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.
$7,075
H 28.35 in W 70.87 in D 35.44 in
Mid-Century Modern Hans Wegner AT-327 Table, Oak, Denmark, 1962
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck
Located in PARIS, FR
This is the original edition of this table created in 1962 by Hans Wegner and made (stamping) by Andreas Tuck. By using vertical wooden uprights to form the belt under the tabletop, ...
Oak
$7,311
H 28.75 in W 55.91 in D 35.04 in
Hans Wegner Teak and Oak Dining Table 312 for Andreas Tuck, Denmark, 1960's
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Uithoorn, NL
Rare extendable dining table by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck, Denmark, 1960s (marked). The table features a teak top resting on an oak frame, combining warmth and structure in a w...
Oak, Teak
$4,469
H 28.35 in W 55.12 in D 35.44 in
Hans J. Wegner Teak and Oak Dining Table with Extensions by Andreas Tuck Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck Møbelfabrik
Located in Lejre, DK
Dining table designed by Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by Andreas Tuck in Denmark. The table is crafted with a teak tabletop and oak legs. It includes two extension leaves of 50 cm...
Oak, Teak
$12,850
H 28.5 in W 94 in D 34 in
Early Hans Wegner Oak Dining Table Model AT-304 by Andreas Tuck in Denmark
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a rare and early all oak Hans J. Wegner dining table AT-304 with two drop-leaves, cross-legs and stretchers of brass. Designed by Wegner 1950 and manufactured by cabinetmake...
Brass
$10,023
H 28.75 in W 30.12 in D 40.16 in
Hans J. Wegner Dining Table for Andreas Tuck, Oak & Teak, 1950s
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
Oak and teak. Measurements: L: 76.5 cm / 2’ 6” W: 102 cm / 3’ 4” H: 73 cm / 2’ 4 3/4" L with extension: 198 cm / 6’ 4”. Hans J. Wegner is the father of Danish design and is well ...
Oak, Teak
$4,245
H 28.35 in W 55.12 in D 35.44 in
Danish Teak and Oak AT-312 Dining Table by Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck, 1960s
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Teak and Oak AT-312 Dining Table by Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck, 1960s. Lovely Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Model AT 312 dining table with frame and legs in solid Nordic ...
Oak, Teak
$12,847
H 28.35 in W 63 in D 39.38 in
Large Hans J. Wegner Extendable Dining Table AT-312, Teak & Oak, 1950 original
By Andreas Tuck Møbelfabrik, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
An exceptional and highly sought-after original 1950s extendable dining table (rare large model) designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Andreas Tuck. This rare large model embod...
Oak, Teak
Hans J. Wegner Teak and Oak Drop Leaf Dining Table
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck Møbelfabrik
Located in Berkeley, CA
This stunning Danish modern dining table was designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck in the 1950s. The beautifully banded teak table top stands on a solid, quarter- sawn oak base...
Oak, Teak
$9,500
H 28.75 in W 70.25 in D 39.25 in
Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen Model JH-570 Teak & Oak Extendable Dining Table
By Johannes Andersen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Sacramento, CA
1950s Danish Modern teak and oak Model JH-570 extendable dining table, designed by Hans Wegner and manufactured by Johannes Hansen. The table features steel and brass arms that exten...
Brass, Steel
$9,000
H 28.15 in W 89.77 in D 33.67 in
Hans Wegner "AT-309" Drop-Leaf Dining Table for Andreas Tuck, Denmark 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Utrecht, NL
This rare “AT-309” dining table was designed by Hans Wegner in 1955 and its title of ‘iconic’ is well deserved. As it is no longer produced, this model has become a collector’s item ...
Wood
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.
