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.
$52,298
H 37.01 in W 20.08 in D 19.69 in
Valet Chair Model 540 Designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
Valet chair model 540 designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark, 1953. Teak, oak and brass. Stamped. H: 94 cm W: 51 cm D: 50 cm SH: 44.5 cm Hans J. Wegn...
Brass
The JH 250 Valet Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, 1953
Located in Sagaponack, NY
Iconic Wegner JH 250 'Valet' chair executed in solid oak and teak. The shaped crest rail sitting above a leaf shaped back acts as a shirt hangar while the hinged seat opens forward t...
Wood
Scandinavian Armchair "The Chair", Designed by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Scandinavian desk chair in solid mahogany Hans Wegner. Edition Johannes Hansen, circa 1970. Assisi renovated full grain leather walnut Sørensen. The full grain leather is an uncorrec...
Mahogany
$15,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 37.25 in W 20 in D 21 in
Hans J. Wegner Valet Chair, Oak & Teak, Mid-Century Modern, 1953
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Model JH-540 Valet chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen. This gorgeous piece of mid century design is as functional as it as beautiful. The seat folds up to create a rack fo...
Brass
$8,527
H 30.12 in W 24.81 in D 20.48 in
Hans Wegner Armchair Model JH-501 / The Chair Produced by Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare armchair model JH-501 / The Chair designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Teak
Hans J Wegner Pair of Chairs
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A matched pair of classic chairs. Original Cane seats Original surface Branded signature.
Teak
$8,527
H 29.93 in W 24.81 in D 20.48 in
Hans Wegner Armchair Model Jh-501 / the Chair by Johannes Hansen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare armchair model JH-501 / the chair designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Teak
A Vintage Hans Wegner Oak Valet Chair By Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A rare and highly sculptural original Hans Wegner valet chair. Manufactured by Johannes Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark and imported and sold by Knoll. This version made entirely of soli...
Brass
$8,527
H 29.93 in W 24.81 in D 20.48 in
Hans Wegner Armchair Model JH-501 / The Chair by Johannes Hansen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare armchair model JH-501 / The Chair designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by Johannes Hansen in Denmark.
Cane, Teak
$16,485
H 29.93 in W 24.81 in D 19.69 in
Armchair ‘The Chair’ model JH 501 designed by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
Armchair ‘The Chair’ model JH 501 designed by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen Denmark, 1949 Teak and cane. H: 76 cm / 2' 6" W: 63 cm / 2' 3/4" D: 50 cm / 20 1/2" Arm height: 68.5 ...
Cane, Teak
Danish Lounge Chair by Karen and Ebbe Clemmensen
By Karen & Ebbe Clemmensen
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Handsome and well constructed lounge chair in solid ash, with black oxhide sling arms and original leather seat and back. Manufactured by Fritz Hansen.
Ash, Leather
Pair of Hans Wegner Lounge Chairs for Johannes Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Very rare and well-constructed pair of Wegner Model JH 812 lounge chairs in chrome-plated steel with original saddle leather, circa 1970. Documented in Hans J. Wegner's 100 Chairs...
Steel
Six Hans Wegner Dining Chairs, Model CH34 for Carl Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Rare set of six CH34 armchairs designed by Hans Wegner and manufactured by Carl Hansen of Denmark, circa 1960s. Sculpted teak and adjustable backs. Original black leather seats (one ...
Leather, Teak
Pair of Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen Chairs for Willy Beck, 1951
By Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Pair of teak and leather occasional chairs by Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen for Willy Beck. Replaced cream colored leather. Chairs bei...
Leather, Teak
Hans Wegner Settee
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Very Rare and seldom seen Hans Wegner settee manufactured by Johannes Hansen in original wool fabric.
Wool, Oak
Six Early Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Three-Legged Ant Chairs
By Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Set of six teak early three-legged Jacobsen Ant chairs manufactured by Fritz Hansen. See other listing for table. Signed.
Steel
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.
