Frühes von Hans J. Wegner bei Carl Hansen & Son
Mit dem Sessel CH22 wird ein Klassiker wiederaufgelegt, mit dem Stuhl CH26 ein naher Verwandter erstmals produziert.
Not that it’s really surprising: Hans J. Wegner’s designs are always good. Carl Hansen & Son has now dipped into the rich trove of Wegner’s designs and is re-issuing an early piece, and not just any one. As the 1950 CH22 armchair is the very first model number in the collection (and it featured the famous CH24 “Wishbone Chair”, for example) jointly developed by Wegner and the Danish furniture makers.
Parallel to the CH22, that same year Wegner developed the CH26, a dining chair which emulates the key characteristics of the CH22, namely a biomorphic shape, striking backrests, bright wood and a wicker seat. However, the model never went into production and evidently did not even get prototyped.
Wegner presented the CH22 in August 1950 at the “Købestævnet” exhibition in Denmark. One detail in particular evidences the refined workmanship: The joints between the striking backrest made of bent laminated wood and the base frame boast extended oval capping elements. This complex construction may indeed have been the reason why the chair did not get produced at the time. The similarities between the CH26 and the CH22 immediately catch the eye. As the CH26 was intended as a dining chair or a chair to be used at the desk, the proportions have been adjusted accordingly and its height changed in relationship to the table top. Now, after over 60 years, the CH26 is at long last seeing the light of day, made exactly in line with Wegner’s specifications and drawings. The only difference: Since people today are that bit taller, the chair is as well, and has grown by 2 centimeters.
CH22 and CH26 are available in oak or walnut or in a combination of both woods – and in a variety of other versions, too. (tw)
