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In the post-war period, Danish architects joined forces with cabinetmakers to create unique pieces of furniture, lauded throughout the world for their simplicity, genius, sublime natural materials and an aesthetic solidity rooted in a strong tradition of craftsmanship. Designers such as Børge Mogensen, Ole Wanscher, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Poul Kjærholm and, perhaps the most famous of all, Hans J. Wegner made their mark in what has since been dubbed the golden age of Danish furniture design. A group that to this day represents the very essence of modern Danish design with a distinctive, sculptural functionalism. Together with his colleague Finn Juhl, Wegner put Danish furniture design on the world map, and the pair were the two most important exponents of “Danish Modern”.

Danish furniture design also draws inspiration from other cultures and style periods, the distinctive design of which inspired cabinetmakers and architects to create some of the most culture-bearing designs in the world. The inspiration came from outside Denmark. Famous artist Sonja Ferlov Mancoba found her inspiration in Carl Kjersmeier’s private African collection, and Wegner himself drew inspiration for the China Chair at the then Kunstindustrimuseum in Copenhagen.

The son of a shoemaker from Tønder, Hans Jørgensen Wegner was accepted into Kunsthåndværkets Møbelskole (Denmark’s School of Art and Design) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1936. He never completed his education, however, because, just two years later in 1938, he was hired by Arne Jacobsen to design the furniture for the brand new, modernist town hall in Aarhus. Wegner’s distinctive working method was to develop archetypes and then reuse the best design elements and details in new variations. Design reminiscences and themes he returned to again and again can therefore be seen in his vast output – for example in his use of “folding furniture”. According to Wegner, the perfect piece of furniture did not exist; it could always be further developed and perfected.