Arnold Madsen Clam Rocking Chair Norway, Circa 1950s

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Arnold Madsen Clam Rocking Chair Norway, Circa 1950s

About the Item

Arnold Madsen clam rocking chair Norway circa 1950s Sublime mid twentieth century Arnold Madsen clam rocking chair Norway circa 1950s, this rare and stunning rocking chair has been fully restored and recovered in the finest Mohawi sheepskin, the beech legs and arms have been dark stained and polished, this chair was recently imported directly from Norway and will come with pre restoration images, reserve now. Provenance: Private collection Norway, this chair and another Clam chair both came from the same home. Background: The Clam chair or ‘Muslingestole’ is arguably the most mysterious piece of Danish furniture ever made, but now new evidence has come out about its true origin, according to this information, the Clam was not designed by Philip Arctander, but by the furniture upholsterer Arnold Madsen, and it was produced by Madsen & Schubell. The Clam first gained attention in the mid-nineties, various theories have been put forward. First Viggo Boesen was suspected to be the author, then a certain Martin Olsen, and finally in 2013 the design world settled on a story that the chair was designed by architect Philip Arctander and produced for a retailer called Nordisk Staal- og Mobelcentral. But today we can say that none of this is true. New research has revealed that the originator of the Clam was someone else: the Danish upholsterer, designer and furniture manufacturer Arnold Madsen (1907-1989). Madsen's daughter Johna, born in 1943, "My father was a furniture man, and the chair belonged to him and to our family," she says. In the 1950s it was part of the furniture in the Madsen house. Above all, her father reported how he developed the Clam in his basement workshop in Gothersgade, says Johna. it was the chair that started everything for Arnold Madsen. In 1945, the Clam went into production as the first model of the new furniture company Madsen & Schubell. Illums Bolighus was one of them, as were the Messen department store and the Copenhagen furniture store Nordisk Staal-og-Møbel Central. In 1953 they met Sigurd Hassing, who worked for Vik & Blindheim, at the furniture fair in Fredericia. Hassing concluded a licensing agreement with them, which enabled Vik & Blindheim to produce designs by Madsen & Schubell in Norway. The deal also included the Clam. While Madsen & Schubell stopped production of the Clam at their Copenhagen workshop around 1953, the chair continued to be produced in Norway. A 1958 Vik & Blindheim catalog shows it, along with three other models that can be clearly credited to Madsen & Schubell. Summery: Mid-Century Modern Arnold Madsen Madsen & Schubell ?Norway Vik & Blindheim Muslingestole ?Clam Rocking Chair? Mohawi Sheepskin Circa 1950s Beautiful & Practical.

Creator:
Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)Depth: 38 in (96.52 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Beech,Sheepskin
Place of Origin:
Norway
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1950s
Condition:
Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Perfect.
Seller Location:
Longdon, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1832325828282

Shop All Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell

Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell

The history of Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell originates with Henry Hans Schubell and Arnold Madsen, a powerhouse duo in Danish furniture design throughout the mid-20th century. The pair collaborated with Dutch company Bovenkamp on a range of furnishings and created memorable lounge chairs, stools and other seating throughout the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s — such as the iconic Clam chair — that represent the finest of Scandinavian modern design.

Born in 1906, Schubell was an apprentice cabinetmaker turned foreman by his early 20s. As a supervisor for cabinetmakers Winter and Winding, Schubell oversaw furniture production in their workshop until the mid-1940s.

In 1944, a skilled upholster by the name of Arnold Madsen requested assistance from a cabinetmaker to make a prototype lounge chair based on a plaster model he’d made. Accepting the challenge, Schubell impressed Madsen to the point that he suggested they enter into a partnership. The Clam chair was their first collaboration as Madsen & Schubell.

According to Aaron FitzGerald, of Dagmar gallery, Madsen’s Clam chair is “one of the most sought-after and simultaneously misattributed and copied chair designs of the twentieth century.” In the past, it was ascribed to the Norwegian retailer Martin Olsen and then the Danish architect Philip Arctander. It was only through some dogged research by a team of international design historians and collectors that it was finally correctly associated with Madsen.

In the backyard of a modest home in Copenhagen, Schubell built wooden frames which Madsen then upholstered. They sold their finished products to dealers under their joint name, earning enough money to move production to a factory outside the city. Some models were under license by Norwegian company Vik & Blindheim while others were manufactured by Bovenkamp in the Netherlands. The pair’s partnership ended in 1963 in order for the designers to establish separate companies. Madsen opened a new upholstery firm with his son, Ib Madsen, under the name Madsen og Schubell, and Schubell continued to build frames for Madsen as Schubell & Son.

Vintage Madsen & Schubell chairs offer sturdy build quality and the kind of superior upholstery that is typical among mid-century Scandinavian furniture. Working with a range of woods including teak, rosewood and birch, Madsen & Schubell accented natural wood grains with soft lambswool and sheepskin for a variety of comfortable seating.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating.