Wood Shell Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Børge Mogensen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 21.25 in (53.98 cm)Depth: 23 in (58.42 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Toronto, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9232241247312
Børge Mogensen
Among the great mid-20th century Danish furniture designers, Børge Mogensen distinguished himself with his faith to traditional values of craftsmanship and honesty of materials.
While peers such as Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl and Arne Jacobsen designed some of the most striking and now iconic furnishings of the era, Mogensen focused on making chairs, sofas and other pieces that were simple, durable and comfortable — and in the long run perhaps more useful and better loved.
Mogensen studied under and later worked for Kaare Klint, a master cabinetmaker whose chief tenets were quality of construction and simplicity of line. Klint was a classicist, who believed that furniture forms should evolve from those of historical models. So, too, in his way was Mogensen, as two of his best-known earlier pieces attest.
His 1945 Spokeback sofa, with hinged arms that can be lowered to facilitate lounging, is a reinterpretation of the venerable Knole settee. With the oval silhouette of its plywood backrest and waterdrop-shaped cutouts, Mogensen’s Shell chair, designed in 1949, can be seen as a novel take on early 19th-century Empire side chairs.
Yet Mogensen shared the aesthetical sensibilities of his most forward-looking colleagues. His cabinets deploy the same spare geometries and lushly figured woods as those of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his disciple Florence Knoll, the chief difference being that Mies and Knoll used chrome steel for the frames and legs of their pieces. The brawny oak frames and slung leather seats and backrests of Mogensen’s Hunting chair (1950) and Spanish chair (1958) display the same hefty construction and appreciation of natural materials seen in the work of Charlotte Perriand and Sergio Rodrigues.
Mogensen designed for function more than sculptural effect. While his chairs may not be the first pieces in a décor to draw the eye, they are often the first to draw in those looking for a comfortable seat.
Find vintage Børge Mogensen dining tables, bookcases and other Scandinavian modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Toronto, Canada
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1950s Mexican Rustic Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1940s African Brutalist Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1940s African Brutalist Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1980s Czech De Stijl Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
You May Also Like
21st Century and Contemporary American Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
2010s Organic Modern Chairs
Shell, Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
