After training under his cabinetmaker father and then further afield at Berlin’s Institute of Arts and Crafts Museum and in Paris, Danish furniture designer Jacob Kjær crafted classical English-inspired dining chairs, sofas and other pieces that, many decades later, are understated and elegant in any space.
Kjær returned to Copenhagen in 1926 and opened his own workshop after studying in Germany and working as a joiner in France. His collectible works have all the characteristics that are attributed to Scandinavian modernist furniture — his chairs boast gracefully sloping seat backs and arms that mirror works by designers such as Finn Juhl or Hans Wegner, while his tables and other pieces, typically crafted in teak, rosewood or mahogany, are demonstrative of the deep commitment to craftsmanship associated with likeminded artisans who hail from Nordic regions of the world.
A well-known armchair made by Kjær for use at the UN Building in New York City is the spare and sculptural FN chair. While this iconic seat was first constructed in wood and upholstered in durable leather at the designer’s studio, it was later manufactured by Christensen & Larsen and is now available from Kitani, a Japanese company that offers licensed reproductions of chairs by a range of Danish modernist designers such as Ib Kofod-Larsen, Nanna Ditzel and others.
Kjær participated in the Barcelona World Exhibition in 1929 and held leadership roles in the Arts and Crafts Committee for Export and the Danish Arts and Crafts National Association. He also chaired the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild for a period during the 1950s. An example of one of Kjær’s armchairs is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Jacob Kjær seating, side tables, coffee tables and more.
Rare armchair by master cabinetmaker Jacob Kjaer Møbelhaandværk Denmark 1960
By Jacob Kjaer
Located in København K, 84
This Danish modern armchair by Jacob Kjaer, a revered master cabinet maker and modernist pioneer, embodies the essence of mid-century design sophistication. Crafted in 1960 in Copenh...
Leather, Hardwood
Pair of 1930s danish cabinet maker lounge chairs reupholstered in Kvadrat bouclé
By Fritz Hansen
Located in København K, 84
This pair of Danish cabinetmaker lounge chairs dates from the 1930s, a formative decade in the development of Danish modernism, when traditional craftsmanship began to merge with eme...
Bouclé, Beech
Danish Lounge Chair by Slagelse Møbelværk, 1940s reupholstered in Green Mohair
By Finn Juhl, Gio Ponti, Viggo Boesen, Slagelse Mobelvaerk
Located in København K, 84
This rare Danish lounge chair from the 1940s, crafted at Slagelse Møbelværk, reflects the refined transition from traditional cabinetmaker craftsmanship to the emerging language of S...
Brass
Viggo Boesen Model 30 Armchair, Beechwood & Niger Leather, Denmark 1940s
By Slagelse Mobelvaerk, Viggo Boesen
Located in København K, 84
This rare armchair, model 30, was designed by Viggo Boesen attributed to and produced by Slagelse Møbelværk in Denmark during the 1940s, a formative period of pre-war and early post-...
Goatskin, Beech, Leather
1930s Danish modern Easy Chair reupholstered in Premium beige Mohair
By Viggo Boesen
Located in København K, 84
1930s Danish modern easy chair reupholstered in exquisite premium beige mohair and nut brown stained beech legs. A very elegant piece executed by...
Mohair
Original 1940s danish modern easy chair in patinated leather with brass nails.
By Fritz Hansen
Located in København K, 84
An exquisite 1940s Danish Modern Easy Chair upholstered in luxurious patinated red leather that has aged beautifully over the years. Ornate brass nails adorn the edges, adding a touc...
Leather, Beech
1950s, Danish lounge chair, original condition, furniture velour, ash wood legs.
Located in Tarm, 82
1950s, Danish lounge chair in original very good condition: no smells and no stains. Red furniture velour, ash wood legs with brass wheels on the front legs. Springs in the seat. Man...
Velvet, Ash
Lounge Chair by Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist
By Kerstin Horlin Holmquist
Located in San Francisco, CA
A rare lounge chair from the Triva Collection, designed by Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist for Nordiska Kompaniet. Beautifully restored in an eggplant colored ...
Velvet
Danish Cabinetmaker lounge chair with wool, 1940's
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Danish Cabinetmaker lounge chair with dark grey wool Legs of beech. Made in the 1930s
Wool, Beech
Chunky lounge chair by Gösta Jonsson, Sweden, 1950s
By Gösta Jonsson
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
Great lounge chair designed and made by Gösta Jonsson, Sweden, during the 1950s. Clean modernistic design. Truly a Scandinavian Modern piece.
Fabric, Beech
Mid-Century Modern Upholstery Lounge Chair by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, 1956
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern upholstery lounge chair by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil 1956 Designed in 1956 in Brazil by the designer Joaquim Tenreiro, this lounge chair features splayed feet in...
Fabric, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chair by a European Cabinetmaker, Europe ca 1950s
Located in Utrecht, NL
Strongly influenced by the functional forms of the Bauhaus school in Germany, European mid-century designers led the way in furniture design during the 1950s. They combined tradition...
Fabric, Wood
