Hans Wegner Teak and Blue Wool Sofa
View Similar Items
Hans Wegner Teak and Blue Wool Sofa
About the Item
- Creator:GETAMA (Manufacturer),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 70 in (177.8 cm)Depth: 28 in (71.12 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Some brass hardware with oxidation; new webbing.
- Seller Location:Miami, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1958310884003
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 Wegner Teak Table with Hidden Tray, Johannes Hansen, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Miami, FLA very rare two-tier teak and oak occasional table with hidden tray, designed by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen. The end table features a two-tiered design with a solid teak top and...Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsTeak, Oak
- Hans Wegner JH-515 Black Leather Teak Armchair for Johannes HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Miami, FLVintage easy chair designed by Hans Wegner and executed by Johannes Hansen in the 1950s. Rare lounge chair model JH-515. Genuine, soft, black leather in excellent condition. The sple...Category
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Hans Wegner RY-25 Rosewood Sideboard for Ry MoblerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Miami, FLHans J. Wegner rosewood credenza model RY25 for RY Mobler Denmark. The rarest and most sophisticated cabinet designed by the master of Danish modern design in Brazilian rosewood and ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsSteel
$13,160 Sale Price20% Off - Midcentury Harvey Probber Style Walnut SofaBy Harvey Probber, Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Miami, FLLarge four seater vintage sofa in an off-white fabric with light mauve and sky blue accents of geometric stripes and floral patterns with rose motifs. The midcentury couch features a...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
- Paul McCobb for Directional Off-White Velvet Sofa, 1950sBy Paul McCobb, DirectionalLocated in Miami, FLReupholstered Mid-Century Modern model 1307 light cream velvet sofa by Paul McCobb for Directional. The couch has been recovered in a gorgeous neutra...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet, Mahogany
$5,390 Sale Price44% Off - McCobb Walnut and Brass Burnt Orange Sectional SofaBy Paul McCobb, DirectionalLocated in Miami, FLAll original Paul McCobb walnut and brass two piece sectional sofa from the designer's coveted Directional collection. The rare Mid-Century Modern set features: a model 5006-L left arm sofa; a model 5004-R right arm loveseat; set-in arm detail; original burnt orange wool fabric; walnut legs; brass stretchers. 100% original condition. The perfect seating arrangement to accent any decor! The couch measures approximately 77.5 in (196.85 cm) W x 34.5 in (87.63 cm) D x 32.5 in (82.55 cm) H. The settee measures approximately 51.5 in (130.81 cm) W x 34.5 in (87.63 cm) D x 32.5 in (82.55 cm) H. The two pieces can also be used together to create one long sofa measuring 129.75 inches (329.56 cm). The dimensions listed under Item Details are if the two pieces are used as a sectional with a square corner table...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with Hallingdal from Kvadrat. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/3, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Four-Seat SofaBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner four-seat sofa new upholstered with pure aniline leather. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/4, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Four-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner four-seat sofa new upholstered with pure aniline leather. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid soap treated oak. Model 236/4, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with pure aniline leather. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/4, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsOak, Leather
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with Divina wool in 100 % New Zealand wool. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/3, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with Divina wool in 100 % New Zealand wool. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/3, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
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.