Vintage Hans J. Wegner Armchair, Model GE-601
View Similar Items
Vintage Hans J. Wegner Armchair, Model GE-601
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),GETAMA (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 21.66 in (55 cm)Depth: 20.08 in (51 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London Road, Baldock, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 13971stDibs: LU236438200933
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.
- Hans-Agne Jakobsson for Markaryd Model T601/M Pendant in Light Blue, 1960sBy Hans-Agne Jakobsson, MarkyardLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA Hans-Agne Jakobsson for Markaryd brass and ivory silk fringe model T601/M pendant, 1960s A Hans-Agne Jakobsson for Markaryd blue colored silk fringed pendant with brass frame, da...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Pierre Guariche Tulip Chair, Cast Aluminum, Steiner Meubles, Paris, 1954By Steiner, Pierre GuaricheLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA Pierre Guariche cast aluminium "Tulip" chair dating from the 1950s. With the metal being cast there is a rawness and imperfect finish to the seat that adds wonderful character. It...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
- A Mathieu Matégot Coat Rack ‘Ideaal’ Model 110 for Artimeta Soest, NetherlandsBy Artimeta, Mathieu MatégotLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireAn ‘Ideaal’ Model 110 coat rack designed by Mathieu Matégot for Dutch company Artimeta Soest during the 1950s. The set retains all hooks and coat hangers and is the larger of the two...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsSteel
- Large Hand-Carved Vintage Biomorphic Bowl, FranceLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA very impressive large hand-carved biomorphic bowl. Beautiful natural features, colouring and contours. A very substantial, impactful and orga...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsWood
- Vintage French Turned Column Pedestal Table, Reminiscent of Charles DudouytBy Charles DudouytLocated in London Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire*Height customizable - height can be reduced on request* A French pedestal table with a turned column stem, reminiscent of Charles Dudouyt designs. Table form most probably dat...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Vintage French Turned Column Pedestal Table, Reminiscent of Charles DudouytBy Charles DudouytLocated in London Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire*Height customizable - height can be reduced on request* A French pedestal table with a turned column stem, reminiscent of Charles Dudouyt designs. Condition, in very good order,...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Hans Wegner Armchairs, 1970By GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CAWonderful 1970s side chairs 'Koldinghus' by Hans Wegner, with arms, in oak with straps of hemp, stackable, very comfortable. Priced individually.Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsHemp, Oak
$750 / item - Hans Wegner GE-370 ArmchairBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Berkeley, CADesigned in 1969 by Hans Wegner, the 370 armchair pairs clean lines with remarkable craftsmanship. The chair is handcrafted at GETAMA’s factory in Gedsted, Denmark by skilled cabinet...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsOak
- Pair of Scandinavian Modern Vintage Hans J. Wegner Model GE-290 ArmchairsBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Kramfors, SEVintage Hans J. Wegner armchairs model GE-290 for Getama Gedsted, Denmark. The armchairs are a mid century classic by one of the most famous names of the time, Hans J. Wegner (Denmar...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsOak
- Set of Six Hans Wegner GE-525 Dining Chairs, 1960By GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CAWonderful set of six dining room chairs, model GE525, designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by GETAMA in the 1960s, in smoked oak and light colored, speck...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsOak, Wool
- Hans J. Wegner Armchair Cigaren Model GE-240, Teak and Oak GE240 ChairBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Hamburg, HHHans J. Wegner armchair, model GE-240, 'Cigaren' with frame of massive teak, armrest of oak. Designed in 1955. Produced by GETAMA. Occurrence of wear, scratches, marks. Note: Cushio...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak, Teak
$2,627 Sale Price20% Off - Set of 8 Hans Wegner GE Dining Chairs for GETAMA, Denmark, 1950sBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated 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
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.