When the Copenhagen-based furniture maker Fritz Hansen opened for business more than 140 years ago, the company — which today styles itself The Republic of Fritz Hansen — adhered to the traditional, time-honored Danish values of craftsmanship in woodworking and joinery. Yet thanks to the postwar innovations of Arne Jacobsen and others, Fritz Hansen would become the country’s leader in Scandinavian modern design using new, forward-looking materials and methods.
Fritz Hansen started his company in 1872, specializing in the manufacture of small furniture parts. In 1915, the firm became the first in Denmark to make chairs using steam-bent wood (a technique most familiar from birch used in the ubiquitous café chairs by Austrian maker Thonet). At the time, Fritz Hansen was best known for seating that featured curved legs and curlicue splats and referenced 18th-century Chippendale designs.
In the next few decades, the company promoted simple, plain chairs with slatted backs and cane or rush seats designed by such proto-modernist masters as Kaare Klint and Søren Hansen. Still, the most aesthetically striking piece Fritz Hansen produced in the first half of the 20th century was arguably the China chair of 1944 by Hans Wegner — and that piece, with its yoke-shaped bentwood back- and armrest, was based on seating manufactured in China during the Ming dynasty. (Wegner was moved by portraits he’d seen of Danish merchants in the Chinese chairs.)
Everything changed in 1952 with Arne Jacobsen’s Ant chair. The collaboration between the architect and Fritz Hansen officially originated in 1934 — that year, Jacobsen created his inaugural piece for the manufacturer, the solid beechwood Bellevue chair for a restaurant commission. The Ant chair, however, was the breakthrough.
With assistance from his then-apprentice Verner Panton, Jacobsen designed the Ant chair for the cafeteria of a Danish healthcare company called Novo Nordisk. The chair was composed of a seat and backrest formed from a single piece of molded plywood attached, in its original iteration, to three tubular metal legs. Its silhouette suggests the shape of the insect’s body, and the lightweight, stackable chair and its biomorphic form became an international hit.
Jacobsen followed with more plywood successes, such as the Grand Prix chair of 1957. The following year he designed the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen and its furnishings, including the Egg chair and the Swan chair. Those two upholstered pieces, with their lush, organic frames made of fiberglass-reinforced polyurethane, have become the two chairs most emblematic of mid-20th-century cool. Moreover, the Egg and Swan led Fritz Hansen to fully embrace new man-made materials, like foam, plastic and steel wire used to realize the avant-garde creations of later generations of designers with whom the firm collaborated, such as Piet Hein, Jørn Utzon (the architect of the Sydney Opera House) and Verner Panton. If the Fritz Hansen of 1872 would not now recognize his company, today’s connoisseurs certainly do.
Find a collection of vintage Fritz Hansen tables, lounge chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Bruno Mathsson Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen Super-Ellipse White Dining Table
By Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen, 'Super-Ellipse' extendable dining table or conference table, laminated wood, chrome-plated steel, aluminum, Denmark, design 1968 This...
Aluminum, Steel, Chrome
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson “Super Circular” Dining Table, Denmark, 1970
By Fritz Hansen, Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptional collaboration between Danish designer Piet Hein and Swedish modernist Bruno Mathsson, this “Super Circular” dining table represents a landmark in Scandinavian design, ...
Chrome
$1,756
H 27.56 in W 47.25 in D 70.87 in
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Ellipse Dining Table, Black Lacquer, 1960s
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson ellipse dining table new laquererd black. Legs in chromed steel. Made by Fritz Hansen.
Chrome
$878
H 25.6 in W 59.06 in D 35.83 in
Superellipse Table by Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen
By Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
Introducing the collaborative masterpiece by Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein: the Scandinavian Modern Superelips Dining Table. Manufactured by Fritz Hansen in Denmark, it boasts an attr...
Metal, Chrome
$2,341
H 27.96 in W 47.25 in D 94.49 in
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Elipse Dining Table, White Lacquer, 1992
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Elipse dining table white lacquered. Legs in chromed steel. Made by Fritz Hansen. New lacquered by professional...
Chrome
$1,868Sale Price|20% Off
H 27.96 in W 70.87 in D 47.25 in
Super-Ellipse Model B613 By Piet Hein For Fritz Hansen
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Lejre, DK
Super-Ellipse, Model B613, designed by Piet Hein, is an iconic table that combines functionality and aesthetics in a unique way. This table has a white laminate table top, which give...
Laminate
$4,683
H 27.96 in W 39.38 in D 59.06 in
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Dining Table with 2 Extension Leafs Super Elipse
By Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson dining table with new professional lacquered white plate. Two extension leaf of 50 cms. Legs of chromed metal. Model Super Elipse...
Chrome
2005 Piet Hein and Bruno Matthson Fritz Hansen Super-Circular Table
By Fritz Hansen, Piet Hein
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Super-Circular table, Model A603, originally designed by Piet Hein, Arne Jacobsen, and Bruno Mathsson for Fritz Hansen in 1968. This particular example was produced by Frit...
Aluminum
$4,250
H 27.5 in W 47.25 in D 71 in
Arne Jacobsen & Piet Hein Wood Dining Table Mid-Century Modern Fritz Hansen
By Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen, Piet Hein
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Large Arne Jacobsen & Piet Hein dining table. Wood has scratches and chipping, but adds to its pleasant patina. Fits 6 dining chairs.
