Hans Wegner Teak Shell Chair FH
View Similar Items
Hans Wegner Teak Shell Chair FH
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),Fritz Hansen (Manufacturer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 26.5 in (67.31 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)Seat Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Teak,Oiled
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1949
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Classification: Vintage.
- Seller Location:Oakland, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: LU9502103368011stDibs: LU950210336801
Shell Chair
Also known as the “smiling chair,” the Three-Legged Shell chair — now merely called the Shell — is an example of Hans J. Wegner’s rare forays into plywood. The pioneering Danish furniture maker, whose works of Scandinavian modernism are among the most celebrated designs in the world, much preferred solid wood, a material with which he had extensive experience.
Wegner (1914–2007) was the son of a cobbler and apprenticed to a cabinetmaker for much of his youth. He went on to study at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (then the Danish School of Arts and Crafts) and then worked as a designer for Erik Møller and Arne Jacobsen in the 1940s before opening his own studio. Chairs became Wegner’s specialty, and over the years he designed over 500 of them. More than 100 of his designs, such as the Wishbone chair and the Papa Bear chair, went into production.
In terms of both process and aesthetics, the Shell chair was ahead of its time when it was introduced in 1963. The expressive seat and back are made out of form-pressed oak or walnut laminates and topped with upholstered cushions for maximum comfort. Wegner made scale models to test various leg configurations and eventually landed on the tapered three-leg structure that gives the chair a feeling of lightness. Nevertheless, the structure is very stable, featuring two front legs made of one continuous piece and a separate hind leg that supports the backrest.
Often described as being “wing-like,” the chair’s radical fluid lines were considered a bit too futuristic when the chair was first introduced during the 1963 Furniture Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen. Initially, mixed reviews from critics as well as the general public along with production difficulties resulted in a very limited early run. Twelve new models were produced for a retrospective exhibition celebrating Wegner’s 77th birthday in 1989, and the design began garnering renewed attention — a photograph of the chair was even selected to grace the cover of the exhibition catalog.
In 1998, nearly a decade following the piece’s reemergence at the retrospective event, Carl Hansen & Søn reintroduced the Shell chair 35 years after it was first released and it has felt relevant ever since. Sculptural and sleek — and “beautiful from all sides and angles,” as Wegner intended for his seating — the Shell chair makes an immediate statement in any interior.
Hans J. Wegner
Best known for his chairs and other 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 Hans Wegner’s best chair designs 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.
Find vintage Hans Wegner lounge chairs, armchairs, daybeds and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
- Hans Wegner Heart Dining Chairs FH 4103By Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in Oakland, CAThree Heart chairs designed by Hans Wegner for Fritz Hansen, Model FH 4103, circa 1953 Denmark. The chairs are crafted of solid beech frames, with heart shape seats of teak and raise...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Teak
$1,400 / item - Sawbuck Chair, CH28, by Hans Wegner, 1951By Carl Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Oakland, CAModel CH28, “Sawbuck” Danish lounge chair designed by Hans Wegner and produced by Carl Hansen in Denmark, 1951. The chair features a simple and elegant design, with a distinctive X-s...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Hans J. Wegner Papa Bear Chair AP 19 & Ottoman AP 29 in LeatherBy Hans J. Wegner, Anker PedersenLocated in Oakland, CAHans J. Wegner for Anker Pedersen model AP19 Papa bear lounge chair and ottoman, 1953, Denmark. Perfectly restored to the original specifications in Swedish Elmo black leather over horsehair and cotton padding. Measurements: 36’’W X 38’’D X 39’’H, Seat Height 16.50’’ Ottoman: 27.25’’W X 16.25’’D X 16.25’’H Additional Hans Wegner Papabear chairs...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Hans Wegner for Getama High-back in Black LeatherBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Oakland, CADanish high back lounge chair designed by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1955, Denmark. The chair is crafted of dark teak with sloping arms, and newly upholstered in a fine black leather. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
$4,950 Sale Price34% Off - Hans J Wegner Danish Teak Mid-century DresserBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Oakland, CATeak double dresser designed by Hans Wegner for Ry Mobler, Denmark, in 1958. This finely crafted cabinet features six drawers, each adorned with sculpted pulls and birch interiors. R...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Credenzas
MaterialsTeak
- Hans J. Wegner Danish Teak Dining Chairs CH 33 for Carl HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Oakland, CAHans Wegner sculpted CH33 dining chairs designed in 1957, for Carl Hansen & Son, made between 1957-1967. The chairs feature a dramatic curved backrest, new leather seats, and is cons...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Hans Wegner FH-4283 Rosewood China Chair, C1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBHans J. Wegner FH 4283 China chair, 1944. Produced by Fritz Hansen in Denmark this version in exquisite Brazilian rosewood is an incredibly rare version of this iconic design made in very limited quantities in the 1960s. The chair retains its original, patinated black leather seat cushion. The China chair was designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1944 and marked a significant departure for producer Fritz Hansen as the only solid wood chair in their collection. Wegner found inspiration for this timeless Classic in antique Chinese armchairs...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Shell Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA laminated orange lacquered "shell" lounge chair with upholstered seat and back.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Hans J. Wegner FH1936 Shell Chair in Beach / Teak Wood and Bouclé, Frith HansenBy Fritz Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Amsterdam, NLShell lounge chair, model FH 1936 designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1948 and shortly manufactured by Fritz Hansen in the early fifties. After the second world war various designers experimented with molded plywood. This chair was one of the results of Wegners efforts with at that time new technique of the future. The frame is executed with traditional cabinetmaker's work in solid beech wood and two molded plywood shells in teak veneer. The chair is in very good solid condition and has some old joint repairs. The wood has been lightly cleaned / refinished to preserve its patina. The seat cushion is newly upholstered in Dedar Nimbus...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Teak
- Pair of Hans Wegner Walnut China ChairsBy Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBHans J. Wegner FH 4283 China chair, 1944 This incredibly rare version of Wegner's iconic design was produced by Fritz Hansen in Denmark in 1977 in exquisite European walnut in ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWalnut, Leather
$19,161 / set - Hans J. Wegner "Venus" Lounge Chair Fritz Hansen Model "FH 1736" in Teak & BeechBy Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in Odense, DKHans J. Wegner iconic "Venus" shell chair from the very early Fritz Hansen production in the 1940s. The chair is made of teakwood with an amazing grain and patinated solid beech. The...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Teak
- Hans Wegner for Fritz Hansen Rosewood China Chair, c1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBHans J. Wegner Model FH-4283 China Chair, 1944. Produced by Fritz Hansen in Denmark this version in exquisite Brazilian rosewood is an incredibly rare version of this iconic design made in very limited quantities in the 1960s. The chair retains its original, patinated black leather seat cushion. The China chair was designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1944 and marked a significant departure for producer Fritz Hansen as the only solid wood chair in their collection. Wegner found inspiration for this timeless Classic in antique Chinese armchairs...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
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.