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.
$54,133
H 37.01 in W 20.08 in D 19.69 in
Valet Chair Model 540 Designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
Valet chair model 540 designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark, 1953. Teak, oak and brass. Stamped. H: 94 cm W: 51 cm D: 50 cm SH: 44.5 cm Hans J. Wegn...
Brass
The JH 250 Valet Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, 1953
Located in Sagaponack, NY
Iconic Wegner JH 250 'Valet' chair executed in solid oak and teak. The shaped crest rail sitting above a leaf shaped back acts as a shirt hangar while the hinged seat opens forward t...
Wood
$15,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 37.25 in W 20 in D 21 in
Hans J. Wegner Valet Chair, Oak & Teak, Mid-Century Modern, 1953
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Model JH-540 Valet chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen. This gorgeous piece of mid century design is as functional as it as beautiful. The seat folds up to create a rack fo...
Brass
$8,826
H 29.93 in W 24.81 in D 20.48 in
Hans Wegner Armchair Model Jh-501 / the Chair by Johannes Hansen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare armchair model JH-501 / the chair designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Teak
$20,587
H 37.21 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Hans J Wegner, Valet Chair, Model JH540 in Teak and Oak, Designed 1953, Stamped
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Hans J Wegner (1914-2007), Valet Chair, model no. JH540, teak and oak, original edition produced by Johannes Hansen, 1953. Underside impressed with manufacturer’s mark: JOHANNES ...
Oak, Teak
A Vintage Hans Wegner Oak Valet Chair By Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A rare and highly sculptural original Hans Wegner valet chair. Manufactured by Johannes Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark and imported and sold by Knoll. This version made entirely of soli...
Brass
Hans Wegner Sawbuck Chair
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in New York, NY
A Danish oak and leather armchair. Designed by Hans Wegner Name - Sawbuck chair Model Number - CH-28 armchair was designed by Hans Wegner in 195...
Oak, Leather
$8,826
H 30.12 in W 24.81 in D 20.48 in
Hans Wegner Armchair Model JH-501 / The Chair Produced by Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare armchair model JH-501 / The Chair designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Teak
Chinese Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Fritz Hansen, 1943
By Hans J. Wegner, Fritz Hansen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
The Chinese Chair designed by Hans Wegner, manufactured by Fritz Hansen. Cherry wood frame featuring a sinuous back and arm design with a natural leather seat cushion. Designed in 19...
Cherry
JH 518 - Rare 'Bull Chair' by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
JH 518 - Rare 'Bull Chair' in solid oak and with seat of new, braided cane. Original label from manufacturer. Designed in 1961. Hans J. Wegner / Johannes Hansen
Oak
The Chair by Hans Wegner Model JH501 for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans Wegner round chair model JH501 for Johannes Hansen, Denmark. Iconic chair by the master Hans Wegner and nick named "The Chair" after being featured in the JFK presidential debat...
Cane, Teak
Hans Wegner Cow Horn Chair, Model JH-505 for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J. Wegner design cow horn chair, model JH-505 for Johannes Hansen. Rare dining or desk chair by the master Hans J. Wegner in solid teak with rosewood inlay. New cane seat, in ve...
Cane, Teak
Hans Wegner Buck Lounge Chair, Model JH517
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J. Wegner buck lounge chair, Model JH517 for Johannes Hansen. A rare model chair by the master in original finish oiled teak and newly upholstered in a cog...
Teak
Hans J Wegner Lounge Chair
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in San Francisco, CA
Hans J Wegner design oak and teak lounge chair model JH-713 for Johannes Hansen, Denmark. Simple elegance combined with high quality construction and restorations make for the perfe...
Oak
Svend Aage Madsen "Cowhorn" Armchair
By K. Knudsen & Son
Located in San Francisco, CA
Svend Aage Madsen "cowhorn" armchair for K.Knudson & Son, Denmark. Very rare sculptural design chair by one of Denmark's masters. Made with shaped teak arm...
Leather, Teak
Early Ib Kofod-Larsen Lounge Chair, Model 4346
By Ib Kofod-Larsen, Frits Hansen/Soren Hansen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Early and rare lounge chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen Model 4346 for Frits Hansen, Denmark. Signature sculpted solid teak exposed frame making the chair both eye catching and structurally s...
Upholstery, 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.
