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PP 501 "The Chair" with the hand woven seat of cane has because of its exclusive design become famous all around the world. Luxurious in its refined play of lines ,and Spartan in its stringent, lean form and absolute lack of excess. The way arm- and back rail is gathered, as fingers woven into each other; is a challenge to a skilled cabinet maker. The Chair PP 501 was designed in 1949. |
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 The Cowhorn Chair |
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 The China Chair The Peacock Chair |
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Hans J. Wegner finished his carpenter apprenticeship in 1931. While still an apprentice, he made furniture on his own. One of the pieces was a lounge chair designed in the rigid, functionalistic style of the period. Between 1936-38, Wegner studied furniture design at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts. By then, he had joined the inner circles of furniture makers - The Copenhagen Carpenter Corporation - who organized furniture design competitions and exhibitions for young architects. From 1938 to 1942, Wegner was employed at Erik Moeller's and Arne Jacobsen's design studio. His main task was to work on furniture and interior design assignments for the new town hall in Aarhus, Denmark.  |
 Table Model 5322 in solid maple and The Y-Chair |
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 The China Chair |
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In 1946 he started teaching at the furniture department of The Danish School of Arts and Crafts. 1949 marked the breakthrough for Wegner's career as a furniture maker when he displayed at the Carpenter Corporation exhibition..Hans J. Wegner is a meticulous and admired craftsman. But beyond his talents as a wood worker, he also has a unique sensibility for the material he works with - wood. His furniture always starts at the drafting table, he then continues his studies with small scale models in cardboard, plywood and wood, and finalizes the design with full scale prototypes that are evaluated for comfort and detailing. |
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His favorite materials are solid oak, beech, teak, ash and maple, but in the mid 60s, he also started working with laminated wood. Durability and functionality are important requirements to Wegner, and so is timelessness. The natural warmth and a well-balanced character stand out in his furniture, as he understands the nature of the wood and the possibilities and limitations of this, the most natural of all materials.
The Table Model PP70 and The China Chair
To design for the user is essential to Wegner - and never to compromise. "A chair is not a chair until someone is sitting in it". This statement was validated in 1961 when "The Chair" was used in the famous television debates between the two presidential candidates, John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. |
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The Ox-chair
The China Chair from1944 was inspired by Chinese seating furniture from the 17th century. Like many of his other dining room chairs, the China Chair has characteristic back and arms bent in one piece. In the following years, Wegner designed many new chairs, in total over 200 designs. Among them are some of his most spectacular and famous pieces: The Peacock Chair (1947), The Folding Chair (1949), The Y-Chair (1959), The (Round) Chair (1950), The Flag Halyard Chair (1950) and The Valet Chair from 1953.  |
