Hans J Wegner "2 seater sofa"
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 27.96 in (71 cm)Width: 48.04 in (122 cm)Depth: 29.14 in (74 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950-1960s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Minor structural damages.
- Seller Location:Shibuya City, JP
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9752239543262
Chinese Chair
When he designed the first edition of his modest Chinese chair — or China chair — Denmark native Hans Wegner (1914–2007) had been reportedly moved by portraits he’d seen of Danish businessmen relaxing in traditional round-backed Ming dynasty–era chairs. While the legendary furniture maker’s tribute to East Asian seating — a minimal cherrywood chair with a curved bentwood back support and removable leather seat cushion — called on Oriental forms that preceded him by hundreds of years, it merged the old with the new and was uniquely of its time.
In blending East Asian aesthetics and Scandinavian modernism, Wegner defined an approach that would underscore the sculptural and functional chairs he created in the years that followed. A dedication to craftsmanship, respect for natural materials and fussiness for details owe to his apprenticeship with master cabinetmaker H.F. Stahlberg. After his apprenticeship, Wegner studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and collaborated with designers Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller on furniture for Aarhus City Hall in 1938. Wegner established his own drafting studio in 1943 and designed the Chinese chair in 1944.
In its pared-down simplicity and reliance on soft organic shapes, the Chinese chair design yielded multiple prototypes, and so a collection of chairs inspired by Oriental craftsmanship followed — a line that includes Wegner’s celebrated Round chair as well as the Wishbone. It is currently produced by both Fritz Hansen and PP Møbler. Although Wegner designed nearly 500 chairs during his career, the Chinese chair is a cornerstone of his legacy — a legacy that continues to influence countless furniture makers today.
Hans J. Wegner
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Shibuya City, Japan
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Hans Wegner "Ge-236" Three Seat SofaBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Shibuya City, JPThis is a three-seater sofa manufactured by GETAMA. Its simple design features linear lines, but the angled seat and backrest have been carefully calculated to minimize stress on the...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Furniture
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Peter Hvidt, Orla Molgaard Nielsen "3 seater sofa" Soborg MoblerBy Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Soborg Mobler, Peter HvidtLocated in Shibuya City, JPThis is a 3-seater sofa designed by Danish designers Peter Hvidtand Orla Molgaard Nielsen, featuring a beautiful curved armrest. The overall design is clean and the seat is spacious ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood, Fabric
- Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen "CH28 / Sawbuck"By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Shibuya City, JPThe CH28 (Sawbuck/Easy Chair) is a functional and sculptural design created by Hans J. Wegner in 1952. This exemplary piece embodies Wegner's vision of beauty and function, realized ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Furniture
MaterialsLeather, Wood, Walnut
- 1950s Chinese Chair by Hans Wegner for Fritz HansenBy Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in Shibuya City, JPThe China Chair is the only pure wooden chair in Fritz Hansen's collection. It was inspired by the design of the "Quan Yi" chair from 18th century China and has been in production si...Category
Antique 1640s Danish Scandinavian Modern Furniture
MaterialsLeather, Mahogany, Teak
- Finn Juhl Sofa "BO46" One CollectionBy Finn JuhlLocated in Shibuya City, JPHave been influenced by Jean Arp and Henry Moore, and features the sculptural, organic forms that were characteristic of Juhl's work in the 1940s. All of its parts are composed of be...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Arne Jacobsen, Midcentury Modern "Egg" Lounge Chair 3316By Fritz Hansen, Arne JacobsenLocated in Shibuya City, JPThe Egg Chair, one of the representative works of Nordic design, was designed for the lobby space of the SAS Royal Hotel. Jacobsen repeatedly created wire and plaster prototypes in h...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with Boucle. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/3, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with Hallingdal from Kvadrat. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/3, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with pure aniline leather. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/4, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsOak, Leather
- Hans J. Wegner Four-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner four-seat sofa new upholstered with pure tan aniline leather. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid teak. Model 236/4, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Hans J. Wegner Three-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner three-seat sofa new upholstered with Divina wool in 100 % New Zealand wool. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid oak. Model 236/3, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Four-Seat SofaBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Esbjerg, DKHans J. Wegner four-seat sofa new upholstered with pure aniline leather. Original Epeda cushions. Frame in solid soap treated oak. Model 236/4, produced by GETAMA.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Oak
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Design Icon Ilse Crawford on Her Colorful New Hans Wegner Chairs
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.