1940s Chairs

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...

Pair of armchairs ‘The Chair’ model JH 501 designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, Denmark, 1949. Teak and cane. Early model with the caned backrest. Stamped. H: 76 cm W: 63 cm D: 50 cm Arm height: 68.5 cm Seat height: 44 cm 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...

Known as The Round Chair, or simply The Chair, Hans J Wegner created the design for Johannes Hansen to display at the annual exhibition of the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild in 1949...

Designed in 1947, this fully restored Hans Wegner peacock chair features Windsor chair styling and characteristic attention to detail. The solid oak and teak frame has a high, arched...