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‎Price category: 5,000 - 7,500 usd / eur

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This set of dining chairs by Danish designer Ole Wanscher features distinctive splayed legs and fine exposed joinery in the back. The design is honest and simple with a refined technique and materials which makes this set a true example of mid-century Danish design.

The simple and refined aesthetic of these chairs was achieved by Wanscher reinventing classic forms. This set consists of six individual chairs, two of them with armrests. The solid wood frame is made of stained mahogany in a warm, dark colour. The backs of the chairs have delicate dovetail joints, a joinery technique where the end grain is exposed from both boards, creating a dovetail-like pattern. The legs are slightly splayed, which is a reoccurring design element of Ole Wanscher. The general style of these chairs is both accessible and elegant, employing slender and gently curved lines.

The seats have been reupholstered in a premium navy-blue fabric, complimenting the elegant mahogany frames. CADO began as modernist furniture producer France & Søn, and entered a new phase when successful Danish designer Poul Cadovius took ownership sometime between 1964 and ‘67. The company’s collaboration with Wanscher among others, paved the way for the style which later became known as Danish Modern. Like many of the other chairs designed by Wanscher, the chairs of this set are now seen as modern classics.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear due to age and use, including scratches and marks. The chairs have been reupholstered in a premium fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

20.27 in W x 19.29 in D x 31.49 in H; Seat height 17.32 in

51.5 cm W x 49 cm D x 80 cm H; Seat height 44 cm

About the designer:

Ole Wanscher (1903-1985) was an architect and professor, and is known today as one of the leading figures in the Scandinavian Design movement and many of his pieces became staples in Scandinavian homes.

Wanscher studied at the Danish School of Art and Design, and was highly influenced by his professor, Kaare Klint. After graduation, Wanscher worked with Klint between 1924 and 1927, then set up his first own office, specialising in furniture design. By the end of the 1940s, Wanscher made a name for himself for his quality designs. As the Danish newspaper Politiken put it: “'Owning a Wanscher-chair is an adventure every day, and will be so even several hundred years from now, for this is how long it lasts”.

Like Klint, Wanscher disagreed with the modernist full-sail rejection of the past and preferred to explore classic yet minimal aesthetics informed by precise study of the human body. Wanscher was also heavily influenced by Greek, Chinese, and Egyptian designs—which he encountered during his many travels abroad—as well as proto-modernist movements, like the Viennese Secession, Biedermeier, and Shaker styles.

In the 1950s, Wanscher left his private firm to begin an association with P. Jeppesens Mobelfabrik A/S that would last for the rest of his professional life. Ole Wanscher's work has remained sought after by furniture collectors. His designs are described as "delicate", "elegant", and "orderly". Today, Wanscher’s pieces are considered to be modern classics and are still adored for their detail and the designer’s deep respect for materials. ~H.