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.
Set of 2 Easy Chairs in Cane and Oak by Preben Thorsen, 1957
By Morten Olsen & Son
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
This very rare pair of easy chairs, designed by Preben Thorsen and produced by Morten Olsen & Son in Denmark in 1957, showcases an innovative and di...
Cane, Oak
Easy Chair in Cane and Oak by Hans Wegner, 1949
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
The CH-27 easy chair, designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1949 and produced by Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark, is a distinguished example of mid-century Scandinavian design that embodies...
Cane, Oak
Pair of Easy Chairs in Oak and Cane by Kai Kristiansen, 1965
By Kai Kristiansen
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Pair of Easy Chairs in Oak, Cane and Recently Reupholstered in Savak Wool Fabric by Kai Kristiansen, 1965 Additional Information: Material: Oak, cane and recently reupholstered in S...
Oak, Fabric, Wool, Cane
Folding Easy Chair in Cane and Oak by Hans Wegner, 1949
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
The folding easy chair model JH-512, designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by master cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen in Denmark during the 1940s, is a distinguished representation of ...
Cane, Oak
Colonial Easy Chairs in Mahogany, Woven Cane and Fabric by Ole Wanscher, 1960's
By Ole Wanscher
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Pair of Easy Chairs in Mahogany, Woven Cane and Original Fabric by Ole Wanscher, 1960's Additional Information: Material: Mahogany, woven cane and original fabric Style: Mid century...
Mahogany, Fabric, Cane
Easy Chair in Teak and Woven Cane by Arne Hovmand-Olsen, 1950's
By Arne Hovmand-Olsen
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Easy Chair in Teak and Woven Cane by Arne Hovmand-Olsen, 1950's Additional Information: Material: Teak and woven cane Style: Mid century, Scandinavian Produced by A.R. Klingenberg &...
Teak
Pair of Hans J. Wegner Armchair "JH-501" in Oak & Rattan Cane, Danish Modern
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Odense, DK
Designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1949 this is one of the most iconic pieces of Danish modern furniture design. Pair of rare and early model "JH-501" made by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen...
Rattan, Oak
Pare of Rare Side Chairs in Oak by Hans J. Wegner
By Johannes Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
Pair of side chairs model no. JH504 in patinated pine and cane. Designed by Hans J. Wegner M.A.A for Johannes Hansen in 1950. Great condition.
Cane, Oak
Brazilian Modern Pair of Armchairs in Hardwood & Cane, Unknown, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
Attributed to an unknown Brazilian maker and dating to the 1960s, this pair of armchairs reflects the disciplined clarity that defines much of the period’s seating design. Their arch...
Cane, Hardwood
CH25 Lounge Chair in Patinated Solid Oak and Woven Paper Cord by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
Lounge chair model CH25 designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Carl Hansen & Søn. The chair is made in patinated solid oak with handwoven seat and back in paper cord. The CH2...
Papercord, Oak
Pair of Wegner PP66 "Chinese Chairs" for PP Mobler in Oak and Papercord
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Seattle, WA
At the Cabinetmakers' Guild's Autumn Exhibition in 1943, Wegner presented his first version of a chair inspired by an old Chinese chair, which he had...
Papercord, Oak
Pair of Oak “The Chair JH503" ArmChairs by Hans J Wegner for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Montreal, QC
Pair of “The Chair” model JH501 oak and caned armchairs by Hans J Wegner Impressed manufacturer's mark to underside of each example ‘Johannes Hansen Copenhagen Denmark’. Denmark 19...
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.
