Original Pair of Vintage Hans Wegner GE290 Armchairs for GETAMA, Denmark, 1950s
View Similar Items
Original Pair of Vintage Hans Wegner GE290 Armchairs for GETAMA, Denmark, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:GETAMA (Manufacturer),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 25.2 in (64 cm)Depth: 31.89 in (81 cm)Seat Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- 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. Restored but retain a nice level of patina. Some light signs of wear commensurate with age. New Kvadrat fabric.
- Seller Location:London Road, Baldock, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 18441stDibs: LU2364315427152
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.
GETAMA
The story of how GETAMA got its name is perhaps as unique as the range of subdued but sophisticated Scandinavian modern furniture for which the manufacturer is known (thanks to a partnership with Hans Wegner).
In the late 1890s in the Danish town of Gedsted, a young cabinetmaker by the name of Carl Pedersen opted to use seaweed — rather than the traditional heather or straw — as mattress stuffing. Pedersen named his new factory Gedsted Tang-og Madrasfabrik (the “Gedsted Seaweed and Mattress Factory”), which he abbreviated to GETAMA. Seaweed’s fire-retardant properties make it an excellent and safe upholstery material for mattresses, chairs and sofas. Pedersen leveraged this quality as a selling point — the abundance of seaweed on the shores of Denmark and its weightlessness added to its appeal as an economical but durable upholstery filling for all kinds of furnishings. The crowning quality was its softness.
GETAMA’s seaweed mattresses proved so popular for their comfort and durability that Pedersen had to expand into a larger factory within the first year. He felt almost obligated to launch a line of bedroom furniture to accompany his much-loved mattresses.
The working relationship established in 1959 between Hans Wegner and GETAMA afforded the company the opportunity to break into the international market. Wegner — a legendary Danish carpenter and furniture designer revered by mid-century modern collectors everywhere — became one of the brand’s principal designers and often spent a great deal of time at the factory — refining and adjusting each new piece until he felt satisfied that it was ready for production. For decades, Wegner’s impressive contributions to GETAMA’s daybeds, lounge chairs, sofas and dining room tables became the backbone of the company’s sales.
Over the years, other designers entered into working agreements with GETAMA, including Nissen & Gehl, OM Design, 2R Design, Blum and Balle, and Jørgen Gammelgaard. Copenhagen native Nanna Ditzel, a Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alum who trained under Kaare Klint, designed GETAMA’s Mondial coffee table. Alongside her husband, Jørgen Ditzel, she also created the sensuously curvy and wildly popular Ring chair.
Today, the sleek modern furniture that GETAMA manufactures is still inclusive of their lauded mattresses.
On 1stDibs, find vintage GETAMA seating, tables, storage cabinets and other furniture.
- Original Pierre Paulin F598 Groovy Chair in Fluffy Pierre Frey, Artifort, 1970sBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA highly in-demand Pierre Paulin Model F598 "Groovy" lounge chair newly upholstered in fluffy wool, mohair and alpaca fabric which is produced by one of the most luxurious fabric man...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mid Century Wicker Tub Chair with Pierre Frey Covered Cushion, 1960sLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA mid-20th century wicker tub chair with a newly upholstered oversized cushion in fluffy wool, mohair and alpaca fabric by Pierre Frey. La Maison ...Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wicker
- An Early Afra and Tobia Scarpa "Ciprea" chair, Cassina, Italy, 1967By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireAn early example of a "Ciprea" chair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 This example features its original deep cream leather upholstery and being one of the first ar...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather
- "Robert" Fireside Chair by Pierre Guariche Upholstered in Pierre FreyBy Pierre Guariche, MeuropLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA "Robert" Fireside chair designed by Pierre Guariche and produced in the 1960s by Meurop. Formed of tubular metal and reupholstered in decorative waves of fake fur that is a perf...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
$1,525 Sale Price56% Off - Giancarlo Piretti “Alky” Chairs In Yarn Collective bouclé *Customizable*By Giancarlo Piretti, ArtifortLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA pair of Giancarlo Piretti “Alky” chairs newly upholstered in a 'Parchment' colored Yarn Collective bouclé fabric. Parchment is a light, neutral, sepia, off-white colour, we have...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- A Giancarlo Piretti “Alky” In A Yarn Collective Bouclé Fabric *Customizable*By Giancarlo Piretti, ArtifortLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA Giancarlo Piretti “Alky” chair newly upholstered in a 'Flax' colored Yarn Collective bouclé fabric. The fabric is grey in appearance with a very pale olive hue, we have included tw...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair Of GE290 Armchairs In Bouclé By Hans Wegner For Getama, Denmark, 1950sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in ABCOUDE, UTNice pair of GE290 armchairs by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1950s. Solid oak frame with original sprung cushions newly upholstered in a bouclé fabric to add to the comfort of the design....Category
Vintage 1950s Armchairs
MaterialsBouclé, Oak
- Pair of 'Plank' Chairs Model GE290 by Hans Wegner for GetamaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Little Burstead, EssexThese are in excellent original condition, the cushions retain their spring upholstery and recovered in Abraham Moon wool fabric in Fern Green, overall a great pair of classic mid-ce...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Set of 8 Hans Wegner GE Dining Chairs for GETAMA, Denmark, 1950sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Berlin, DESet of 8 Hans Wegner GE dining chairs for GETAMA, Denmark 1950s This set is newly upholstered in Raf Simons fabric by Kvadrat.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery, Oak, Wood
- Hans Wegner for GETAMA High Back Oak Lounge Chair and Ottoman Model GE290By GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Philadelphia, PAHans Wegner for Getama High Back Oak Lounge Chair and Ottoman. Beautiful Wood in Original Condition. Upholstery is newly done in a Knoll Fabric. All original wire coil springs rewrap...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Hans Wegner "GE290" Lounge ChairBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CAHans Wegner "GE290" Lounge ChairCategory
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Oak
$3,850 / set - Vintage Danish Dark Oak Lounge Chair GE290 by Hans J. Wegner, 1970sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Asaa, DKVintage Danish Dark Oak Lounge Chair GE 290 by Hans J. Wegner, 1970s Mid-century Modern Scandinavian armchair model GE-290 by Hans Wegner for Getama in...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Design Icon Ilse Crawford on Her Colorful New Hans Wegner Chairs
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.