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.
Hans J. Wegner Styled Sculptural Valet Dressing Chair by Armcrest
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A sculptural and functional wood framed valet dressing chair with woven seat, hanging jacket bar with upper smalls shelve. In the manner of Danish designer Hans J. Wegner this is the...
Wood
$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
$750
H 43.5 in W 19 in D 21 in
Vintage Mid Century Italian Style Modern Beech Wood Clothing Valet Chair Seat, B
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Mid Century Italian Style Modern Beech Wood Folding Clothing Valet Chair Seat with Woven Rush Seat and Lift Up Hidden Storage (B), Yugoslavia. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measure...
Beech
$750
H 43.5 in W 19 in D 21 in
Vintage Mid Century Italian Modern Beech Wood Clothing Valet Chair Seat (A)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Mid Century Italian Modern Beech Wood Folding Clothing Valet Chair Seat with Woven Rush Seat with Lift Up Hidden Storage (A). Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 43.5" H x ...
Beech
$950Sale Price|47% Off
H 29.75 in W 19.5 in D 18 in
Vintage Hans Wegner for C.M. Madsens 'W2' Chair in Oak; Denmark, 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, C.M. Madsen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lovely example of the early work of the 20th century's master of seating design, Hans J. Wegner. The sculpted oak backrest or top-rail employed here was developed as part of a fami...
Oak
$1,295
H 44 in W 22 in D 21.5 in
Danish Modern Valet Chair by Armcrest, Mahogany with Rope Seat, 1960s
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Southampton, NJ
A multifunctional Mahogany valet butler chair with woven rope seat, hanging jacket crest rail, upper accessory shelf and shapely Gazelle form legs. ...
Rope, 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
Hans J. Wegner Chinese Chair for Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Chinese chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1944. Executed by Fritz Hansen, 1980. Cherrywood and leather cushion.
Leather, Cherry
$2,956
H 45.28 in W 18.71 in D 24.81 in
Mid-Century Modern Vintage Beech Valet Chair Ico & Luisa Parisi Attributed
By Ico & Luisa Parisi
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid century modern vintage beech valet chair was designed by Ico & Luisa Parisi attributed, Italy, 1960s and executed by Fratelli Reguitti, Italy. An extraordinary gentlemen valet fr...
Brass
Hans J. Wegner Chinese Chair for Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Chinese chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1944. Executed by Fritz Hansen, 1979. Cherrywood and leather cushion.
Leather, Cherry
Vintage HENREDON Cane Back Dining Desk Chair 1970's Model 28-5001
By Henredon
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and handle all the shipping details. However, if you let us know what 1st Dibs is quoting you and give us your zip code, we can sometimes ship it for less and get it to you faster. For a shipping quote, click on "ASK THE SELLER" under the purchase button and provide your zip code. Offering One Of Our Recent Palm Beach Estate Fine Furniture Acquisitions Of A Vintage HENREDON Cane Back...
Wood
Vintage MCM Dining Chairs by Tarm Stole Mobelfabrik Set of 4
By Tarm Stole
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Teak
Andrew Martin Occasional Chair Polished Metal
By Andrew Martin
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Metal
Leather Sling K Chair By WILLIAM KATAVOLOS
By William Katavolos
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Iron
Enrique Garcel Jaime Perszek MCM Lounge Chair
By Enrique Garcel
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Cotton, Wood
MCM Henredon Dining Chairs Cane Back 28-2501
By Henredon
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details Below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Walnut
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.
