Modernity Chairs

A set of four chair model ‘Corall’ designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden 1937 Birch, rattan, upholstered velvet seat. Labeled. This set of four ‘Corall’ chai...

Pair of armchairs, anonymous, France 1940s. Oak and bast. Loose back cushion upholstered in red wool. Measurements: H: 87,2 cm/ 34 1/4'' W: 67 cm/ 26 1/2'' D: 56 cm/ 22'' SH: 42 c...

Hans J. Wegner is the father of Danish design and is well known for creating some of the most iconic chairs of the past 100 years. The son of a cobbler, Wegner brought Danish design to the international stage through his deep understanding and enjoyment of wood as well as an eye for beautiful and ergonomic design that had hitherto existed. Wegner is seen as the most influential designer within the Danish movement and his early innate ability with wood matured into the gift of an unprecedented amount of over 500 beautiful and functional gifts to the pantheon of design. Hans J Wegner brought Danish furniture to a world stage through his simple, elegant and ergonomic chairs. His CH24 models still litter the offices of design and architectural practices globally and his earliest pieces have become rare design milestones in museums and galleries. Hans J Wegner is certainly one of the most important designers of the 20th Century. Wegner’s first renowned chair came though his work with the Chairmen of the Danish Cabinetmaker’s Guild; Johannes Hansen. Through their intellectual relationship Wegner was able to design a chair he christened “the round one” in 1949 and would go on to be called the defining name; “the chair”. This elegant, restrained, yet organic chair was a pivotal design for Wegner and signalled the beginning of his own unique reign over seat furniture worldwide. This chair also illustrated the point at which the wider world took proper notice of Scandinavian design with it triggering the first American editorial spotlight on Danish Design. The influence and fame of this design can again be recognised in the fact that it was chosen as the seating for the 1960 American Presidential Election debates and shipped from Denmark especially for the occasion. Thus giving the “no.501” its occasional name: “the Kennedy...

Set of three chairs “Typenko” designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden. 1944. Birch and velvet upholstery. Dimensions: H: 88 cm/ 2' 11'' W: 45,5 cm/ 1' 6 1/2'' D: 57 cm/ 1' 11'' Seat height: 43 cm/ 1' 5 1/2'' From 1927 to 1938, Axel-Einar Hjorth was the chief architect and designer at the department store Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm—which was known as one of the most important producers of modernist furniture in Sweden. During this time, Hjorth designed both public and private interiors, and worked with international clients including Iranian royalty. His first project for NK was a stand for the World Fair in Barcelona in 1929, during which he exhibited the Louis Cabinet...

Pair of dining chairs designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1934. Veneered Macassar ebony and velvet. Stamped. Provenance: The chairs are said to have stoo...

Stool designed by Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen for Willy Beck, Denmark, 1950s. Brazilian rosewood and leather. Marked. Dimensions: H: 50 cm / 19 3/4'' W: 56 cm / 22'' D: 4...

Chair “Egyptian” designed by Finn Juhl for Niels Vodder, Denmark, 1949. Made and stamped by the maker. Brazilian rosewood and leather. Measurements: H: ...

Stool designed by Ingvar Kamprad for Habitat, Sweden. 2004. Lacquered pine. Stamped. Measurements: H: 36 cm / 1' 2" Diameter: 32 cm / 1' 1/2".

Stool, anonymous, Denmark. 1950s. Teak. Measurements: H: 50 cm / 1' 7 3/4" W: 40 cm / 1' 3 1/4" D: 23 cm / 9".

Armchair, anonymous, Sweden, 1940s. Fabric and birch. Measurements: H: 100 cm / 3’ 3 1/2’’ W: 66 cm / 2’ 2’’ D: 92 cm / 3’ 1/4’’ SH: 47 cm / 18 1/2’’ AH: 59 cm / 23 1/4’’

Chair, designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Techno, Italy, 1950s. Plywood and lacquered steel.  

Set of five easy chairs designed by Bodil Kjaer for Harbo Sølvsten, Denmark, ca 1955. H: 94.5 cm/ 3' 1" W: 50.3 cm/ 1' 8 3/4" SH: 35 cm/ 1' 1 3/4" The architect Svend Bøgh-Andersen...

Valet chair model 540 designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark, 1953. Teak, oak and brass. Stamped. H: 94 cm W: 51 cm D: 50 cm SH: 44.5 cm Hans J. Wegn...

