Bernt Petersen blue Crate Lounge Chair for Carl Hansen Denmark, 1982

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About the Item

Bernt Petersen blue Crate Lounge Chair for Carl Hansen Denmark, 1982. Armchair in beech, with seat and back in plywood. The aim of this design was to create an easychair without upholstery but with comfortable properties akin to an upholstered chair. The plywood of the seat and back is very thin but has been carefully constructed to be load-bearing yet using a minimum of material.

Dimensions: 29″ h 25 1/4″ w x 21 1/4″ d

Materials: painted beech and plywood

Condition: Very good vintage condition.Creator: Carl Hansen Sn (Manufacturer),Bernt Petersen (Designer)Dimensions: Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 25.25 in (64.14 cm)Depth: 21.25 in (53.98 cm)Style: Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: Beech,PaintedPlace of Origin: DenmarkPeriod: 1980-1989Date of Manufacture: 1982Condition: GoodWear consistent with age and use.Seller Location: Skokie, ILReference Number: 1stDibs: LU8194243218762Shop All Bernt Petersen

Bernt Petersen

Architect and designer Bernt Petersencreated a range of minimalist Scandinavian modern furniture that is today prized by collectors. His vintage desks, chairs, tables and other pieces for manufacturers such as Wrts Mbelsnedkeri and Sborg Mbelfabrik were made largely in light woods such as ash and beech, and his work is recognizable by its fluid architectural qualities and impeccably clean lines.

Just as other Danish modernists such as Hans Wegner, Brge Mogensen and Finn Juhl had, Petersen prioritized function over form and believed in the honesty of the materials with which he worked. He strived to create durable pieces for the home and adhere to the principles of traditional craftsmanship.

Petersens work was free of opulent ornamentation and surface embellishments he created inviting high-backed mahogany dining chairs that were upholstered in leather and understated credenzas in rosewood. His linoleum-topped desks in solid pine stood on slender legs and featured exposed finger joints, which drew attention to his prioritization of age-old woodworking techniques. Vintage editions of his revered Rag chair for Schiang Denmark, framed in pine, offer mid-century elegance and ergonomic comfort for the guests in your living room.

Petersen set on his path of furniture making early, training as a cabinetmaker. He went on to attend the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, and graduated in 1960. Petersen subsequently worked for a time with Mobilia and for the aforementioned Wegner a prolific designer of iconic seating and enthusiast of the finest methods in joinery before opening his own workshop in 1963. Petersen saw a fair amount of success in producing his own furniture, particularly as the popularity of Scandinavian modern furniture had grown around the world and especially in the United States.

Petersen taught at the Denmark Design School from 1973 to 1978, and then went on to lecture at the Royal Danish Academy’s Furniture School from 1978 to 1985. He won awards from the Danish Furniture Manufacturers Association, the Danish Society of Arts and Crafts, and other organizations.

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Shop All Carl Hansen Sn

Carl Hansen Sn

Family-owned since its inception, Carl Hansen Sn has been one of the most prestigious furniture manufacturers in Denmark for more than a century. The firm has produced timeless masterpieces of Scandinavian modernism by iconic designers Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Brge Mogensen and others.

In 1908, cabinetmaker Carl Hansen opened his first small workshop near Odense, Denmark, where he created furniture by hand in the preferred Victorian style of the times. Hansen expanded his operations by 1915 due to high demand. The larger factory allowed room for more modern machinery and a staff of many journeymen who produced a small series of their most popular pieces, including coffee tables, cabinets and sculptural, inviting armchairs. The firm became known for marrying the finest handmade craftsmanship with efficient production processes.

The Great Depression of the 1930s saw worldwide furniture sales plummet, and many furniture manufacturers were forced to shutter their workshops. At the age of 23, furniture maker Carl Hansens youngest son, Holger, took control of his fathers factory and piloted it through the eras uncertain waters.

Holger Hansens youthful enthusiasm, innovative spirit, and intuitive business savvy kept their company afloat. He believed in the quality of the firms work and the cutting-edge designs that were produced at its factory, which emerged from modest beginnings to become a pivotal piece of the history of Danish furniture.

Owing to Holgers leadership, Carl Hansen Sn emerged from the Great Depression and entered into creative alliances with many acclaimed Danish masters of mid-century design, including Kaare Klint, Brge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, Ole Wanscher, Frits Henningsen and Poul Kjrholm.

None of these partnerships proved as prolific as their relationship with Hans Wegner, however. In 1949, the cabinetmaker moved to Denmarks Funen Island and was staying in Holgers family home, as the then-Carl Hansen CEO had commissioned Wegner to create a chair for the company that was similar to his popular China chair of 1944.

Wegner began to work closely with the companys craftsmen and devised a streamlined chair with a Y-shaped back and woven paper-cord seat. The legendary Wishbone chair, which still involves nearly 100 processes and takes weeks to make, has been in continuous production since its 1950 debut.

Carl Hansen Sn has manufactured some of the most extraordinary chairs, sofas and lounge chairs for living room relaxation in the history of design. Their dining room tables and chairs run the gamut in style and functionality, from everyday comfort to elegant entertaining. The companys impressive roster of contemporary designers includes renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the Vienna-based design firm EOOS and celebrated American industrial designer Brad Ascalon. They remain the worlds largest producer of Wegners furniture and still enjoy a collaborative relationship with the Hans J. Wegner Studio.

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