Early Hans J. Wegner Halyard Chair for GETAMA
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Early Hans J. Wegner Halyard Chair for GETAMA
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),GETAMA (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 40.95 in (104 cm)Width: 45.28 in (115 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Copenhagen, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU100828910793
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 J. Wegner 'Hammock Chair', for Getama, 1967By GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKA rare Hans J. Wegner Hammock chaise lounge. Beautiful patinated oak frame and original halyard with copper details. Light linen fabric cushion with ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
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- Hans J. Wegner Papa Bear Chair, A. P. Stolen 1951By Anker Pedersen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans 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...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Lounge Chairs
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- Pair of Hans J. Wegner Ox Chairs, Edition AP Stolen, 1960By Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKA pair of Hans J. Wegner ox chairs with tubular steel frame upholstered with light canvas fabric and leather piping’s. Designed 1960 and made at AP Stolen, Denmark model AP46 and AP...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
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- Hans J. Wegner China Chair in Rosewood for Fritz Hansen, 1944By Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner China chair in Brazilian rosewood with leather cushion. Designed 1944 and executed at Fritz Hansen app, 1960s. Very good condition. Available as a pair.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
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- Early Nanna Ditzel 'Basket chair' for Ludvig Pontoppidan, Denmark, 1950By Ludvig Pontoppidan, Nanna DitzelLocated in Copenhagen, DKFirst 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...Category
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- Hans J. Wegner Sabre Leg Table Model AT-304 for Andreas TuckBy Andreas Tuck, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner oak dining table with two drop-leaves and cross-legs, stretchers of brass. Very fine condition. Designed by Wegner 1950 and manufactured by cabinetmaker Andreas Tuck...Category
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- Hans J. Wegner Flag Halyard Chair "Model Ge-225" for GETAMA, Denmark 1950sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Utrecht, NLWhen this iconic model was released in 1950, the unusual combination of rope, white-varnished steel and sheepskin had never been seen before in the furniture industry. It was a way for Hans Wegner to demonstrate his ability to design innovative, practical and comfortable furniture with every possible material. Unveiled in Copenhagen in 1950 at an exhibition at the Designmuseum Danmark, the design received mixed reviews. Kaare Klint famously likened it to something from a gynaecologist’s office. But from the jump, fashion people fawned. It was splashed across magazines, models posing on its tightly wound string seat. The Flaglinestol or Flag Halyard string-wrapped lounge chair quickly became a 21st-century icon. The story goes that in 1949 Wegner was at the beach, digging himself into the sand when he found the perfect lean-back position for seaside repose, which inspired him to make it in something more sturdy. This gave birth to this chair with its famous steel frame wrapped in rope commonly used for flagpoles. The ergonomic, spaceship-like form still looks innovative despite being over 70 years old. The bottom frame is made of a white-varnished steel structure with beechwood leg caps. The legs are splayed with the front ones connected by a stretcher, establishing the firm base for the body. The top-frame is made of chrome-plated steel that serves as the frame for the stretched halyard. Halyard rope, or flagpole rope, is traditionally used to raise and lower a flag on most external halyard flagpoles. The unusual combination of materials is continued by the cognac leather head pillow secured to the back. The chair is cosied up with sheepskin that - along with the headrest - softens the industrial shape of the steel. This iconic Wegner model was already presented at The Arts & Crafts Spring Exhibition at Designmuseum Danmark in 1950. For several decades it was manufactured by Danish brand Getama in small quantities. In the late ’80s it went out of production altogether. PP Møbler...Category
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- Hans Wegner Early Flag Halyard Chair with SheepskinBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in SAINT LOUIS, MOAn early c. 1950 Flag Halyard chair in very good vintage condition. Hans Wegner conceived this iconic design while lounging at the beach. We added one of our cozy, high loft Californ...Category
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- Cigar Chair Model GE240 by Hans J Wegner for GetamaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Little Burstead, EssexA very nice example of this classic chair, freshly uphosltered in Mocha coloured Boucle fabric. The frame in Oak and all in great condition.Category
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- Set of Chairs by Hans Wegner for GETAMA, 1980sBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Schagen, NLRare set of chairs, consisting of an easy and a lounge chair, designed by Hans Wegner for GETAMA in 1984. They were produced, circa 1990s. This set features a beautiful upholstery i...Category
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$3,295 Sale Price / set20% Off - Early Pair of Oak 'GE-290' Lounge Chairs by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1953By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Antwerpen, VANStraight from Denmark comes this original pair of lounge chairs designed in 1953 by the master himself, Hans J. Wegner. This is model ‘GE-290’ with solid oak frames and the original ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
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$7,468 Sale Price / set20% Off
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