Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen Scandinavian Wood Armchair Model CH44, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Hans J. Wegner (Designer),Carl Hansen (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 80 in (203.2 cm)Width: 64 in (162.56 cm)Depth: 66 in (167.64 cm)Seat Height: 39 in (99.06 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:About 1990s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Reggio Emilia, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3388334684962
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.
Carl Hansen
In 1908, cabinetmaker Carl Hansen opened his first small workshop near Odense, Denmark, where he created furniture by hand in the preferred Victorian style of the times. Later, Carl Hansen & Søn would become one of the most prestigious furniture manufacturers in Denmark. The firm has produced timeless masterpieces of Scandinavian modernism by iconic designers Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen and others.
Hansen expanded his operations by 1915 due to high demand. The larger factory allowed room for more modern machinery and a staff of many journeymen who produced a small series of their most popular pieces, including coffee tables, cabinets and sculptural, inviting armchairs. The firm became known for marrying the finest handmade craftsmanship with efficient production processes.
The Great Depression of the 1930s saw worldwide furniture sales plummet, and many furniture manufacturers were forced to shutter their workshops. At the age of 23, furniture maker Carl Hansen’s youngest son, Holger, took control of his father’s factory and piloted it through the era’s uncertain waters.
Holger Hansen’s youthful enthusiasm, innovative spirit, and intuitive business savvy kept their company afloat. He believed in the quality of the firm’s work and the cutting-edge designs that were produced at its factory, which emerged from modest beginnings to become a pivotal piece of the history of Danish furniture.
Owing to Holger’s leadership, Carl Hansen & Søn emerged from the Great Depression and entered into creative alliances with many acclaimed Danish masters of mid-century design, including Kaare Klint, Børge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, Ole Wanscher, Frits Henningsen and Poul Kjærholm.
None of these partnerships proved as prolific as their relationship with Hans Wegner, however. In 1949, the cabinetmaker moved to Denmark’s Funen Island and was staying in Holger’s family home, as the then-Carl Hansen CEO had commissioned Wegner to create a chair for the company that was similar to his popular China chair of 1944.
Wegner began to work closely with the company’s craftsmen and devised a streamlined chair with a Y-shaped back and woven paper-cord seat. The legendary Wishbone chair, which still involves nearly 100 processes and takes weeks to make, has been in continuous production since its 1950 debut.
Family-owned since its inception, Carl Hansen & Søn has manufactured some of the most extraordinary chairs, sofas and lounge chairs for living room relaxation in the history of design. Their dining room tables and chairs run the gamut in style and functionality, from everyday comfort to elegant entertaining. The company’s impressive roster of contemporary designers includes renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the Vienna-based design firm EOOS and celebrated American industrial designer Brad Ascalon. They remain the world’s largest producer of Wegner’s furniture and still enjoy a collaborative relationship with the Hans J. Wegner Studio.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Carl Hansen chairs, case pieces and other furniture.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Wood Scandinavian Bowl Centerpiece 1960sLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITMidcentury moderrn design scandinavian teak wood bowl centerpiece, Denmark 1960s Please note that the item is original of the period and this shows normal signs of age and use.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsTeak, Wood
- Ico Parisi Italian Midcentury Fabric Wood Armchair Model 814 for Cassina, 1960sBy Ico Parisi, CassinaLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITItalian Mid-Century Modern design set of two armchairs model 814 designed by Ico Parisi for Cassina in 1961, solid wood structure and new fabric covering, Italy 1960s Original Cassin...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Illum Wikkelsø Scandinavian Midcentury Dark Wood Capella Armchairs 1960sBy Illum Wikkelsø, Niels EilersenLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITCouple of scandinavian midcentury modern design original armchairs model Capella designed by Illum Wikkelsø and produced by Niels Eilersen with structure in solid dark wood and new g...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Scandinavian Solid Wood Bowl Centerpiece 1960sLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITMidcentury moderrn design scandinavian solid wood bowl centerpiece with irregular edge, Denmark 1960s Please note that the item is original of the period and this shows normal sig...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsWood
- Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Scandinavian Midcentury Rattan Wood Chair Armchair 1960sBy Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITScandinavian armchair chair, modern antique vintage, designed by Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard with wooden frame, rattan seat and back, Denmark 1960s production. The session is original of...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRattan, Wood
- Gunni Omann Midcentury Scandinavian Wood Bookcase, 1960sBy Gunni Omann, Omann Jun MøbelfabrikLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITScandinavian Mid-Century Modern design dark wood bookcase designed by Gunni Omann and produced by Omann Jun Møbelfabrik in the 1960s, variable height position of shelves, Denmark 196...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWood
- Hans J Wegner oak armchair Model Ch 28 Sawbuck for Carl Hansen Denmark 1960sBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Paris, FRRare Hans J Wegner armchair model CH 28 in Solid oak for Carl Hansen & Sons, later upholstery. Denmark 1960s Good condition Hans J. Wegner's CH28P Armchair, designed in 1951, incorp...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Pair of CH44 Lounge Chairs by Hans J. Wegner, Denmark, 1960sBy Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Stockholm, SEDesigned in 1965 by Hans J. Wegner. This pair is from the 1970s, produced by Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark. Very good original condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRope
- Hans J. Wegner Set Eight"CH23" Chairs for Carl Hansen &Son.Denmark. 1960By Carl Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Madrid, ESA vintage set of eight CH23 designed by Hans J. Wegner and edited by Carl Hansen in 1960.Oak framework , teak backs and original paper-cord.Organic , modern and functional design com...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsOak, Teak
- Early Hans J. Wegner, model CH24, Wishbone chair, Carl Hansen & Søn, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Uppsala, SEEarly example of the iconic Wishbone chair (or the Y-chair as it also is called), designed in 1949 by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn and was put into production from 1950 and f...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Beech
- Rare armchair 'CH-34' by Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Son, Denmark, 1960sBy Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Eskilstuna, SERare oak and leather armchair model 'CH-34' designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Carl Hansen & Son, Denmark, 1960s. Made in solid oak with tapered legs. Original black leather upholstery. Great original patina. Makers mark on bottom...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen Oak and Woven Papercord CH25 ChairBy Carl Hansen, Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & SønLocated in Hudson, NYThis is an oiled oak and papercord Hans Wegner Model CH25 Lounge chair. Excellent and comfortable. Solid handmake construction. Still being produ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, 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.