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.
Hans Wegner Pair of Armchairs, Model PP-201
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J. Wegner pair of oak armchairs, model PP-201. Oak with papercord seats, top rails with wengé inlays. Designed in 1969. Produced by PP Møbler, model PP 201. Literature: 'Wegner's 100 chairs...
Papercord, Oak
Pair of Hans J. Wegner CH30 Chairs, Denmark, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
New leather (natural) seats. Listed price is for the pair. Produced in Denmark.
Teak
$4,716 / set
H 29.14 in W 22.84 in D 19.3 in
Hans J Wegner Pair of Armchairs PP 62 of Solid Oak by PP Møbler in Denmark 1990s
By PP Møbler, Hans J. Wegner, Børge Mogensen
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Pair of armchairs model no. PP 62 by the Danish architect and cabinetmaker Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) designed especially for the DFDS ferries in 1975. This pair of chairs are made b...
Papercord, Oak
$11,556 / set
H 30.71 in W 20.87 in D 17.72 in
Pair of Hans J. Wegner JH515 Armchairs for Johannes Hansen
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Pair of Hans J. Wegner armchairs in oak and cane. Model JH-515. Executed by Johannes Hansen. Stamped Johannes Hansen, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.
Cane, Oak
Pair of Børge Mogensen Armchairs Model 3238, 1960s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Stockholm, SE
Pair of "Spanish/Hunting" dining chairs model 3238 produced by Frederica Stolefabrik, Denmark, 1960s. Designed by Borge Mogensen. Please note: set of 4 available, listed price is ...
Oak
Pair of Børge Mogensen armchairs, 1960s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Stockholm, SE
Model Asserbo, designed by Borge Mogensen. Produced by Karl Andersson & Söner, 1960s.
Oak
Pair of Spanish Chairs by Børge Mogensen, 1960s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Stockholm, SE
Designed in 1958 by Børge Mogensen. Oak and original cognac leather, with the perfect patina. Produced by Frederica Stolefabrik, Denmark, 1960s. Global shipping available...
Oak
Pair of Spanish Chairs by Børge Mogensen, 1960s
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Stockholm, SE
Designed in 1958 by Børge Mogensen. Oak and original cognac leather, with the perfect patina. Produced by Frederica Stolefabrik, Denmark, 1960s. Global shipping available.
Oak
$99,908 / set
H 29.14 in W 22.84 in D 17.72 in
Hans Wegner Armchairs Model JH-505 Produced by Cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare set of 6 Cowhorn armchairs model JH-505 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Rosewood, Teak
$4,481 / set
H 29.93 in W 27.56 in D 24.41 in
Pair of Danish Lounge Chairs by Hans J. Wegner for PP Mobler, Denmark 1973
By PP Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of beautiful lounge chairs designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by PP Møbler in Denmark, 1973. Both chairs are made out of ash wood and come in a very good original conditio...
Papercord, Ash
Hans Wegner PP51/3 V Chair PP Mobler, Denmark, 1988
By Hans J. Wegner, PP Møbler
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare set of 4 chairs model PP51/3 or the so called V chair designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by PP Mobler, Denmark 1988. Between 1952-53 Wegner desig...
Oak
Hans Wegner CH30 Dining Chairs Carl Hansen, Denmark, 1950
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Stunning set of 6 dining chairs model CH30 designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by Carl Hansen & Son, Odense Denmark 1950. These chairs are an early design by Wegner as they w...
Faux Leather, Oak, Teak
Hans Wegner China chairs by Fritz Hansen Denmark 1967
By Hans J. Wegner, Fritz Hansen
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Extraordinary Hans Wegner China chairs designed in 1944 and manufactured by Fritz Hansen in Denmark in 1967. This set of 6 chairs, made of solid rosewood, is an incredibly rare find....
Leather, Rosewood
Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard Nielsen Portex Easy Chairs, 1944
By Peter Hvidt, Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Fantastic pair of easy chairs designed by Peter Hvidt (Designer) and Orla Molgaar Nielsen (Architect and Designer) for Portex, Denmark 1944. This chair was originally designed as stacking armchair for dining...
Fabric, Oak
Harry Ostergaard Model 61 Dining Chairs Randers Mobelfabrik, 1961
By Harry Østergaard
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Fantastic set of 4 dining chairs model 61 designed by Harry Ostergaard and manufactured by Randers Mobelfabrik, Denmark 1961. The chairs have very nic...
Faux Leather, Rosewood
Wilhelm Kienzle Safari Chairs, Switzerland, 1950
By Wilhelm Kienzle
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Iconic pair of so called 'Safari' chairs designed by Wilhelm Kienzle in 1928 and manufactured by Wohnbedarf, Switzerland 1950s. These chairs have solid oak wooden frames and beautifu...
Leather, Oak
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.
