Hans Wegner Wishbone
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Oak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Teak
Mid-20th Century French Restauration Patio and Garden Furniture
Concrete
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks
Teak
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Walnut
20th Century Danish Dining Room Chairs
Vintage 1940s Danish Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1960s Danish Desks and Writing Tables
Teak, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak, Papercord
Vintage 1960s Danish Chairs
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Alpaca, Rope, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Cane, Oak, Teak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wood, Papercord
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Late 20th Century North American Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Walnut
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Rope, Oak
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Beech
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Oak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cord, Oak
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood, Wicker
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Oak
1990s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cherry
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Rush, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Beech
20th Century Danish Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Bentwood
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Beech, Leather, Papercord
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Oak, Lacquer
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Wood, Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Straw, Wood
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Papercord, Ash
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Hans Wegner Wishbone For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Hans Wegner Wishbone?
Hans J. Wegner for sale on 1stDibs
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.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 23, 2024To identify an original Wishbone chair, first look at the backrest. Originals feature bentwood frames, so the backrest will be a single piece of wood. Most later reproductions are composed of two or three pieces of wood and will display noticeable seams. Next, look at the seat. Authentic originals will have perfect 90-degree angles at all four corners and many lines in the center with a tight weave. Imperfect corners, a few central lines and loose weaving are all signs of a reproduction. Finally, measure the distance between the bottom of the Y on the backrest and the seat. On originals, the distance is 10 millimeters. Any variations will usually indicate that a chair is a reproduction. When in doubt, consult a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer. Shop a variety of Hans J. Wegner Wishbone chairs on 1stDibs.
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To celebrate the Wishbone’s 70th anniversary, Carl Hansen & Søn’s third-generation CEO, Knud Erik Hansen, shares some of the secrets behind the beloved chair.
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