Hans J. Wegner Scandinavian Modern Oak and Mahogany Blanket Chest, Model GE20
View Similar Items
Hans J. Wegner Scandinavian Modern Oak and Mahogany Blanket Chest, Model GE20
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),GETAMA (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 13.78 in (35 cm)Width: 29.53 in (75 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1958
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Refinished by a skilled Danish cabinetmaker. The chest has some old paint stains underneath.
- Seller Location:Odense, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3793118632562
Hans J. Wegner
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.
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 Danish Modern "GE-240" Lounge Chairs in Oak, GETAMA 1955By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Odense, DKRare early set of "Cigar" lounge chairs by Hans J. Wegner from the original GETAMA production of the iconic GE-240 series. This set has only had one owner who bought the set in the m...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner 1950s Danish Modern Daybed in Oak and Rattan "GE7" Made at GETAMABy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Odense, DKDesigned by Hans Wegner for GETAMA this amazing convertible daybed / sofa features a beautifully patinated oak frame and woven cane / rattan back seat which reveals a hidden space fo...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Daybeds
MaterialsCane, Rattan, Oak, Wool
- Pair of Scandinavian Modern Stools in Oak and Sheepskin, Denmark, 1960sBy Arne Wahl IversenLocated in Odense, DKSet of charming stools by Danish Designer Arne Wahl-Iversen made in the 1960s. The stools have been reupholstered in long-haired organic sheepskin. The stools are made for storage. ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsSheepskin, Oak
- Scandinavian Modern Kurt Østervig Cubic Side Tables, Oak & Glass, 1960sBy Kurt ØstervigLocated in Odense, DKSet of classic Danish Modern side tables in solid oak and heavy smoked glass. Made in the 1960s by Kurt Østervig and manufactured by "KP Møbler", Denmark. With original labels from m...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsGlass, Oak
- Pair of Hans J. Wegner Armchair "JH-501" in Oak & Rattan Cane, Danish ModernBy Johannes Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Odense, DKDesigned by Hans J. Wegner in 1949 this is one of the most iconic pieces of Danish modern furniture design. Pair of rare and early model "JH-501" made by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsOak, Rattan
- Hans J. Wegner Coffee Table "At-10" in Teak, Oak and Cane, Andreas Tuck, 1950sBy Andreas Tuck, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Odense, DKIconic and rare Hans J. Wegner coffee table in solid teakwood, oak and rattan cane made by cabinetmaker Andreas Tuck, Odense, Denmark. This model "AT-10" is one of Wegner's most soug...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCane, Oak, Teak
- Scandinavian Modern Teak Blanket Trunk ChestLocated in Freehold, NJThis Scandinavian Modern style blanket chest features solid teak construction, brass accented hinges, and a carved pull. There is stainless hardware...Category
Mid-20th Century Thai Scandinavian Modern Blanket Chests
MaterialsTeak
- Hans Wegner GE - 430 Nightstand, Stained OakBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Berkeley, CADesigned by Hans Wegner for GETAMA in 1969, the 430 nightstand features unparalleled craftsmanship. This chest is hand built at GETAMA’s factory in Gedsted, Denmark by skilled cabine...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsOak
$1,144 / item - English Mahogany Blanket ChestLocated in Hollywood, SCEnglish mahogany one drawer flip top blanket chest with ogee bracket feet and original side handles & brassesCategory
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Blanket Chests
- English Oak Blanket ChestLocated in Wilson, NCThis English oak blanket chest has exposed peg construction. The front has three raised panels with two drawers having thumbnail molding. The...Category
Antique 1720s English Blanket Chests
MaterialsBrass
- Antique Oak Blanket ChestLocated in Bradenton, FLAn arts and crafts period blanket chest made of oak, stained in a mahogany brown. The lid with three panels is hinged and opens revealing a lift out tray made of pine, with more stor...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Blanket Chests
MaterialsOak
- Irish Georgian Mahogany Blanket ChestLocated in Essex, MAWith a rectangular hinged top with molded edge over a conforming case with deep well over a long drawer. The base with two drawers over a central carved scallop shell...Category
Antique 1780s Irish Georgian Blanket Chests
MaterialsMahogany
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.