The 'Elbow' Chair...

The Hans J Wegner 'Elbow' chair

We may be skipping ahead slightly as we are still in Mid-March with sales in between, but we couldn't resist showing off some particularly wonderful Modern interior design. Coming up in our April Fine Sale we have a wonderful set of Carl Hansen and Son Elbow chairs designed by one of, if not the most prolific mid-century Danish designers.

When one talks about Wegner the timeless and much loved Wishbone design comes to mind, yet the Elbow chair was until recently an unknown design. Designed in 1956, the Elbow chair only officially went into production in 2005. Carl Hansen and Son’s CEO fortunately came across the sketch for this chair on a visit to Wegner’s wife after his death, and it was only after convincing her that the chair finally began its road to production.

One might ask why this lay stagnant in Wegner’s archives for so long. Surely a design by the power house of the mid-century would not have struggled to find its way into people’s homes for so long? Part of the answer lay in the fact that production techniques in the 1950s made this an extremely difficult and therefore costly design to produce, and it is only due to modern improvements and advancements that the design became viable for mass production.

Recognisably Wegner, the Elbow chair displays characteristics of an older and more notorious design, the Wishbone chair. Both chairs have a clever single back rail coming around to form armrests, making for an exceedingly comfortable chair without the clutter of a traditional carver chair.

Our Modern Saleroom Manager Maureece says that this is a real highlight of the upcoming Fine Sale and is sure to stand out as a ‘real piece of mid-century modern furniture design in the true sense of the phrase’. He says that the design of the chair is recognisably from one of the most prolific eras of design, but with its feet planted firmly in the present. This is the enduring appeal of mid-century design, the fact that it was so ahead of its time yet feels fresh and relevant in our modern interiors.