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 Midcentury Original Classic JH-512 Folding Lounge Chair, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Studio City, CA
Iconic in design and aesthetic. This exquisite folding chair was designed by famed Danish designer Hans Wegner and is in its original finish and cane seat and back. The chair has the...
Cane, Oak
Hans Wegner Original Danish JH-501 Chairs by Johannes Hansen for Knoll, Set of 4
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Studio City, CA
Iconic in design and aesthetic. Designed in 1949 by famed Danish designer Hans Wegner and known universally as "The Chair", the JH501 chair is perhaps the mo...
Cane, Teak
Hans Wegner Set of Four Mid-Century Modern Classic CH23 Dining Chairs
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Studio City, CA
Iconic in design and aesthetic. First introduced in 1950 by famed Danish designer Hans Wegner, these CH23 chairs features refined styling and masterful craftsmanship and are immediately recognizable with their curved seat backs and "+" shaped oak inlays. In good vintage condition with the original paper cord (two chairs need some light seat restoration and cleaning. Please see photos). All chairs...
Oak, Teak, Papercord
Arnold Mesches Signed Chair Series Large Color Lithograph, 1969
Located in Studio City, CA
A very engaging and somewhat scarce work by the Bronx, NY-born controversial American artist Arnold Meches. This piece is one of his from his most recognizable works the chair series that he did in the 1950s/60s and perhaps a bit of a precursor to Andy Warhol's 1967 "Electric Chair" image albeit somewhat less provocative. Signed and dated (1969) in pencil by the artist in the lower right margin. Arnold Mesches...
Paper
Doug Ayers Signed California Artist Midcentury Organic Wood Turned Vase Sculpure
By Doug Ayers
Located in Studio City, CA
A very beautifully made, organic natural wood-turned weed vase by famed American / California (Mendocino, CA) artist/ sculptor Doug Ayers. This work has such a great heft and textur...
Wood
Bob Stocksdale Signed Monumental Mid-Century Modern Turned Exotic Wood Charger
By Bob Stocksdale
Located in Studio City, CA
An exquisitely crafted, rare wood charger/platter by American California master Woodturner Bob Stocksdale. Signed and marked ("Harewood from England"...
Harewood
Hans J Wegner The Chair Model JH501 in Teak with Original Cane Seat
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A beautiful example of Hans Wegner's timeless The Chair or Round Chair built by cabinetmaker, Johannes Hansen, in solid teak with its original cane seat. The caning is 95% intact and...
Cane, Teak
Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen Mid Century Danish Teak The Chair
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen Mid Century Danish Teak The Chair This chair measures: 24.75 wide x 20.5 deep x 30.25 inches high, with a seat height of 18.5 and arm height/chair cl...
Upholstery, Teak
JH-501 Armchair by Hans J. Wegner, Teak, Mid-Century Modern, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in PARIS, FR
JH-501 armchair by Hans Wegner, 1949, Wegner's most emblematic armchair in its first version by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, fire-marked. It is this armchair that made Scandinavian ...
Teak
Hans Wegner Vintage JH-501 Chair in Oak and Cane c1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in London, England
Hans J. Wegner - Model JH-501: "The Chair", 1949 This early version of Hans Wegner's most iconic design was simply known as the 'The Chair' when it was first produced or fondly as '...
Rattan, Oak
Caned Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, 1950's
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A teak armchair retaining the original cane seat and back.
Cane, Teak
Classic Danish Modernist Arm Chair Oak & Cane attributed to Hans Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic Danish Modernist Arm Chair Oak & Cane attributed to Hans Wegner, Nice original condition.. Beautiful patina..color , surface,,
Cane, Oak, Teak
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.
