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.
$1,755 / item
Wave Hand-Tufted Rug in Gray by Verner Panton
By Verpan, Verner Panton
Located in Horsens, DK
Seven colored rectangular rug with organic pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand's wool Hand-tufted Color: Gray.
Wool
Luna Hand-Tufted Rug in Dark Green by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton, Verpan
Located in Horsens, DK
Eight colored rug with organic circle pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand wool Hand tufted Color: Tone-in-tone dark green.
Wool
Luna Hand-Tufted Rug in Dark Yellow by Verner Panton
By Verpan, Verner Panton
Located in Horsens, DK
Eight colored rug with organic circle pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand wool Hand tufted Color: Tone-in-tone dark yellow.
Wool
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric board by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
$1,755 / item
Wave Hand-Tufted Rug in Yellow by Verner Panton
By Verpan, Verner Panton
Located in Horsens, DK
Seven colored rectangular rug with organic pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand's wool Hand-tufted Color: Yellow.
Wool
Luna Hand-Tufted Rug in Grey by Verner Panton
By Verpan, Verner Panton
Located in Horsens, DK
Eight colored rug with organic circle pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand wool Hand-tufted Color: Tone-in-tone gray.
Wool
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric board by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric painting by Verner Panton with a wooden card. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Boards by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S, set of 2
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Pair of boards with fabric by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age of the boards. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
$1,755 / item
Wave Hand-Tufted Rug in Orange by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton, Verpan
Located in Horsens, DK
Seven Colored rectangular rug with organic pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand's Wool Hand-tufted Color: Orange.
Wool
"Space bar" by WAS, Unique piece
Located in Marinha Grande, PT
"Space bar" by WAS Airplane trolley turned into an unique Artwork The trolley has been customized by the french artist WAS transforming it into a work...
Metal, Aluminum
Early 19th Century American Folk Art Six-Board Blanket Chest.
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Early 19th Century American Folk Art Six-Board Blanket Chest Crafted from old-growth white pine with traditional nailed construction and classic bootjack ends. The exterior features...
Pine
Italianate Folding Screen by Artmax, Gold Leaf & Cream, 1980s, Italy
By Artmax
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Italianate 3 panel, double-sided, folding screen by ArtMax. The room divider blends Mediterranean botanical motifs with classical revival elements. Each panel features the same desig...
Hardwood, Paint
Winter Rose Abstract Organic Shape Rug in Grey by RAG home
By RAG home
Located in Jakarta Selatan, ID
Winter Rose captures the quiet poetry of nature in hibernation a soft bloom frozen in time. This sculptural rug blends abstract floral gestures with geological layering, rendered in ...
Wool, Acrylic
Georgian Pine Bookcase in Original Paint, Dry Scraped Circa. 1810
Located in Kingsbridge, GB
Georgian Bookcase in Original Paint. Very rare model with trailing Green Vine decoration and gilded coachlining. The bookcase is in structurally very good condition. The bookcas...
Pine
Painted Iron Folk Art Circus Trunk for D. Beer, c.1925
Located in Savannah, GA
A folk art painted iron campaign trunk with hinged lid and tray, circa 1925. The body decorated with oriental man, red horse, blue elephant on front and sides with foliate motifs in...
Steel
Wave Hand-Tufted Rug in Orange by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton, Verpan
Located in Horsens, DK
Seven Colored rectangular rug with organic pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand's Wool Hand-tufted Color: Orange.
Wool
$23,500
H 89.5 in W 17.25 in D 9.75 in
New England Tall Case Clock, Wooden Works by Riley Whiting, ca 1819-1835
Located in York County, PA
Exuberantly painted, New England tall case clock in dark umber, red, & chrome yellow decoration, with wooden works by riley whiting, Plymouth, Connecticu...
Wood
$2,519
H 58.27 in W 83.47 in D 1.19 in
Mid-Century Modern Italian Folding Four-Panel Decorated Screen by Enzo Strada
By Enzo Strada
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian folding four-panel screen with bucolic transfer painting. 1960s Each panel measures cm.53 x 3 x H 148.
Wood
$14,395 / item
W 157.49 in L 118.12 in
Luxury Rectangular Blue Oceano 400 Hand-Tufted Wool Rug by Mohebban
Located in Geneve, CH
Luxury Rectangular Blue Oceano 400 Hand-Tufted Wool Rug by Mohebban Dimensions: W 400 x L 300 cm Materials: Wool. The Sombra collection, designed by Miguel Reguero, celebrates the e...
Wool
$3,096Sale Price / item|20% Off
W 78.75 in L 118.12 in
Modern Design Style Hand-Tufted Rug 'Zen Garden' by Rag Home
By RAG home
Located in Jakarta Selatan, ID
Modern Design Style Hand-tufted Rug 'ZEN GARDEN' by RAG HOME A rug inspired by currents of Serene, peaceful, balanced, simple words that describe the zen garden. RAG under this br...
Wool, Acrylic
Hand-Hammered Metal Jug by Rajhastani Artist, India, 1950
By Rajhastani
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Raj large hand-hammered and hand-painted metal vessel, originally used to collect waters of the three sacred rivers, the Ganges and Yamuna Sarasvati. This large jug is much more than...
Metal
$1,750
H 34 in W 37 in D 22 in
Antique American Blanket Chest, circa 1900, Hand-Painted by Lew Hudnall
Located in Houston, TX
Antique Americana- style North American blanket chest with hinged lid, circa 1900. Hand-painted with a stylized Federal Eagle on the front. One talon grasping arrows and the other an...
Wood, Paint
$6,636 / set
H 31.5 in W 18.12 in D 22.84 in
One off Hand Painted Set of Four ‘Luisa’ Dining Chairs by Marcello Cuneo
By Mobel Italia, Marcello Cuneo
Located in Voorburg, NL
Exquisite set of four ‘Luisa’ dining chairs designed by the Italian architect Marcello Cuneo in the 1970s and manufactured by Mobel Italia. This is a unique and one off set where the...
Chrome
Folk Art Lacquer Speckled Mirror by Artist Ira Yeager
By Ira Yeager
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Charming folk art wood framed mirror featuring a whimsical lacquer speckled marigold yellow finish by artist Ira Yeager (1938-2022). The mirror has a thick wood frame constructed in ...
Glass, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric board by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira, 1970s
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric painting by Verner Panton with a wooden card. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
By Verner Panton
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wooden frame containing a fabric board by Verner Panton. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age of the board.
Fabric, Wood