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.
Nesting Tables in Birch by Severin Hansen Jr. for Haslev Møbelfabrik, Denmark
By Severin Hansen Jr., Haslev Mobelsnedkeri
Located in Odense, DK
Rare set of vintage Scandinavian Modern nesting tables in birchwood and beech by Erik Severin Risager-Hansen. The skillfully crafted tables...
Beech, Birch
Nesting Tables in Teak, Oak & Intarsia by Svend Aage Madsen, Denmark, 1950s
By Svend Åge Madsen
Located in Odense, DK
Rare set of nesting tables designed by Svend Aage Madsen and produced by Sigurd Hansen Møbelfabrik in Denmark in the 1950s. Oak frames and teakwood top with handmade intarsia of star...
Teak, Oak
Nesting Tables by Henning Kjærnulf in Solid Quartersawn Oakwood, Denmark, 1960s
By Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Odense, DK
Set of 3 nesting tables in solid quartersawn oak with beautiful grain and patina. The tables were designed by Henning Kjærnulf in the 1960s and manufactured at EG Kvalitetsmøbel, Den...
Oak
Hans J. Wegner Oak Bedside Tables "Model 430" by Ry Møbelfabrik, Denmark, 1960s
By Ry Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Odense, DK
A pair of Danish modern bedside tables from the 1960s by Hans J. Wegner. Made in oakwood by original maker Ry Møbler, Denmark. Typical of Wegner's designs from this period is the min...
Oak
Swedish Modern Birchwood Stools by Sven Markelius, 1930
By Sven Markelius
Located in Odense, DK
Pair of Scandinavian Modern birchwood stools by Sven Markelius made in the 1930s. These were made to complement his famous "Orkersterstol". Nicely patinated. Can be used as a stool o...
Birch
Danish Modern Hans J. Wegner Table Model AT-8 by Andreas Tuck, Denmark, 1960s
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Odense, DK
Sculptural and refined three-leg table designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by master cabinetmaker Andreas Tuck in Denmark during the 1960s. The table features a beautifully figur...
Oak, Teak
Set of Nesting Tables by Severin Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas Tuck
Located in Lejre, DK
Set of nesting tables in well patinated finished Scandinavian oak designed by Maa. Hans Jørgen Wegner for Andreas Tuck. Great condition.
Oak
Set of Nesting Tables by Severin Hansen
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
Set of nesting tables in well patinated finished Scandinavian oak designed by Maa. Hans Jørgen Wegner for Andreas Hansen. Great condition.
Oak
1960s Set of Three Danish Nesting Tables by Hans Wegner in Teak and Oak
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Set of Three Graduated Nesting Tables dating to the 1960s, designed by Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck in Denmark. The tops of the tables are made with rich teak, and the fram...
Steel
Set of three nesting tables by Rex Raab for Wilhelm Renz, Germany 1960s
By Rex Raab, Wilhelm Renz
Located in ECHT, NL
Set of 3 nesting tables. The tables have beautifully designed legs and edges. All joint are glued and not a single screw or nail was used. All three are in very good condition with m...
Wood
Teak Side Tables by Trioh, 1960s, Set of 3
By Trioh Møbelfabrik
Located in KUTNO, PL
The tables were manufactured by TRIOH Denmark and has the original marking on the bottom. The teak table with ceramic top combines the warmth of wood with the refined durability of ...
Ceramic, Teak
Set of Three Nesting Tables designed by Johannes Andersen for Silkeborg, 1960s
By Johannes Andersen, CFC Silkeborg
Located in Antwerp, BE
Set of 3 Nesting coffee side tables in teak designed by J. Andersen for Silkeborg, 1960s in Denmark. The frames has an organic design base, and a solid teak top, the smallest table i...
Teak
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
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