Who designed the clam chair?

Arnold Madsen designed the Clam chair. In the past, it was ascribed to the Norwegian retailer Martin Olsen and then the Danish architect Philip Arctander. It was only through some dogged research by a team of international design historians and collectors that it was finally correctly associated with Madsen, an upholsterer by profession who created it in Copenhagen in 1944. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Clam chairs from some of the world’s top sellers.

Is the Clam chair comfortable?

Yes, the Clam chair is comfortable. Arnold Madsen designed the angle of the seat and the curving contours of the iconic chair to fit the shape of the human body so that the piece could provide optimal support. Although for decades, the piece was the victim of cheap reproductions and misattributions, to fellow Scandinavians Viggo Boesen and Martin Olsen, among others, in recent years it has steadily climbed the ranks in the trophy market, going for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. Today, it’s one of the fashion set’s most beloved pieces, with fans as starry as Los Angeles art dealer Maggie Kayne and style setter Vanessa Traina. Find a range of Clam chairs on 1stDibs.

How old does a chair have to be to be vintage?

To be vintage, a chair typically needs to be at least 20 years old, while a chair older than 100 years is an antique. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique, vintage and modern dining chairs from some of the world's top sellers.

How can I tell if a chair is vintage?

Many factors like wood, construction, and patina come into play when you date a vintage chair. If you can’t find a maker’s mark or any other kind of identifying mark on the piece, consult a furniture encyclopedia or a certified expert. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of vintage chairs from some of the world’s top sellers.

How can you tell how old a vintage chair is?

To tell how old a vintage chair is, first try and locate the manufacturer's label, tag or mark. Typically, identifying markings and tags appear under cushions or on the undersides of chairs. You may find that the date of manufacturing appears on the label or tag. If not, check trusted online resources to find out when the manufacturer was in business to make an estimate of the age. When in doubt, enlist the help of a certified appraiser or antiques dealer to help you date a particular chair. Find an assortment of antique, vintage and modern chairs on 1stDibs.

How do you identify a vintage Gunlocke chair?

To identify a vintage Gunlocke chair, examine the legs. Most pieces will feature a tag that bears the brand name. On antique and early vintage chairs, the label will usually be made of paper or leather, while riveted brass tags appear on later vintage and contemporary chairs. Once you've confirmed that Gunlocke is the maker by checking the tag, browse the company's catalogues, which are available online, to determine approximately when it was made. Some tags may include a style or color number that will expedite the search. If your chair is 20 to 99 years old, it is vintage, while pieces that are 100 years old or older are antiques. You may wish to enlist the help of a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antiques dealer when identifying your chair. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Gunlocke chairs.

Is my vintage Eames chair real?

To know if your vintage Eames chair is real, check for a reclining mechanism. On original chairs, the back had a permanent reclined position, so no mechanism is necessary. Also, a vintage piece is around 32 inches high, while later reproductions are normally bigger. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of expertly vetted Eames chairs.

What size chair or stool fits a vintage makeup vanity?

Most vanities are designed for a low stool or slipper chair; listings include the knee-clearance height so buyers can confirm fit before purchasing.

Vintage Clam Chair

Mid Century Shell Chair

Arnold Madsen

Clam Shell

Curly Sheepskin

1950s Danish Lounge Chairs

Clam Armchair

Shearling Chairs

Arctander Sheepskin

Rare Clam Chairs by Arnold Madsen, Beechwood & Sheepskin, 1944

$56,850 / set

Rare Clam Chairs by Arnold Madsen, Beechwood & Sheepskin, 1944

By Madsen & Schubell, Arnold Madsen

Located in Antwerpen, Vlaanderen

A rare pair of Clam chairs designed by Arnold Madsen for Madsen & Schubell, Denmark, 1944.

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Sheepskin, Wool, Beech

$20,370

Mid-Century Original Danish Clam Chair Attr. to Arnold Madsen

Located in London, GB

An increasingly hard to find 'clam' chair. Denmark, c1950s. Attributed to Arnold Madsen, similar models were made by Philip Arctander.

Category

1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Wood

$4,200

Midcentury Danish Clam Style Lounge Chair, 1950s

Located in Bridgeport, CT

Charming early 1950's clam-style lounge chair made in Denmark from stained and varnished beech wood.

Category

1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Wool, Beech

$3,800 / set

Swedish Modern Lounge Chairs, Clam Shaped, 1940s Scandinavian Design

Located in Stockholm, SE

A pair of clam shaped Swedish Modern chairs, 1940s. These lounges are decorative as well as comfortable.

Category

1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Wool, Beech

Postmodern Black Clam Shells Swivel Lounge Chairs - A Pair

$1,283 / set

Postmodern Black Clam Shells Swivel Lounge Chairs - A Pair

Located in Delray Beach, FL

Postmodern Black Clam Shell Swivel Chairs — sculptural pair with bold curves and swivel bases, ideal for refined modern interiors.

Category

1980s American Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Fabric

$1,500

Round Mid-Century Club Chair

Located in Brooklyn, NY

White vinyl club chair with thick cushioning. Clam style lounge chair.

Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Fabric

Reupholstered Vintage Milo Baughman Thin Line Shell Chair

$3,200

$2,400 / set

Set of Four Vintage Clam Shell Metal Spring Armchairs

Located in Sheffield, MA

Set of (4) vintage metal patio lawn clam shell garden chairs with spring base for extra comfort.

Category

Mid-20th Century American Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Metal

Art Deco German Chair in Walnut

$6,400 / item

Art Deco German Chair in Walnut

Located in Houston, TX

Designed in a clam shape, the chair's back is covered in wood that displays a unique grain.

Category

1940s German Art Deco Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Mid Century Modern Walnut Clam Chairs by Kodawood, a Pair, c, 1960s

Unavailable

H 30 in W 23 in D 25 in

Mid Century Modern Walnut Clam Chairs by Kodawood, a Pair, c, 1960s

By Kodawood

Located in Weehawken, NJ

Pair of Mid Century Modern Clam chairs designed by Seymour James Wiener for Kodawood, c. 1960’s.

Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Walnut

Philip Arctander-Clam Chair, 1944

Unavailable

H 29.92 in W 26.38 in D 35.04 in

Philip Arctander-Clam Chair, 1944

By Philip Arctander

Located in Los Gatos, CA

Easy chair with round oak armrests and legs, seat and back upholstered with light stribed button fitted wool. Designed 1944. Manufactured by Nordisk Staal- & Møbel Central, Denmark. ...

Materials

Sheepskin, Beech

Philip Arctander Sheepskin Clam Chair, 1950s

Sold

H 32.29 in W 25.6 in D 31.5 in

Philip Arctander Sheepskin Clam Chair, 1950s

By Philip Arctander, Vik & Blindheim

Located in London, England

Philip Arctander "Muslingestolen" aka the clam chair, 1944. Lounge chair designed in 1944 by Danish architect Philip Arctander, the "Muslingestolen" or Clam chair was first pro...

Category

1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Sheepskin, Beech

Philip Arctander, "Clam" Chair, Denmark, 1940s

Sold

H 28.75 in W 24.41 in D 31.5 in

Philip Arctander, "Clam" Chair, Denmark, 1940s

By Philip Arctander

Located in Stockholm, SE

The "Clam chair" by Philip Arctander, 1940s with round armrests and legs of wood.

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Wool

Sold

H 30.71 in W 25.6 in D 30.32 in

Pair of Philip Arctander Clam Chairs, 1944

By Philip Arctander

Located in Copenhagen, DK

A pair of Philip Arctander clam chairs with legs of birch, upholstered with lamb skin fitted with buttons.

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Philip Arctander Clam Chair

Sold

H 33.47 in W 25.6 in D 35.44 in

Philip Arctander Clam Chair

By Philip Arctander

Located in Copenhagen, DK

A Philip Arctander clam chair with legs of stained wood upholstered with white sheep skin.

Clam Chair Originally by Phillip Arctander and Paustian

Sold

H 30.32 in W 24.81 in D 28.35 in

Clam Chair Originally by Phillip Arctander and Paustian

By Paustian, Philip Arctander

Located in Lejre, DK

The clam chair originally designed by Phillip Arctander in 1944 and manufactured by Paustian.

Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Sheepskin, Oak

Sold

H 33.47 in W 25.2 in D 35.04 in

Pair of Philip Arctander Clam Chairs

By Philip Arctander

Located in Amarillo, TX

Philip Arctander. Lounge chairs (pair). 1940s, Denmark, Sweden. Lacquered birch, lamb skin or wool, wooden buttons. Dimensions: Height 85 cm, depth 89 cm, width 64 cm, seat h...

Category

1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Sold

H 30 in W 25 in D 29 in

Style of Philip Arctander "Clam Chair" in Lamb Fur

By Philip Arctander

Located in Brooklyn, NY

One of a kind design in the style of Philip Arctander features a solid birch frame with club feet and looped armrests. Upholstered in a soft lamb fur. It's as much a statement piece...

Category

1940s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Original Vintage Clam Chair by Phillip Achtander Danish Modern, 1940s

Sold

H 30.32 in W 25.6 in D 34.26 in

Original Vintage Clam Chair by Phillip Achtander Danish Modern, 1940s

By Philip Arctander

Located in Lejre, DK

Lounge chair with round armrests and legs of patinated beech. Seat and back in original upholstered. Designed by Danish architect Philip Arctander for Nordisk Staal- & Møbel Central ...

Category

1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Beech

A wood and yellow fabric lounge chair designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1940s. In good vintage condition, with visible wear consistent with age and use. Reupholstered in brand new...

Category

1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Restored Danish Clam Chair by Arnold Madsen, Natural Sheepskin, 1950

$8,600 / item

H 33.08 in W 23.63 in D 32.29 in

Restored Danish Clam Chair by Arnold Madsen, Natural Sheepskin, 1950

By J.M. Szymanski

Located in Bronx, NY

Original Restored Danish Clam Chair in Natural Sheepskin by Arnold Madsen d. 1950 Condition: Excellent Reupholstered. Repaired: Legs, armrests and frame have all been fully restored...

