Important Design

Important Design

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 90. A Rare High-back Wing Chair.

Frits Henningsen

A Rare High-back Wing Chair

Auction Closed

June 7, 06:14 PM GMT

Estimate

30,000 - 50,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Frits Henningsen

A Rare High-back Wing Chair


circa 1935

original leather, oak

45 x 27¼ x 40 in. (114.3 x 69.2 x 101.6 cm)

Private Collection, Beverly Hills, California
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Noritsugu Oda, Danish Chairs, San Francisco, 1996, p. 42 (for related models)
Diane Dorrans Saeks, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, New York, 2009, cover and p. 19
Charlotte & Peter Fiell, Chairs; 1,000 Masterpieces of Modern Design, 1800 to the Present Day, London, 2012, p. 221

Danish furniture designer Frits Henningsen was known for his exceptional craftsmanship and innovative approach to creating beautiful furniture, as epitomized in the present wingback chair. A rare and important example of his work, the chair also exemplifies the desirable qualities produced by the furniture industry of 1930s Scandinavia. Its high back, integrated ‘wings’ and curved, ergonomic shape support the body comfortably while providing a sense of privacy and enclosure. Henningsen, having learned from generations of furniture and cabinet makers in his family, utilized high-quality materials and traditional fabrication techniques to yield a sturdy and durable chair. The curved lines combine with the historic wingback form to create a visually novel yet elegant design. The present chair, likely one of only fifty or so examples known to have been produced, retains its original leather and presents a unique opportunity to acquire a peerless object that has become an icon of Danish design.