Hans J. Wegner a Pair of Armchairs for Carl Hansen
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),Carl Hansen & Søn (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 29.14 in (74 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Copenhagen, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2032324244942
Hans J. Wegner
Best known for his chairs and seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Wegner’s best chair designs, seen in dealer listings below, have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs, for example the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat, bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room. Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
Carl Hansen & Søn
Family-owned since its inception, Carl Hansen & Søn has been one of the most prestigious furniture manufacturers in Denmark for more than a century. The firm has produced timeless masterpieces of Scandinavian modernism by iconic designers Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen and others.
In 1908, cabinetmaker Carl Hansen opened his first small workshop near Odense, Denmark, where he created furniture by hand in the preferred Victorian style of the times. Hansen expanded his operations by 1915 due to high demand. The larger factory allowed room for more modern machinery and a staff of many journeymen who produced a small series of their most popular pieces, including coffee tables, cabinets and sculptural, inviting armchairs. The firm became known for marrying the finest handmade craftsmanship with efficient production processes.
The Great Depression of the 1930s saw worldwide furniture sales plummet, and many furniture manufacturers were forced to shutter their workshops. At the age of 23, furniture maker Carl Hansen’s youngest son, Holger, took control of his father’s factory and piloted it through the era’s uncertain waters.
Holger Hansen’s youthful enthusiasm, innovative spirit, and intuitive business savvy kept their company afloat. He believed in the quality of the firm’s work and the cutting-edge designs that were produced at its factory, which emerged from modest beginnings to become a pivotal piece of the history of Danish furniture.
Owing to Holger’s leadership, Carl Hansen & Søn emerged from the Great Depression and entered into creative alliances with many acclaimed Danish masters of mid-century design, including Kaare Klint, Børge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, Ole Wanscher, Frits Henningsen and Poul Kjærholm.
None of these partnerships proved as prolific as their relationship with Hans Wegner, however. In 1949, the cabinetmaker moved to Denmark’s Funen Island and was staying in Holger’s family home, as the then-Carl Hansen CEO had commissioned Wegner to create a chair for the company that was similar to his popular China chair of 1944.
Wegner began to work closely with the company’s craftsmen and devised a streamlined chair with a Y-shaped back and woven paper-cord seat. The legendary Wishbone chair, which still involves nearly 100 processes and takes weeks to make, has been in continuous production since its 1950 debut.
Carl Hansen & Søn has manufactured some of the most extraordinary chairs, sofas and lounge chairs for living room relaxation in the history of design. Their dining room tables and chairs run the gamut in style and functionality, from everyday comfort to elegant entertaining. The company’s impressive roster of contemporary designers includes renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the Vienna-based design firm EOOS and celebrated American industrial designer Brad Ascalon. They remain the world’s largest producer of Wegner’s furniture and still enjoy a collaborative relationship with the Hans J. Wegner Studio.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Carl Hansen & Søn chairs, tables, case pieces and other furniture.
- Hans J. Wegner Pair of Easy Chairs “Ch 27” for Carl HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner pair of easy chairs with oak frames. Seat and back with woven cane. Executed by Carl Hansen & Søn.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCane, Oak
- Pair of Hans J. Wegner JH-515 Armchairs for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner model JH 515. A pair of oak armchairs. Seat and back upholstered with brown felted wool. Executed by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, Denmark.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Pair of Hans J. Wegner JH515 Armchairs for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Copenhagen, DKPair of Hans J. Wegner armchairs in oak and cane. Model JH-515. Executed by Johannes Hansen. Stamped Johannes Hansen, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsOak, Cane
- Hans J. Wegner Pair of Folding Chairs for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner pair folding chairs with hanging bracket of oak model JH-512, 1949. Executed by Johannes Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCane, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Jh-515 Armchair for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner model JH 515 oak armchair. Seat and back upholstered with canvas. Executed by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, Denmark.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Jh-515 Armchair for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner model JH 515 oak armchair. Seat and back upholstered with green fabric. Executed by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, Denmark.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Early Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son Lounge Chairs, CH-22 in OakBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CAWegner designed the CH22 lounge chair in 1950 for the ‘Købestævnet’ exhibition in Denmark. The chair features Wegner’s characteristically shaped armrests and a paper cord seat in wha...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Oak
- Pair of Hans Wegner Lounge Chairs for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Pawtucket, RIVery rare and well-constructed pair of Wegner Model JH 812 lounge chairs in chrome-plated steel with original saddle leather, circa 1970. Documented in Hans J. Wegner's 100 Chairs...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- CH25 Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & SonBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Brescia, ITCH25 armchair by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son, Denmark. The armchair was designed in the 1950s by Wegner and has since become an indisputable i...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner "CH28" Lounge Chair in Patinated Oak, Carl Hansen & Sons, 1950sBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Odense, DKEarly production Hans J. Wegner "CH28" lounge chair in patinated oak and dark green vintage upholstery. This example is from the early 1950s and has the most amazing patina and wood ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak
- Hans J Wegner oak armchair Model Ch 28 Sawbuck for Carl Hansen Denmark 1960sBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Paris, FRRare Hans J Wegner armchair model CH 28 in Solid oak for Carl Hansen & Sons, later upholstery. Denmark 1960s Good condition Hans J. Wegner's CH28P Armchair, designed in 1951, incorp...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Classic Hans J. Wegner "Wishbone" Oak Armchair for Carl Hansen & SønBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Los Angeles, CATransforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRush, Wood, Oak
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