Hans J. Wegner 1914–2007
Hans J. Wegner was born in Tønder, Denmark in 1914. As a teenager, Wegner apprenticed with master cabinetmaker H.F. Stahlberg before enrolling at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in 1936. In 1940, Wegner teamed with Arne Jacobson and Erik Møller to design furniture for the newly built City Hall building in Aarhus, Denmark. In 1943, Wegner opened his own drafting studio. Wegner insisted on the highest standard of craftsmanship for his furniture, and his chairs often feature traditional mortise and tenon joints and unique materials such as paper cord.
Wegner’s famed China series (inspired by the imperial Chinese chairs from the Ming dynasty) was designed in 1949. That same year he introduce what is probably his most iconic seating design, The Chair at the Cabinetmakers Guild exhibition in Copenhagen. In 1951, his chairs were featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s famous Good Design exhibit. His chairs reached a national audience in 1960 when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon sat in them during the televised presidential debate. In 1971, Wegner was awarded the Diploma di Collaborazione at the Milano Triennale. Wegner created his innovative three-legged stacking chair known as the PP58 in 1988. In 1992, he retired from his firm and his daughter Marianne took over his practice. Wegner died in 2007.
In 2014, the Design Museum of Denmark honored Wegner with a retrospective of his work. Wegner’s furniture designs are held in the collections across the globe and can be found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Victoria and Albert in London, and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, among many others.
Auction Results Hans J. Wegner
Hans J. Wegner
Papa Bear chair and ottoman
estimate: $6,000–9,000
result: $7,500
Hans J. Wegner
Wishbone chairs model CH24, pair
estimate: $800–1,200
result: $750
Hans J. Wegner
Papa Bear chair and ottoman
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $9,375
Hans J. Wegner
rocking chair
estimate: $1,200–1,600
result: $1,300
Hans J. Wegner
lounge chair, model AP 62
estimate: $1,200–1,600
result: $1,375
Hans J. Wegner
coffee table, model AT 10
estimate: $1,500–2,000
Hans J. Wegner
lounge chairs model CH22, set of two
estimate: $4,000–6,000
result: $11,250
Hans J. Wegner
drop-leaf dining table
estimate: $8,000–10,000
result: $8,125
Hans J. Wegner
Set of four The Chair
estimate: $4,000–6,000
result: $6,875
Hans J. Wegner
Pair of lounge chairs
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,625
Hans J. Wegner
Pair of The Chair
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $2,250
Hans J. Wegner
Pair of lounge chairs (model AP20)
estimate: $4,500–6,500
result: $5,000
Hans J. Wegner
Papa Bear chair and ottoman
estimate: $8,000–10,000
result: $9,375
Hans J. Wegner
Papa Bear chair and ottoman
estimate: $8,000–10,000
result: $10,000
Hans J. Wegner
Slatted bench
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $9,375
Hans J. Wegner
Papa Bear chair and ottoman
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $8,125
Hans J. Wegner
Heart chair
estimate: $400–600
result: $715
Hans J. Wegner
coffee table, model AT 10
estimate: $2,000–3,000
Hans J. Wegner
coffee table, model AT 10
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $2,250
Hans J. Wegner
folding tray table, model AT-35
estimate: $1,000–1,500
result: $2,000
Hans J. Wegner
Heart dining chairs, four
estimate: $1,500–2,000
result: $1,875
Hans J. Wegner
The Chairs, pair
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,250
Hans J. Wegner
sofa, model AP 62/3
estimate: $2,500–3,500
result: $2,500