgundy / deep red silk, with blue, green and gol...
Silk
Antique Velvet and Gold Embroidery Textile
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Exceptional textile made of purple color velvet, with beautiful intricate gold embroidery floral motifs, center medallion. Some minor velvet oxidizatio...
Metallic Thread
$3,600 / set
H 96 in W 43 in D 0.07 in
Vintage Venetian Renaissance Style Brocade Panels, 100% Silk, Italy, C.1970's
Located in Chatham, ON
Rare and grand Venetian Renaissance style silk brocade panels (two panels per length - total of three sets available as one continuous length or sold separately) - opulent woven patt...
Silk
$3,174Sale Price|30% Off
H 106.3 in W 59.06 in D 0.4 in
Curtains and Valances Baroque Silk Fabric or Curtain, 19th Century
Located in Mombuey, Zamora
French baroque silk fabric or curtain in golden yellow and black silk velvet and lined on the inside with another yellow silk villela fabric. A curtain is drawn and holds the rings. We have not manipulated it so that whoever buys it can do whatever they want with it, use it as a curtain, like this one or use the fabric for other functions, such as to upholster some old vintage armchair...
Silk, Velvet
$1,743
H 76.78 in W 70.87 in D 0.4 in
Large Vintage Uzbek Suzani Needlework Textile Blanket or Tapestry
Located in Antwerp, BE
Large vintage Suzani Uzbek Samarkand textile, Suzani means needlework and these embroideries are some of the most characteristic forms of tex...
Silk, Cotton
$4,400
H 6 in W 20 in D 20 in
Frank Lloyd Wright for Schumacher, Imperial Peacock, Tokyo, Textile Tapestry
By Schumacher, Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Frank Lloyd Wright for Schumacher Tokyo Imperial Hotel Geometric Textile Frank Lloyd Wright for Schumacher Imperial Peacock Textile. 54" x 80". Wright...
Cotton, Linen
Sold
H 3.5 in W 13.5 in D 13.5 in
Set of 4 Verner Panton for Mira X Orange Kurve Mid-Century Modern Danish Pillows
By Verner Panton
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Set of 4 Mid-Century Modern decorative pillows made with Verner Panton fabric. These pillows have some age to them, but look hardly used. The pill...
Textile, Foam
Sold
H 78.75 in W 66.93 in D 0.2 in
Verner Panton Original Fabric Panel Tapestry for Mira-X Collection, 1970s
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Powerful original fabric panel designed by Verner Panton during 1969-1971. 100% cotton material, Art. VP-ON-22. Mira-X Collection Decor I., Made in Switzerland. The fabric panel is ...
Fabric, Cotton
Verner Panton VIP-332-1 Dessin Vögel, Collection Fun II, Denmark, 1977
By Verner Panton
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Verner Panton, Dessin Vögel from Collection Fun II; 1977, Denmark. Rare textile. Collection Fun II consists of animal motifs printed in geometric and stylized form on a white backgro...
Textile, Cotton
Verner Panton Mira-x Wave Fabric Pillow
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Original Verner Panton Mira-X Fabric made into a pillow in about 1970. Insides still fluffy and fabric unfaded and in great shape!
Fabric
Verner Panton Mira-X Fabric Wave 102" x 84" section
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Verner Panton Mira-X Wave Pattern Fabric section of 102" x 84". Bought the curtains from a house with a whole wall of curtains. Fabric is in great shape! N...
Cotton
Verner Panton Fabric by Mira-X Collection, 1960s
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Powerful original curtain panel designed by Verner Panton during 1969-1971. 100% cotton material, Mira-X Collection., Made in Switzerland. The curtain is custom made directly from t...
Fabric, Cotton
Sold
H 36 in W 48 in D 1 in
Verner Panton Green Spectrum for Mira X Handprinted Textile Panel, Rare, 1960s
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Verner Panton Green Spectrum for Mira X handprinted textile panel, rare, 1960s. Though Panton is best known for his plastic stacking chair (MMA 1986.42...
Cotton
Verner Panton Set of Two Curtain Panels Mira-X Collection, 1960s
By Verner Panton, Mira-X
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Powerful pair of original curtain panels designed by Verner Panton during, 1969-1971. 100% cotton material, Art. Vitra 139-2. Printed with 8 pure colors: orange, bright red, dark red...
Cotton
Vintage Verner Panton Kurve Textile in Green
By Verner Panton
Located in Perpignan, FR
vintage Verner Panton textile panel, Denmark, mid-20th century. This vintage textile presents a "Kurve" motif signed by Verner Panton, Danish interior and furniture architect, who st...
Textile, Plywood
Sold
H 88.59 in W 48.04 in D 0.4 in
Two Vintage Textiles by Verner Panton, Spectrum Textile for Mira - X
By Verner Panton
Located in Stockholm, SE
Two rare vintage textiles by Verner Panton (Danish, Gamtofte 1926–1998). Spectrum for Mira - X AG from 1960s. Printed cotton (velvet). The textiles are represented on The Met, New Yo...
Cotton
Design Lips by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton
Located in Milan, IT
'Design Lips' is a fabric wall panel designed and produced in 1968 as part of Verner Panton's 'Anatomical Designs Collection', which were photoreali...
Cotton
Vintage Verner Panton Kreis (Spectrum) Textile in Blue
By Verner Panton
Located in New York, NY
The Danish designer Verner Panton (1926-1998) is widely regarded as one of the most influential personas in mid-century pop-art and interior design. A master of a variety of media, P...
Cotton