Sawbuck Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner
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Sawbuck Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Hansen & Søn (Manufacturer),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.25 in (76.84 cm)Width: 29 in (73.66 cm)Depth: 27.25 in (69.22 cm)Seat Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Oak,Laminated
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Sagaponack, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 4196.0011stDibs: LU89032696562
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.
- Lounge Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Johannes Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA lounge chair of generous scale having a solid oak frame and retaining the original orange wool upholstery. Two available.Category
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$11,500 / item - Oxhide Teak Lounge Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Johannes Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA very rare teak armchair / lounge chair retaining the original oxhide black leather seat and back upholstery. Designed by Hans J. Wegner and crafted by Johannes Hansen circa 1950s i...Category
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- Oak Reading Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Sagaponack, NYA rare oak "Bukkestolen" (reading chair) with exposed frame and upholstered seat and back retaining the original yellow wool upholstery.Category
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- 1970s Danish Shaker Rocking Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, FDB MøblerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA Shaker Style Scandinavian Modern rocking chair designed by Hans Wegner in beech wood with a woven paper cord seat. Made in Denmark by FDB, circa 1970s.Category
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- 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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- Hans J Wegner Lounge ChairBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in San Francisco, CAHans J Wegner design oak and teak lounge chair model JH-713 for Johannes Hansen, Denmark. Simple elegance combined with high quality construction and restorations make for the perfe...Category
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- Pair of CH44 Lounge Chairs by Hans J. Wegner, Denmark, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Stockholm, SEDesigned in 1965 by Hans J. Wegner. This pair is from the 1970s, produced by Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark. Very good original condition.Category
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- Pair of “CH 27” Lounge Chairs by Hans J. Wegner, Denmark, 195osBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Stockholm, SEPair of beautiful “CH 27” lounge chairs by Hans J. Wegner, made from oak and rattan. Beautiful pattern in the rattan and whimsical carved “horns” at the tops of the backs.Category
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- Hans J. Wegner Peacock Lounge ChairBy Johannes Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Minneapolis, MNAn iconic lounge chair designed by Hans J. Wegner known as the Peacock lounge. Wegner’s post modern idea of a classic British Windsor chair. Its larger proportioned backrest and upwa...Category
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