Set of six chairs designed by Josef Frank for Svensk Tenn, Model 725. Sweden. 1938. Mahogany and original leather. Literature: Kristina Wängberg Eriksson, Jan Christer Eriksson, "Josef Frank Möbelformgivaren", Carlsson Bokförlag, Stockholm 2014, p. K 18 H: 90 cm W: 58 cm D: 63 cm SH: 43 cm Armrest height: 69 cm (at the highest point) Josef Frank was a true European, he was also a pioneer of what would become classic 20th century Swedish design and the “Scandinavian Design Style”. Austrian- born Frank started his design career as an architect after having trained at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna between 1903 and 1910. After his training he went on to teach at Kunstgewerbeschule (The Viennese School of Arts and crafts) where he developed and espoused the new school of modernist thinking towards Architecture and Design that was coming to fruition in Vienna at the time. He also went on to lead the Vienna Werkbund throughout the 1920s. This was a truly progressive group of Architects and Designers who set about improving the daily lives of Austrian people through modernist design and architecture in partnership with Arts and Crafts ideals and construction. Frank’s leadership of the Werkbund had already cemented his place at the forefront of European design. Frank’s time in Vienna was typified by his design for the “Die Wohnung” exhibition of the Deutscher Werkbund in Stuttgart, 1927 where he exhibited along side his contemporaries at the forefront of design, such as the likes of Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. Here he showed a specially designed pair of flat-roofed reinforced concrete houses in what is now seen as a typical modernist style. What separated Frank’s house from the other 32 houses of the exhibition was the interior and furniture inside the building. It was described as “Neo-Classical” and filled with an eclectic mix of period pieces, modern design and pieces designed by Frank himself that seemed to cross the two worlds. This was a complete opposite direction to that which his fellow Architects were travelling in with their pared back and angular aesthetics. Frank said of his own work: “The house is not a work of art, simply a place where one lives,” and by this reasoning Frank rejected the regimental mechanisation of the living space that his contemporaries believed in, instead he set about creating congenial and spontaneous interiors. Frank’s practice saw him placing the bright colours and the soft forms of nature back into the furnishings and interiors that he thought modernism sorely mist. Frank, along with Oskar Walch set up Haus und Garten in Vienna in 1925. This was Frank’s first commercial foray into furniture and home furnishings and the company went on to become the most influential furnishing house in Vienna with a riotous depth of colour and interesting shapes becoming the trademark of their design. However this success was to come to an end with rise of Nazism in Vienna in the early 1930’s. Frank was Jewish, and he and his wife Anna decided they would leave Vienna for her motherland: Sweden, in 1933. Frank continued to design for Haus and Garten, visiting Vienna occasionally and designing the pieces that would continue to be the company’s best...

Armchair ‘The Red Chair’ Model 3758A designed by Kaare Klint for Rud. Rasmussen, Denmark, 1930s. Mahogany, leather upholstery, and brass. This example was produced after 1930. The design detailing of this magnificent chair...

Pair of armchairs “The Red Chair” designed by Kaare Klint for Rud. Rasmussen, Denmark, 1930. Oak, leather upholstery and brass. Stamped ‘RUD. RASMUSSENS SNEDKERIER 45 NORREBROGADE KOBENHAVN’ Literature: Gorm Harkær, Klintiana: “Kaare Klint”, vol. 2, ill. and mentioned p. 79–80. The design detailing of these magnificent chairs...

Set of six chairs model 2025 designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s. Lacquered wood frame and a fabric upholstered seat. Marked. Josef Frank designed this chair i...

Denmark, 1950’s. Teak and leather. Stamped. Measures: H: 53 cm / 20 ¾’’ W: 54 cm / 21 ¼’’ D: 37 cm / 14 ½’’.   

Set of three chairs ‘The Red Chairs’ model 3949 designed by Kaare Klint for Rud. Rasmussen Fabrik, Denmark, 1928. Cuban mahogany, Niger leather, upholstery and brass nails. Marked. Our set of three ‘The Red Chairs’ model 3949 designed by Kaare Klint – they are known as ‘the small Red Chairs...

Set of twelve dining chairs ‘Darby’ designed by Torbjörn Afdal for Bruksbo. Norway, 1960s. Rosewood and leather. This dining chair model 'Darby' is simple yet elegant with a s...

Easy chair designed by Alvar Andersson for Ferdinand Lundquist & Co, Sweden, 1940s. Textile and birch. Marked. H: 89 cm / 2' 11'' W: 71 cm / 2' 4'' D: 69 cm / 2' 3 1/4'' SH: 43 cm...

Armchair ‘Eva High’ designed by Bruno Mathsson for Karl Mathsson, Sweden, 1960. Birch framing, braided leather upholstery and a textile neck pillow. Stampe...

Oak and canvas. Measurements: H: 66 cm/ 2' 2" SH: 33.5 cm/ 1' 1 1/4" D: 68 cm/ 2' 2 3/4" W: 76 cm/ 2' 6 3/4". Hans J. Wegner is the father of Danish design and is well known for cr...

Lacquered steel, leather. Measures: H 83 cm/ 2' 8 2/3" W 38 cm/ 14 15/16" D 44 cm/ 17 1/3" SH 46 cm/ 18 1/8".