Hans J. Wegner (b. Tønder 1914, d. Gentofte 2007)
“JH 571”. Freestanding solid teak desk on slightly oblique oak legs. Front with two drawers. Stretchers, drawer mounting and handles of brass. Designed 1954. This example made 1950s by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen. H. 73 cm. W. 90 cm. L. 195 cm.
Provenance: Private Danish collection.
Model presented at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition in 1954.
Literature: Grete Jalk [ed.]: “40 Years of Danish Furniture Design”, vol. 3, pp. 280–81.
Literature: Johan Møller Nielsen: “Wegner - en dansk møbelkunstner”, ill. p. 87.
The slanting table legs are held in place by brass stretchers, and only in the very early years is this model made with the stretchers piercing the wood with a spade-like brass fitting, a testimony to the excellent craftsmanship of these earlier editions. This desk can be regarded as an iconic piece of furniture a statement further emphasized by the fact that the table was presented at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition in 1954 along side “The Chair”, which probably is the most famous of all Wegner's designs.
Condition report on request.
Design: Nordic Masters, 27 September 2017