Set of Four Hans Wegner Wishbone Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 21 in (53.34 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Damage to one seat.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:
Wishbone Chair
Although Hans Wegner’s (1914–2007) Wishbone chair stands as a classic exemplar of mid-century Danish design, its aesthetic roots actually begin farther east. In the 1940s, Wegner, then a recent graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and working for Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller, was inspired by a series of photos of Danish merchants sitting in Chinese Ming dynasty–era armchairs. The chairs were recognizable for the single, curved shape that made up their back and arms, a simplified style that intrigued the furniture maker.
For Wegner, the first result of the experiments that followed was his aptly named China chair, a solid wood model that Fritz Hansen began manufacturing in 1944. Soon after, Wegner was approached by Holger Hansen, son of Danish manufacturer Carl Hansen (no relation to Fritz), who wanted the designer to produce a similarly shaped piece for his family’s company. Production was slow following World War II, and Hansen wanted a chair with universal appeal that could be produced entirely in the company’s own factory.
This requirement — coupled with Wegner’s ambition to create a chair that weighed even less than the China chair — resulted in the development of the Wishbone and, with it, its most recognizable feature: a woven paper-cord seat, which takes Carl Hansen’s craftsmen over an hour to make.
Despite the intricate process behind it — the chair requires 100 steps to complete — the Wishbone, in its final form, boasts a graceful simplicity. This is largely thanks to its namesake Y-shaped back, a simple support structure that allows for the back and armrest to function as a single piece and dispenses with the need for multiple back slats, lending the chair an effect of weightlessness.
The sturdiness of the paper cord (all 120 meters of it per chair), meanwhile, makes the Wishbone both long-lasting and blessedly comfortable without the need for a cushion, which would diminish the impact of its pure form.
Today, the Wishbone — official name, CH24 — is one of the most recognizable seats in the world, and it has been in continuous production by Carl Hansen & Søn since its 1950 debut. The company offers it in its original bent oak and natural seat as well as in variations of that model.
For Carl Hansen & Søn’s 110th anniversary in 2018, the company released a select number of Wishbone chairs in eight limited-edition colors, a testament to the chair’s lasting legacy.
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: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Model no. CH-23 Dining Chairs by Hans WegnerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYSet of four dining chairs designed by Hans Wegner. Iconic mid-century modern design with webbed seating and inlay cross on seat backs. Please confirm lo...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wishbone Chair in the Style of Hans WegnerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYA colorful and unique chair styled after Hans Wegner's iconic Wishbone design. This chair is full of Mid-Century Modern style and is sure to brighten up any space. Please confirm ite...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood, Paint
- Set of Four Modern ChairsBy Milo BaughmanLocated in Brooklyn, NYFour Mid-Century Modern style dining chairs with Milo Baughman inspired metal frames. (Please confirm item location - NY or NJ - with dealer).Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Set of Four Industrial Style ChairsLocated in Brooklyn, NYHandsome set of metal chairs in an Industrial style finish. Features exposed nailheads and slat backs. (Please confirm item location - NY or NJ - with dealer).Category
20th Century Industrial Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of Four Russell Woodard Sculptura ChairsBy Russell WoodardLocated in Brooklyn, NYKick back and relax with legendary Mid-Century Modern design with this terrific set of Sculptura chairs from Russell Woodard. Great for patio or garden seating. Please confirm locat...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Wrought Iron
- Set of Four Mid-Century Modern Dining ChairsLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis set of four vintage dining chairs were constructed with sturdy aluminum frames, complete with one piece sculpted feet and tapered back supports. Slightly flared seat backs are u...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Hans J. Wegner Set of Six “Wishbone” Chairs in OakBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner “The Wishbone Chair”. Set of six armchairs of oak. Seat with woven papercord. CH 24. Designed 1949. Manufactured by Carl Hansen & Søn.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Oak
- Hans J. Wegner Set of Four 'Sawbuck' Dining Chairs in OakBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Waalwijk, NLHans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn, set of four 'Sawbuck' CH29 chairs, oak, Denmark, 1952. This set of four chairs is designed by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen. The chairs are de...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsOak
- Hans Wegner Midcentury Armchairs for GETAMA, Set of FourBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in London, GBDesigned by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA, this set of four GE 151 armchairs are a Classic example of Mid-Century Modern design. Featuring angular black painted beechwood frames and arms, the newly restored chairs...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Wood
- Hans Wegner Mid Century Wishbone Chairs - Set of 4By Hans J. WegnerLocated in Countryside, ILHans Wegner Mid Century Wishbone Chairs - Set of 4 Each chair measures: 21.5 wide x 20 deep x 30 inches high, with a seat height of 17.5 and arm height/chair clearance of 28 inches ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Set of Six Wishbone Chairs by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKCH 24 - set of 6 'Wishbone' chairs in beech and woven paper yarn. Hans J. Wegner / Carl Hansen.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Beech
- Set of Four Hans J. Wegner Dining Chairs Model CH-47 in mahoganyBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Esbjerg, DKSet of four Hans J. Wegner dining chairs in mahogany New upholstetred with vintage tan aniline leather. Made by Carl Hansen, model CH47 Hans J. Wegner was born in 1914 in Tønder ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Mahogany
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.
Hans Wegner’s Wishbone Chair Still Feels Fresh, 70 Years after Its Debut
To celebrate the Wishbone’s 70th anniversary, Carl Hansen & Søn’s third-generation CEO, Knud Erik Hansen, shares some of the secrets behind the beloved chair.