Finn Juhl armchair, Rosewood and Leather Diplomat
View Similar Items
Finn Juhl armchair, Rosewood and Leather Diplomat
About the Item
- Creator:Finn Juhl (Designer),France & Søn (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 24.02 in (61 cm)Depth: 27.17 in (69 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In superb vintage condition. Thoroughly cleaned and polished throughout.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1232215097781
Finn Juhl
Along with Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl was one of the great masters of mid-20th-century Danish design. Juhl was the first among that group to have his work promoted overseas, bringing the character of the nation’s furnishings — and the inherent principles of grace, craftsmanship and utility on which they were based — to an international audience. A stylistic maverick, Juhl embraced expressive, free-flowing shapes in chair and sofa designs much earlier than his colleagues, yet even his quietest pieces incorporate supple, curving forms that are at once elegant and ergonomic.
As a young man, Juhl hoped to become an art historian, but his father steered him into a more practical course of study in architecture. He began designing furniture in the late 1930s, a discipline in which, despite his education, Juhl was self-taught, and quite proud of the fact. His earliest works, designed in the late 1930s, are perhaps his most idiosyncratic. The influence of contemporary art is clear in Juhl's 1939 Pelican chair: an almost Surrealist take on the classic wing chair. Critics reviled the piece, however; one said it looked like a "tired walrus." Juhl had tempered his creativity by 1945, when the Danish furniture-making firm Niels Vodder began to issue his designs. Yet his now-classic NV 45 armchair still demonstrates panache, with a seat that floats above the chair’s teak frame.
Juhl first exhibited his work in the United States in 1950, championed by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., an influential design critic and scion of America’s most prominent family of modern architecture and design patrons. (Kaufmann’s father commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the house “Fallingwater.”) Juhl quickly won a following for such signature designs as the supremely comfortable Chieftan lounge chair, the biomorphic Baker sofa, and the Judas table, a piece ornamented with stylish inlaid silver plaquettes.
As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, Finn Juhl’s furniture — as well as his lighting, ceramics, tableware and accessories — has an air of relaxed sophistication and elegance that is unique in the realm of mid-20th-century design.
France & Søn
Danish manufacturer France & Søn is best known for its prolific output of elegant mid-century modern furnishings in teak and leather, yet its multinational beginnings took shape during the 1930s.
After businessman Charles William Fearnley France (1897–1972) moved from his native England to Denmark in 1936, he began to operate a small mattress factory alongside his friend Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker, under the name France & Daverkosen. Shortly afterward, Daverkosen passed away, and when Denmark was invaded during the Second World War, Charles was captured and sent to a prison camp in Germany. When he was released, the British entrepreneur set out to produce furniture in the early 1950s, setting up a shop in Hillerød to manufacture the kind of sleek beech and teak goods that were gaining widespread acclaim around the world. In 1957, France’s son James joined the business, and the company changed its name to reflect the addition.
Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, France & Søn produced a stunning array — and staggering quantity — of designs, with elegant modernist lounge chairs and armchairs, teak and rosewood dining tables and other furnishings by the likes of Finn Juhl, Grete Valk, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen all gracing its catalogues.
Even as there was a focus on mass production at France & Søn — and the brand doesn’t quite enjoy the same renown as fellow mid-century Danish furniture makers such as Carl Hansen & Søn — Charles France believed in making quality furniture, and the company’s offerings evoke the warmth of the handcrafted work that is typically associated with Scandinavian modernism.
In the 1960s, the company was bought by Danish designer Poul Cadovius, who folded it into the operations at CADO, a company he founded during the 1950s. Surviving examples of early work from the brand as well as modern icons by the likes of Verner Panton that followed in later years continue to be in demand.
Find a collection of France & Søn furniture on 1stDibs.
- Kurt Olsen Leather ChairBy Slagelse Mobelvaerk, Kurt OlsenLocated in London, GBClassic Scandinavian mid-century elbow/desk or occasional chair by Kurt Olsen. Designed by Olsen for for Slagelse Møbelfabrik, Denmark. Smooth sculptural wooden frame that has its or...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
$1,264 - Arne Vodder Leather Chair, Sibast, Danish 1960By Sibast, Arne VodderLocated in London, GBWonderful Arne Vodder designed armchair / desk chair by Sibast, circa 1960, Denmark. Fully reupholstered in steel white Italian leather. Extremely ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
- Leather Erik Kirkegaard Chair, 1950By Erik Kirkegaard, Høng StolefabrikLocated in London, GBThe Erik Kirkegaard chair is probably the most comfortable chair of its kind that we’ve encountered over the years. The curves and angles hold and support the body extremely well. Ex...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Leather, Walnut
$1,405 / item - Unique Handcrafted Scandinavian Oak & Leather ChairLocated in London, GBA remarkable and unique oak and leather chair. Striking curved and slick streamlined frame with a design aesthetic straight from the Moller book. The oak frame has been thoroughly cl...Category
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
On Hold$2,171 - Danish Leather 3 Seater Wing-Back SofaLocated in London, GBA 3 seater dark brown leather wing-back sofa. Produced in Denmark during the 1960's. This is a substantial piece and rather unusual in its design - akin to Borge Mogensen. Down fille...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Hand-Crafted Leather & Oak BoxLocated in London, GBHand cut, stitched and riveted from the very finest heavy stirrup bridle leather. Solid English oak with burr copper rivet base. The box is hand saddle stitched in the traditional wa...Category
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- 2 Finn Juhl "Diplomat" ArmchairsBy Finn JuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAFinn Juhl "Diplomat" armchairs designed in 1961 and produced by France & Son. NOTE: I ONLY HAVE 2 CHAIRS LEFT.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
$995 / item - Set of 8 Finn Juhl Rosewood Diplomat ArmchairsLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of 8 Finn Juhl Rosewood Diplomat armchairs Produced by France & son.Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
$11,440 Sale Price / set35% Off - Finn Juhl 1960 Diplomat Chair in RosewoodBy Finn JuhlLocated in Dronten, NLDistinguished Diplomat Chair in rosewood designed by Finn Juhl and manufactured by Cado. All original vintage condition, marked with silver Finn Juhl label. Fabric and foam are worn...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Rosewood
- Stunning Midcentury Armchair Finn Juhl RosewoodBy France & Søn, Finn JuhlLocated in BROOKLYN, NYModel 209 Midcentury armchair designed by Finn Juhl in jaw dropping solid rosewood. We have seen this chair used as an office chair, side chair, or dining chair. Incredible comfor...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Rosewood
- Finn Juhl for France and Son, Diplomat Armchair in Rosewood, 1950sBy France & Søn, Finn JuhlLocated in Renens, CH209 Diplomat Armchair by Finn Juhl in very exclusive Rio Palisander, these days a protected wood species. The wood has been refinished, and the seats re-upholstered in a green woolen...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWool
- 1960s Finn Juhl Model 209 Diplomat Chair in Mahogany and Brown Leather - CadoBy Finn Juhl, CadoLocated in Knebel, DKFinn Juhl designed the model 209 chairs in 1961. The chair is part of a series of furniture named the Diplomat series with chairs, desks, tables, cabinets and other furniture. The c...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Mahogany