1950s Danish Papa Bear Chair and Ottoman by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen
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1950s Danish Papa Bear Chair and Ottoman by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen
About the Item
- Creator:A.P. Stolen (Manufacturer),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 39 in (99.06 cm)Width: 36.54 in (92.82 cm)Depth: 35.5 in (90.17 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1650-1659
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Sagaponack, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 13329.0011stDibs: LU890319863112
Papa Bear Chair
The wingback Papa Bear chair, also known as the Teddy Bear chair, has two outstretched arms with wood detailing once described by a critic as “great bear paws embracing you from behind” — hence the name. The piece was designed by Hans Wegner (1914–2007), a pioneer of Danish modernism who crafted nearly 500 chairs over the course of his long career. Not many of them, however, have the anthropomorphic qualities that this one does.
Wegner was raised in the south of Denmark, where he served as an apprentice to a cabinetmaker as a child. Inspired to study architecture and design, he enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, then opened his own studio in 1943, working closely with peers like Arne Jacobsen, Erik Møller and more. Wegner was a leading figure of the Scandinavian modernism movement, which championed quality craftsmanship, elegant design and efficient functionality.
The Papa Bear chair was Wegner’s first project with manufacturer A.P. Stolen, which enjoyed numerous collaborations with the designer over his career. Originally produced with a solid beechwood frame, Wegner’s chair, with its high backrest, lengthy back legs and comfortable cotton-upholstered cushioning, was designed in 1951 and had its first manufacturing run from 1953 to 1969. Its current production is managed by Danish joinery workshop PP Møbler, and the chair and ottoman are now available in a variety of wood and textile finishes.
Hans J. Wegner
Best known for his chairs and seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Wegner’s best chair designs, seen in dealer listings below, have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs, for example the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat, bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room. Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
- 1950s Danish Pair of Armchairs Hans Wegner for A.P. StolenBy Hans J. Wegner, A.P. StolenLocated in Sagaponack, NYA pair of lounge chairs, newly upholstered in a dark blue, cotton and linen weave, on top of tapered wood legs. Designed by Hans Wegner, made by AP Stolen ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
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- 1950s Danish Oak Music Bench by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. StolenBy Hans J. Wegner, A.P. StolenLocated in Sagaponack, NYA high stool/piano bench in oak with new leather upholstery.Category
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- Wingback Armchair by Hans WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in Sagaponack, NYA wingback lounge armchair with a teak frame, retaining the original grey wool upholstery.Category
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- 1970s Danish Shaker Rocking Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, FDB MøblerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA Shaker Style Scandinavian Modern rocking chair designed by Hans Wegner in beech wood with a woven paper cord seat. Made in Denmark by FDB, circa 1970s.Category
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- Hans Wegner Papa Bear Chair and Ottoman for A.P. StolenBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in San Francisco, CAHans J. Wegner design "Papa Bear" chair and matching ottoman produced for A.P. Stolen, Denmark. This an original matched set that has been perfectly refinished and newly upholstered ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
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- Hans Wegner Papa Bear Chairfor A.P. Stolen Denmark, 1950'sBy A.P. Stolen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in San Diego, CAThe Papa Bear Chair is an absolutely stunning AP-29. A truly iconic chair newly upholstered in the most beautiful grey Maharam wool The chair features beautiful oak legs and teak p...Category
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- Teak ''Papa Bear'' Chair and Ottoman by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. StolenBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Montreal, QCTeak ''Papa Bear'' chair and ottoman by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen Bearing the tag: "Furnituremakers Danish Control" Provenance: Acquired in 1959 by the original owner | Private ...Category
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- Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen ‘New Papa Bear’ Easy ChairBy A.P. Stolen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Waalwijk, NLHans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen, ‘New Papa Bear’ lounge chair, model AP69, oak, reupholstered in Ohmann Colorado nubuck leather, Denmark, 1968/69 This D...Category
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