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.
H 28.15 in W 89.77 in D 33.67 in
Hans Wegner "AT-309" Drop-Leaf Dining Table for Andreas Tuck, Denmark 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Utrecht, NL
This rare “AT-309” dining table was designed by Hans Wegner in 1955 and its title of ‘iconic’ is well deserved. As it is no longer produced, this model has become a collector’s item ...
Wood
H 29 in W 76.5 in D 42 in
Hans Wegner JH-570 Dining Table
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Cambridge, US
Denmark, ca. 1950s. A scarce and quite covetable JH-570 dining table by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen. Features a generous rectangular teak top with elegantly beveled lip supported...
Brass
H 28.35 in W 55.12 in D 35.44 in
Hans Wegner Dining Table Model AT-312 Produced by Andreas Tuck in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Dining table model AT-312 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Andreas Tuck in Denmark.
Oak, Teak
H 27.96 in W 63 in D 39.38 in
Hans Wegner Dining Table Model AT-312 Produced by Andreas Tuck in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Dining table model AT-312 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Andreas Tuck in Denmark. Dimensions (W x D x H): 160 ( 280 ) x 100 x 71,5 cm.
Oak, Teak
H 28.35 in W 94.49 in D 35.44 in
"AT-312" Table by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck, Denmark 1950s
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Utrecht, NL
This oak and teak “AT-312” dining table was designed by Hans Wegner in the 1950s and its title of ‘iconic’ is well deserved. Created by a designer who is credited as one of the main ...
Teak
H 28.75 in W 106.3 in D 39.38 in
Hans Wegner Dining Table Model JH-570 by Johannes Hansen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare dining table model JH-570 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Brass
H 28.35 in W 63 in D 33.86 in
Table AT-303 by Hans J. Wegner, Oak Wood, Mid-Century Modern
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in PARIS, FR
Créée en 1955 par Hans Wegner, reconnu comme l'un des principaux designers du mouvement moderne danois du milieu du siècle, cette table illustre parfaitement la rigueur et le sens ar...
Oak
H 28.5 in W 89.88 in D 33.88 in
Hans J. Wegner Drop-Leaf Dining Table Model AT-309, Beautifully Restored
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in St. Louis, MO
Vintage Danish modern Hans Wegner model AT-309 teak and oak drop leaf dining table. Beautifully restored top and X-legs with great original patina to the brass. Stamped with makers m...
H 28.5 in W 50.5 in D 34 in
Danish Modern AT-304 Dining Table by Hans J. Wegner in Teak and Oak
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in North Hollywood, CA
An exceptional example of Danish modern design, this iconic AT-304 dining table was designed by Hans J. Wegner for master cabinetmaker Andreas Tuck in Denmark, circa 1955. Celebrated...
Brass
H 27.56 in W 66.93 in D 35.44 in
Hans Wegner by Andreas Tuck Dining Table 303 in Oak and Metal, Denmark, 1950's
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Uithoorn, NL
Hans J. Wegner “Sawbuck” Dining Table (Model AT-303) for Andreas Tuck, c. 1950s — Oak Version This iconic dining table, often referred to as the “Sawbuck Table” (Model AT-303), was ...
Metal
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
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.
