First Production Wishbone Chairs by Hans Wegner
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First Production Wishbone Chairs by Hans Wegner
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Hansen & Søn (Cabinetmaker),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 21.65 in (55 cm)Depth: 20.45 in (51.95 cm)Seat Height: 16.75 in (42.55 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 6
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Oakland, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU95021073756
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.
- Collection of 6 Hans Wegner Chairs, Wishbone, Heart, CH33By Hans J. WegnerLocated in Oakland, CACollection of six Hans Wegner dining chairs consisting of two wishbone, two heart, and two CH33 chairs. 2- Heart chairs, Model FH 4103, for Fritz Hansen, circa 1953, Denmark. Solid b...Category
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- Pair of Hans Wegner Wishbone Danish Dining Chairs CH 24By Hans J. Wegner, Carl HansenLocated in Oakland, CAPair of authentic Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen CH24 wishbone dining chairs in white oak with paper-cord seats. Stamped. Measurements W 20.50'' x D 20....Category
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- Hans J. Wegner Danish Teak Dining Chairs CH 33 for Carl HansenBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated 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
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- Hans Wegner Heart Dining Chairs FH 4103By Fritz Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated 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
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$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
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- Brazilian Rosewood PE Jorgensen Danish Dining ChairsBy Farso StolefabrikLocated in Oakland, CASet of six mid-century Danish dining chairs designed by P.E. Jorgensen for Farso Stolefarik, 1955, Denmark. The chairs are crafted of Brazilian rosewood with dark figured grains, com...Category
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- Set of Four Hans Wegner Wishbone ChairsBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-Century Modern set by Hans Wegner refinished in black. Paper cord seats, sculpted frames, "wishbone" back. These chairs were designed for comfort and style. (Please confirm it...Category
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$3,600 / set - Wishbone Chair, Model CH24, by Hans J. WegnerBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Lejre, DKThe Wishbone chairs, model CH24, designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by Carl Hansen & Son, are exemplary pieces of Scandinavian Modern furniture. Crafted from black painted w...Category
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- Hans J. Wegner 'CH24 Wishbone' Chair in Oak & Soap for Carl Hansen & SonBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Glendale, CAHans J. Wegner 'CH24 Wishbone' chair in oak & soap for Carl Hansen & Son The story of Danish Modern begins in 1908 when Carl Hansen opened his first workshop. His firm commitment ...Category
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$4,800 Sale Price / set20% Off - Hans J. Wegner 'CH24 Wishbone' Chair in Teak and Oil for Carl Hansen & SonBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Glendale, CAHans J. Wegner 'CH24 Wishbone' chair in teak and oil for Carl Hansen & Son The story of Danish Modern begins in 1908 when Carl Hansen opened his first workshop. His firm commitmen...Category
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