Category

2010s Danish Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Materials

Wrought Iron

$2,400 / item

H 20 in Dm 21 in

Industrial Glass & Brass Gas Lamp Pendant, Italy, 21st century

Located in Culver City, CA

Industrial Glass and Brass Gas Lamp Pendant, Italy, 21st century In the style of an industrial gas lamp pendant, converted to electric.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Brass

Bed with bedside tables from the 1970s by Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau

Unavailable|~~$1,007 / set~~

H 22.05 in W 98.43 in D 124.02 in

Bed with bedside tables from the 1970s by Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau

By Poltrona Frau, Luigi Massoni

Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO

Double bed complete with bedside tables from the 1970s. Design by Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau (manufacturer's mark present). The bed is in good vintage condition although there ...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Leather, Wood

Art Deco Armchairs by Gyula Kaesz from 1930s, Restored, with Bouclé Upholstery

$4,122Sale Price / set|20% Off

$1,308

H 11.03 in Dm 11.82 in

German Art Deco Yellow Marbled Glass and Brass Ceiling Light, 1930s

Located in Barntrup, DE

Elegant German Art Deco ceiling light dating from the 1930s, featuring a beautifully molded warm cream-yellow glass shade with distinctive brown veining and brass fittings. The roun...

Category

1930s German Art Deco Vintage Clam Chair

Materials

Brass

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Vintage Clam Chair For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the vintage clam chair you’re looking for. Each vintage clam chair for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, animal skin and metal. There are many kinds of the vintage clam chair you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. When you’re browsing for the right vintage clam chair, those designed in mid-century modern and Scandinavian Modern styles are of considerable interest. You’ll likely find more than one vintage clam chair that is appealing in its simplicity, but Philip Arctander, Maurizio Tempestini and Arnold Madsen produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Vintage Clam Chair?

A vintage clam chair can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $6,300, while the lowest priced sells for $550 and the highest can go for as much as $53,011.

Finding the Right Seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.

Questions About Vintage Clam Chair

Who designed the clam chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJune 30, 2023
Arnold Madsen designed the Clam chair. In the past, it was ascribed to the Norwegian retailer Martin Olsen and then the Danish architect Philip Arctander. It was only through some dogged research by a team of international design historians and collectors that it was finally correctly associated with Madsen, an upholsterer by profession who created it in Copenhagen in 1944. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Clam chairs from some of the world’s top sellers.
Is the Clam chair comfortable?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023
Yes, the Clam chair is comfortable. Arnold Madsen designed the angle of the seat and the curving contours of the iconic chair to fit the shape of the human body so that the piece could provide optimal support. Although for decades, the piece was the victim of cheap reproductions and misattributions, to fellow Scandinavians Viggo Boesen and Martin Olsen, among others, in recent years it has steadily climbed the ranks in the trophy market, going for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. Today, it’s one of the fashion set’s most beloved pieces, with fans as starry as Los Angeles art dealer Maggie Kayne and style setter Vanessa Traina. Find a range of Clam chairs on 1stDibs.
How old does a chair have to be to be vintage?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023
To be vintage, a chair typically needs to be at least 20 years old, while a chair older than 100 years is an antique. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique, vintage and modern dining chairs from some of the world's top sellers.
How can I tell if a chair is vintage?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Many factors like wood, construction, and patina come into play when you date a vintage chair. If you can’t find a maker’s mark or any other kind of identifying mark on the piece, consult a furniture encyclopedia or a certified expert. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of vintage chairs from some of the world’s top sellers.
How can you tell how old a vintage chair is?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023
To tell how old a vintage chair is, first try and locate the manufacturer's label, tag or mark. Typically, identifying markings and tags appear under cushions or on the undersides of chairs. You may find that the date of manufacturing appears on the label or tag. If not, check trusted online resources to find out when the manufacturer was in business to make an estimate of the age. When in doubt, enlist the help of a certified appraiser or antiques dealer to help you date a particular chair. Find an assortment of antique, vintage and modern chairs on 1stDibs.
How do you identify a vintage Gunlocke chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024
To identify a vintage Gunlocke chair, examine the legs. Most pieces will feature a tag that bears the brand name. On antique and early vintage chairs, the label will usually be made of paper or leather, while riveted brass tags appear on later vintage and contemporary chairs. Once you've confirmed that Gunlocke is the maker by checking the tag, browse the company's catalogues, which are available online, to determine approximately when it was made. Some tags may include a style or color number that will expedite the search. If your chair is 20 to 99 years old, it is vintage, while pieces that are 100 years old or older are antiques. You may wish to enlist the help of a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antiques dealer when identifying your chair. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Gunlocke chairs.
Is my vintage Eames chair real?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
To know if your vintage Eames chair is real, check for a reclining mechanism. On original chairs, the back had a permanent reclined position, so no mechanism is necessary. Also, a vintage piece is around 32 inches high, while later reproductions are normally bigger. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of expertly vetted Eames chairs.
What size chair or stool fits a vintage makeup vanity?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2026
Most vanities are designed for a low stool or slipper chair; listings include the knee-clearance height so buyers can confirm fit before purchasing.

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