Hans Wegner, Wing armchairs with ottomans for Carl Hansen & Søn

HANS WEGNER (Denmark, 1914 - 2007) for Carl Hansen & Søn.
Pair of CH445 armchairs with CH446 footrest, design 1960.
Brushed stainless steel base and upholstered in red Hallingdal wool from Kvadrat (70 % wool / 30 % viscose).
Made by Carl Hansen & Søn in 2006, with labels.
Both pieces are in excellent condition and have clearly been well cared for.
Measurements: 103 x 90 x 90 cm; 39 cm (seat height).

CH445 is a fully upholstered high-back armchair, often referred to as a "Wing armchair" due to its similarity to unfurled wings, with a brushed stainless steel base and covered in red Hallingdal wool from Kvadrat (70% wool / 30% viscose). Its sculptural form and extraordinary comfort reflect Wegner's signature approach of combining aesthetics with functionality, executed with exceptional Danish craftsmanship. The accompanying ottoman, model CH446, is from the same year of production and is upholstered in the same fabric, completing the ensemble.

Hans J. Wegner was a leading figure in furniture design, whose ideas contributed to the international popularity of Danish design in the mid-20th century. His work belongs to the modern school, characterized by a special emphasis on functionality. He began his training at a very young age, as an apprentice to the cabinetmaker H. F. Stahlberg. He soon discovered a special taste for the use of wood, and his work in the cabinetmaker's workshop allowed him to experiment with different types and designs. At the age of seventeen he finished his apprenticeship, although he remained in the workshop for another three years, until he joined the army. After his military service he entered a technical school, and then the Danmarks Designskole, where he was taught by O. Mølgaard Nielsen, and the Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen. In the Danish capital he came into contact with the Furniture Exhibitions of the Carpenters' Guild, where he began to show his creations in 1927. During these years Wegner collaborated with master cabinetmakers such as J. Hansen, L. Pontoppidan, N. Vodder, J. Kjaer, A. J. Iversen, Moos and R. Rasmussen, as well as with the most prominent Danish architects of the time, among them K. Klint, V. Lauritzen and V. Lauritzen. Klint, V. Lauritzen. O. Wanscher and M. Voltelen. The annual exhibitions would give the young cabinetmaker experience of what could be achieved with the combination of design and craftsmanship, which led him to devote himself fully to design. Already in his early pieces, Wegner showed his interest in the concept of "stripping antique chairs of their outer style and showing them in their pure structure." Throughout his career, the designer was awarded prizes such as the Lunning Prize in 1951, the Grand Prix de Milan at the Milan Triennale of the same year, the Prince Eugene Medal in Sweden and the Danish Exkersberg Medal. In 1959 he was appointed honorary royal designer for industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London. Currently his designs are present in collections such as the MoMA in New York or Die Neue Samlung in Munich.