Wegner's most striking piece
The Ox Chair by Hans J. Wegner is an iconic statement piece with an irrefutable presence. A bold, sculptural chair that challenged the understated aesthetics of Danish design at the time, with its distinctive headrest referencing ox horns and its voluminous body. It demonstrates his organic, artistic approach to furniture and desire to redefine traditional seating.
The Ox Chair is arguably his most striking design, purportedly inspired by his fascination with Picasso's abstract paintings, claiming that design doesn't always have to be so "dreadfully serious". Wegner chose to furnish his own home with the Ox Chair, as it was one of his personal favourites.
- Hans J. Wegner
With his design of the Ox Chair, Hans J. Wegner challenged the prevailing sense of aesthetics when it was first introduced in 1960. Given its symbolic reference to ox horns, generous proportions and delicate frame, it was a bold, confident design in contrast to the understated approach to Scandinavian furniture at the time. Originally manufactured by A.P. Stolen, each Ox Chair was custom-made and upholstered with wool. The chair remained in production for two years.
Almost three decades later in 1989, Wegner approached Erik Jørgensen in search of a more viable method of construction. Known for his upholstery expertise, Jørgensen rose to the occasion with an innovative solution. Inspired by his trip to the Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli, Jørgensen saw the potential in using foam rubber to optimise comfort. The Ox Chair was subsequently relaunched at the Milan Furniture Fair and has experienced unprecedented success ever since. Demonstrating Wegner’s belief that a chair is only finished when someone actually sits in it.
It is a demanding task to upholster the Ox Chair, requiring precision and a certain amount of physical strength. In fact, it takes a whole day to make one Ox Chair by hand.
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Hans J. Wegner
Wegner is acclaimed for his chair designs that made mid-century Danish design popular on an international scale. He began his career as a cabinetmaker in 1932, subsequently studying at the Copenhagen School of Arts & Crafts. Throughout a long and productive life, Wegner designed roughly 500 chairs, many of which have become popular classics that are still in production today.
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Keep exploring
Wegner Ox Chair
The Ox Chair by Hans J. Wegner is an iconic statement piece with an irrefutable presence. A bold, sculptural chair that challenged the understated aesthetics of Danish design at the time.
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Wegner Queen Chair
The feminine counterpart to the Ox Chair is Hans J. Wegner’s Queen Chair, which shares many of the same features.
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J16 Rocking Chair
Hans J. Wegner showed an early interest in the rocking chair as a design object and J16 was one of his first chairs ever put into production.
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