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.
Ejnar Larsen & Axel Bender Madsen Armchairs in Oak for Fritz Hansen
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Stunning pair of Danish oak occasional chairs designed by Axel Bender Madsen and Einar Larsen for Fritz Hansen. The chairs feature a nice arm / backrest detail and new caramel leathe...
Leather, Oak
Borge Mogensen Model 233 Oak Armchair for Fredericia
By Børge Mogensen
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Model 233 oak armchair designed by Borge Mogensen for Fredericia, Denmark. This design was manufactured by Fredericia for only a brief period making it relatively rare. The construct...
Oak
Arne Vodder Sculpted Teak Reclining Lounge Chair for France & Son
By Arne Vodder
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Stunning model FD164 teak recliner designed by Arne Vodder in 1962 for France & Son, Denmark. This piece features beautifully sculpted armrests, an open contoured backrest, and three...
Teak
Bruno Mathsson 'Mina' Chairs for Dux, Sweden
By Bruno Mathsson
Located in Winnipeg, MB
An incredible pair of ‘Mina’ lounge chairs designed by Bruno Mathsson for Dux, Sweden. These chairs feature beautifully sculptural bentwood frames with cotton webbing and are amazing...
Cotton, Beech
Hans Wegner AP33 Four-seater Sofa for A.P. Stolen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Monumental and rare four-seater AP33 sofa designed by Hans Wegner for AP Stolen, Denmark. This piece features angled oak legs and the original wool upholstery. It has a streamlined a...
Wool, Upholstery, Oak
Cees Braakman
By Cees Braakman
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Beautiful sculptural wire chair designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Netherlands. This piece features a wire mesh body upon an angular sled base. Measures 23”’W x 24” D x 29” H back...
Metal
Oak and Leather Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An oak armchair having an exposed frame with a gently curved seat and back wrapped in leather.
Leather, Oak
Hans Wegner JH-713 Armchair in Oak and Leather
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in London, England
Hans J. Wegner, JH-713 Armchair, 1957 The JH-713 chair is from Danish master Hans Wegner’s golden collaboration period in the 1950s with master cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen. Intende...
Leather, Oak
Hans Wegner JH-515 Black Leather Teak Armchair for Johannes Hansen
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage easy chair designed by Hans Wegner and executed by Johannes Hansen in the 1950s. Rare lounge chair model JH-515. Genuine, soft, black leather in excellent condition. The sple...
Teak, Leather
Hans Wegner Model JH-713 Teak Armchair For Johannes Hansen / Knoll Assoc.
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This iconic Danish modern model is JH-713 armchair was designed by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen in the 1950s. The chair features a splendidly sculpted teak open frame with a rich ...
Teak, Leather
Oxhide Teak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A very rare teak armchair / lounge chair retaining the original oxhide black leather seat and back upholstery. Designed by Hans J. Wegner and crafted by Johannes Hansen circa 1950s i...
Leather, Teak
Scandinavin Modern Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner "AP-16" Oak & Leather, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, A.P. Stolen
Located in Odense, DK
Rare vintage ap16 lounge chair from the early production by Hans J. Wegner manufactured at "AP stolen" in the 1950s. Hand crafted by Danish cabinetmaker in solid oakwood with an amaz...
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.