Metal
$3,301Sale Price|25% Off
H 28.75 in W 70.87 in D 47.25 in
Super Ellipse Dining Table Designed By Piet Hein From 1998
By Fritz Hansen, Arne Jacobsen, Piet Hein
Located in Lejre, DK
The Super Ellipse dining table, featuring a white laminate surface, embodies the collaborative design genius of Piet Hein and Arne Jacobsen, brought to life by Fritz Hansen in 1998. ...
Metal
$5,854
H 27.96 in W 47.25 in D 70.87 in
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Dining Table with 2 Extension Leafs Super Elipse
By Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson dining table with new professional lacquered white plate. Alu side list. Two extension leaf of 60 cms. Legs of chromed metal. Model Super Elipse, ...
Chrome
$2,953Sale Price|32% Off
H 28.75 in W 66.93 in D 39.38 in
Super Ellipse Dining Table With White Laminate Designed By Piet Hein From 2011
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen, Arne Jacobsen
Located in Lejre, DK
The Super Ellipse dining table, featuring a white laminate surface, is a stunning collaboration between renowned designers Piet Hein and Arne Jacobsen, b...
Metal, Platinum
$1,756
H 28.75 in W 59.06 in D 39.38 in
Superellipse Table by Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage superellipse dining table designed by Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein in the 1960s for Fritz Hansen. The table has been produced eversince. This one is dated 2007. Fine and e...
Beech
Sold
H 28 in W 70.5 in D 47 in
Early Production 'Superellipse' by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen, 1973, Signed
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This beautifully restored table is the Super Ellipse Elliptical table by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen, signed and dated 1973, comes with 3 leaves that transform the table to a monumental 117" which is long enough for 12 chairs, comfortable for 10. Finished in a cerused ebony, this "original" example of Super Ellipse by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen was designed and originally produced in 1968. Featuring removable steel legs this table is the ultimate in transformation. We also have the matching dining chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen that originally came with this set from the original owner, contact us for details. This Super Ellipse table by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen, signed and dated 1973, would work great in a Mid-Century Modern, Space Age Mod, Scandanavian Modern or Danish Modern home or penthouse apartment but could also look fantastic in a Post-Modern, Contemporary or Zen / Minimalism room. Also consider mixing it up in a Traditional, Transitional, Hollywood Regency, Classical or Art Deco room with a splash of juxtaposition. Would also be an apt choice in a commercial project such as a hotel lobby lounge or members club, creative design studio or high-rise executive office. ABOUT PIET HEIN: The rational idealist. Piet Hein was neither an architect nor a furniture designer - but a philosopher, poet, mathematician etc. He created the Superellipse as a new oval shape for the Sergel's Square in Stockholm. In cooperation with the Swedish designer, Bruno Mathsson, he later used the shape for the Superellipse Table...
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 27.56 in W 70.87 in D 47.25 in
Piet Hein Super Ellipse Table of Teak Veneer by Fritz Hansen, Denmark, 1979
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Danish modern large super ellipse table designed by Piet Hein (1905-1996) and Bruno Mathsson with table top with new oil treated teak veneer. O...
Metal, Chrome
Sold
H 27.56 in W 70.87 in D 47.25 in
Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson Super Ellipse Table Extension of Oiled Mahogany, 1993
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Danish modern Piet Hein (1905-1996) and Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988) huge super Ellipse table made of mahogany with oil treatment and 2 leaves for ex...
Metal, Chrome
Sold
H 28.35 in W 47.25 in D 118.12 in
Danish Rosewood Super Ellipse Table by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Shepperton, Surrey
A beautiful rosewood "Super Elipse" dining table by Piet Hein and Bruno Mathsson for Fritz Hansen. At up to three meters in length, this table comfortably seats up to fourteen peo...
Chrome
Sold
H 28.35 in W 87.01 in D 47.25 in
Large Dining / Conference Table by Vico Magistretti for Fritz Hansen
By Vico Magistretti, Fritz Hansen
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
Large dining / conference table by Vico Magistretti for Fritz Hansen. Designer: Vico Magistretti (Italy) Manufacturer: Fritz Ha...
Aluminum
Niels Jorgen Haugesen Maple Dining Table for Fritz Hansen, 1993
By Niels Jørgen Haugesen, Fritz Hansen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The "Haugesen" maple dining table for Fritz Hansen, 1993, with hidden extension leaves that fold-up. beautiful maple wood top, vibrant blue accent stripe and collapsible legs. In ori...
Metal
Sold
H 27.56 in W 94.49 in D 47.25 in
Danish Midcentury Piet Hein & Bruno Mathson Huge Super Elips Table of Teak
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Here is a Danish midcentury Piet Hein & Bruno Mathson huge super Elipse table made of teak. This table is made in February 1975 by the Danish manuf...
Metal, Chrome
Sold
H 27.96 in W 47.25 in D 118.12 in
Extending Super Ellipse Elliptical Dining Table by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Shepperton, Surrey
A beautiful extending "Super Ellipse" dining table by Piet Hein for Fritz Hansen. It is 300cm in length when fully extended. Without leaves it is 180cm long. With one leaf it is ...
Chrome
1960s, 'Superelipse' Dining Table by Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
Beautiful "Super-Elipse" dining table. This table is designed by Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson for Fritz Hansen. Made in Denmark. The tabletop is made of birchwood with beautiful chr...
Chrome
Piet Hein Bruno Mathsson Super Ellips Conference Table
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen, Bruno Mathsson
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Fantastic long conference table. Rare piece in this size, only made upon request. Nice white formica in contrast with the aluminium edge and chr...
Chrome