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.
H 31.75 in W 41 in D 41.5 in
Hans J Wegner Flag Halyard Chair, 1950 Mid Century Danish Modern
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, PP Møbler PP225 Flag Halyard Chair, designed by Hans J. Wegner, features a stainless steel frame wrapped in specialize...
Stainless Steel
H 29.93 in W 41.34 in D 46.07 in
Iconic Hans Wegner ‘Flag Halyard’ Lounge Chair Early Edition Model GE225
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans J. Wegner, ‘Flag Halyard’ lounge chair model ‘GE225’, rope, steel, dark green lacquered steel, leather, wood, sheepskin, Denmark, 1958 This iconic chair, made with 250 metres o...
Steel
H 31.11 in W 38.59 in D 48.04 in
Easy chair 'The Flag Halyard Chair' Designed by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
Hans J. Wegner’s Flag Halyard Chair, model GE 225, is one of the most striking and unconventional lounge chairs of the Danish modern movement. Designed in 1950 and produced by Getama...
Steel
H 29.93 in W 41.34 in D 46.07 in
Iconic Hans Wegner ‘Flag Halyard’ Lounge Chairs Early Edition Model GE225
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans J. Wegner, ‘Flag Halyard’ lounge chairs model ‘GE225’, rope, steel, dark green lacquered steel, leather, wood, sheepskin, Denmark, 1958 and 1950s/60s This iconic chair, made wi...
Steel
H 31 in W 41.5 in D 46 in
Hans Wegner, Lounge Chair, Steel, Rope, Fabric, Denmark, 1960s
Located in High Point, NC
A green-lacquered, chrome-plated steel, beige rope and fabric lounge chair or chaise longue, model Flag Halyard GE225, designed by Hans Wegner and p...
Steel
H 31.5 in W 41.34 in D 45.28 in
GE 225 - 'Flag Halyard Chair' w. white lacquered frame by Hans J. Wegner
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
GE 225 - Early 'Flag Halyard Chair' with frame in white lacquered metal and original flag halyard with lambskin and yellow neck cushion in 'VIDAR' textile. Designed by Hans J. Wegner...
Metal
H 23.6 in W 58 in D 45.2 in
Hans Wegner Natural Flag Halyard Chair by PP Mobler
By PP Møbler
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
This Hans Wegner Natural Flag Halyard Chair by PP Mobler is a timeless classic. Expertly crafted from sustainable & high-quality materials, this chair features artistic design & icon...
Stainless Steel
H 31.5 in W 40.95 in D 45.28 in
GE 225 - ‘Flag Halyard Chair’ early version by Hans J. Wegner
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
GE 225 - Early ‘Flag Halyard Chair’ with white metal base and original halyard.
Metal
H 31.5 in W 41.34 in D 45.28 in
GE 225 - 'Flag Halyard Chair' w. white lacquered frame by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Copenhagen, DK
GE 225 - Early 'Flag Halyard Chair' with frame in white lacquered metal and original flag halyard with lambskin and yellow neck cushion in 'VIDAR' textile. Designed by Hans J. Wegner...
Metal
H 32 in W 41 in D 48 in
Hans Wegner Flag Halyard Lounge Chair
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early Hans Wegner Lounge Chair Original Lacquered Steel Frame Original cord and Pillow Replaced Icelandic Sheepskin An iconic example of Midcentury design
Steel
Hans J. Wegner 'Hammock Chair', for Getama, 1967
By GETAMA, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
A rare Hans J. Wegner Hammock chaise lounge. Beautiful patinated oak frame and original halyard with copper details. Light linen fabric cushion with ...
Brass
Finn Juhl Fireplace chair
By Finn Juhl, Bovirke
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Finn Juhl 'Fireplace' chair designed 1946 and executed at cabinetmaker Bovirke, Denmark. Frame of teak, new upholstery in light fabric by Tove Kindt-Larsen. Very fine condition.
Fabric, Teak
Early Børge Mogensen, 'The Spanish chair', 1958
By Fredericia Stolefabrik, Børge Mogensen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
An early version of Børge Mogensen's iconic 'The Spanish chair' with frame of solid oak, mounted with grain leather. Designed by Borge Mogensen 1958 and executed by Fredericia Furn...
Leather, Oak
Hans J. Wegner Papa Bear Chair, A. P. Stolen 1951
By Hans J. Wegner, Anker Pedersen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Hans J. Wegner 'Papa Bear' chair with arms of teak and legs of oak, upholstered with light soft fabric. Designed 1951 and manufactured by A.P. Stolen, Denmark, model AP19. Very f...
Fabric, Oak, Teak
Early Nanna Ditzel 'Basket chair' for Ludvig Pontoppidan, Denmark, 1950
By Ludvig Pontoppidan, Nanna Ditzel
Located in Copenhagen, DK
First edition Nanna Ditzel 'Basket' easy chair with frame of teak, upholstered with wicker. Designed by Nanna Ditzel for Ludvig Pontoppidan, Denmark, 1950's with makers mark. Very...
Cane, Teak
Original Nanna Ditzel Hanging Eeg chair for R. Wengler, 1959
By Robert Wengler, Nanna Ditzel
Located in Copenhagen, DK
An original first edition of the 'Hanging Egg Chair' by Nanna Ditzel, designed 1959 and made at R. Wengler, Copenhagen, Denmark. Original condition with woven rattan in very fine c...
Metal
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
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.
