CH24 Wishbone Chair in Soft Colors by Hans J. Wegner

About the Item

In celebration of the CH24 Wishbone Chair’s eye-catching form and unparalleled craftsmanship, Carl Hansen & Søn is releasing the icon in limited edition matte finishes, called Soft Colors. A portion of proceeds from all sales of the limited-edition chairs will benefit Be Original Americas’ Student Fellowship Program. As a long-standing member of Be Original Americas – the nonprofit organization committed to informing, educating and influencing manufacturers, design professionals and consumers on the economic, ethical and environmental value of authentic design – Carl Hansen & Søn is committed to educating members of the design Community and consumers on the origin and importance of purchasing authentic design. Be Original Americas’ six-week Student Fellowship Program is an integral aspect of the organization’s Mission to invest in the future of design. Two students are selected to gain hands- on experience in all facets of authentic design, from ideation to production, and from warehousing to showrooms. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, the program provides the Fellows with one-on- one access to some of the design industry’s most notable manufacturers, designers, and retailers. For the 2020 program, the students will visit over 25 members throughout the United States and beyond.

Creator:
Carl Hansen & Søn (Manufacturer),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
Design:
Wishbone Chair
Dimensions:
Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 21.66 in (55 cm)Depth: 20.08 in (51 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
Style:
Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Papercord,Wood,Woven
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
21st Century
Date of Manufacture:
Contemporary
Production Type:
New & Custom(Current Production)
Estimated Production Time:
20-21 weeks20-21 weeks20-21 weeks20-21 weeks20-21 weeks
Condition:
Seller Location:
Farmingdale, NJ

Wishbone Chair

Although Hans Wegner’s (1914–2007) Wishbone chair stands as a classic exemplar of mid-century Danish design, its aesthetic roots actually begin farther east. In the 1940s, Wegner, then a recent graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and working for Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller, was inspired by a series of photos of Danish merchants sitting in Chinese Ming Dynasty–era armchairs. The chairs were recognizable for the single, curved shape that made up their back and arms, a simplified style that intrigued the furniture maker.For Wegner, the first result of the experiments that followed was his aptly named China chair, a solid wood model that Fritz Hansen began manufacturing in 1944. Soon after, Wegner was approached by Holger Hansen, son of Danish manufacturer Carl Hansen (no relation to Fritz), who wanted the designer to produce a similarly shaped piece for his family’s company. Production was slow following World War II, and Hansen wanted a chair with universal appeal that could be produced entirely in the company’s own factory.This requirement — coupled with Wegner’s ambition to create a chair that weighed even less than the China chair — resulted in the development of the Wishbone and, with it, its most recognizable feature: a woven paper-cord seat, which takes Carl Hansen’s craftsmen over an hour to make.Despite the intricate process behind it — the chair requires 100 steps to complete — the Wishbone, in its final form, boasts a graceful simplicity. This is largely thanks to its namesake Y-shaped back, a simple support structure that allows for the back and armrest to function as a single piece and dispenses with the need for multiple back slats, lending the chair an effect of weightlessness.The sturdiness of the paper cord (all 120 meters of it per chair), meanwhile, makes the Wishbone both long-lasting and blessedly comfortable without the need for a cushion, which would diminish the impact of its pure form. Today, the Wishbone — official name, CH24 — is one of the most recognizable seats in the world, and it has been in continuous production by Carl Hansen & Son since its 1950 debut. The company offers it in its original bent oak and natural seat as well as in variations of that model. For Carl Hansen & Son’s 110th anniversary in 2018, the company released a select number of Wishbone chairs in eight limited-edition colors, a testament to the chair’s lasting legacy.