Valet Chair
by Hans Wegner
£30,000
Code
9813
Valet Chair, model no. JH540, circa 1953
teak and oak
Produced by master cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen
Stamped with Johannes Hansen manufacturers mark underneath the seat
Seat height: 45
The final version of the Valet Chair (It's Danish name is 'Jakkens Hvile', which translates as 'The jacket's Rest') was first shown at the Danish Cabinetmaker's Guild Exhibition in 1953, when Wegner finally seems to have been satisfied with the design. As a rule Wegner's chairs are always meticulously functional, which first and foremost means they must be easy to sit on. However, of all Wegner's 500 or more chair designs, it is probably the one that demands the most effort to sit upon and maintain balance
The mitigating circumstance is that the chair wasn't really meant for sitting, but rather to serve as a piece of sculptural furniture, with coat and trouser hanging elements and hidden storage for change and keys. Seen in this light, the chair's appearance suits its practical intentions, yet it retains a playful aura. With its distinctly anthropomorphic appearance, the composition rises into a single vertebral-column shape bulging on both sides like a torso, while the seat resembles a human posterior and the coat hanger top suggests shoulders and arms
teak and oak
Produced by master cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen
Stamped with Johannes Hansen manufacturers mark underneath the seat
Seat height: 45
The final version of the Valet Chair (It's Danish name is 'Jakkens Hvile', which translates as 'The jacket's Rest') was first shown at the Danish Cabinetmaker's Guild Exhibition in 1953, when Wegner finally seems to have been satisfied with the design. As a rule Wegner's chairs are always meticulously functional, which first and foremost means they must be easy to sit on. However, of all Wegner's 500 or more chair designs, it is probably the one that demands the most effort to sit upon and maintain balance
The mitigating circumstance is that the chair wasn't really meant for sitting, but rather to serve as a piece of sculptural furniture, with coat and trouser hanging elements and hidden storage for change and keys. Seen in this light, the chair's appearance suits its practical intentions, yet it retains a playful aura. With its distinctly anthropomorphic appearance, the composition rises into a single vertebral-column shape bulging on both sides like a torso, while the seat resembles a human posterior and the coat hanger top suggests shoulders and arms
H 95cm x W 51cm x D 50cm
H 37.42" x W 20.09" x D 19.69"
H 37.42" x W 20.09" x D 19.69"
