1950s Ib Kofod-Larsen ‘Elizabeth’ Lounge Fauteuil for France & Son
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1950s Ib Kofod-Larsen ‘Elizabeth’ Lounge Fauteuil for France & Son
About the Item
- Creator:France & Søn (Manufacturer),Ib Kofod-Larsen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 30.71 in (78 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Amstelveen, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: 0120068ZF1stDibs: LU2600111464013
Ib Kofod-Larsen
Furniture maker and architect Ib Kofod-Larsen was one of the greatest design minds to emerge from mid-century Denmark, and his impact was felt across the world, especially in the United States. Kofod-Larsen, who is known for his exemplary seating, tables and storage solutions, understood that the attention to detail, quality materials and functional design ethos of the Scandinavian modernism style he followed would become part of a major international movement.
Due to his foresight and innovation, Kofod-Larsen was one of the best-selling Danish designers in the U.S. in the 1950s, when mid-century modernism was at its most popular.
Originally trained as a cabinetmaker, Kofod-Larsen later studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and was most interested in designing practical yet graceful furniture, although he also dabbled in things like wallpaper and textiles. He favored natural grains and woods like teak and rosewood combined with leather, steel and fabric upholsteries to create inviting pieces. Working with manufacturers such as Faarup Møbelfabrik, Christensen & Larsen and Bovenkamp, he brought his sculptural aesthetic to the world.
Some of his seating designs have earned legendary status: The U-56 chair (1956) was renamed the Elizabeth because England’s Queen Elizabeth II is said to have picked up a pair during a 1958 trip to Denmark. With OPE Möbler, he created the Seal chair (1956) with a wooden frame shaped around leather upholstery. The sculptural Penguin chair (1953), produced by Selig and named for its curved back, became Denmark’s most frequently exported piece of furniture to the U.S. at the time. Its bentwood shell echoes the work of Kofod-Larsen’s modernist contemporaries Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames, while its options as a dining, lounging and rocking chair offer versatility for the home.
As mid-century modern furniture experiences a fresh wave of popularity in the U.S. — although, one could argue that it never really went away — Kofod-Larsen’s timeless pieces are among the most coveted vintage finds. Several of his designs continue to be produced, such as the Penguin chair, which has been manufactured by Brdr. Petersen since 2012.
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France & Søn
Danish manufacturer France & Søn is best known for its prolific output of elegant mid-century modern furnishings in teak and leather, yet its multinational beginnings took shape during the 1930s.
After businessman Charles William Fearnley France (1897–1972) moved from his native England to Denmark in 1936, he began to operate a small mattress factory alongside his friend Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker, under the name France & Daverkosen. Shortly afterward, Daverkosen passed away, and when Denmark was invaded during the Second World War, Charles was captured and sent to a prison camp in Germany. When he was released, the British entrepreneur set out to produce furniture in the early 1950s, setting up a shop in Hillerød to manufacture the kind of sleek beech and teak goods that were gaining widespread acclaim around the world. In 1957, France’s son James joined the business, and the company changed its name to reflect the addition.
Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, France & Søn produced a stunning array — and staggering quantity — of designs, with elegant modernist lounge chairs and armchairs, teak and rosewood dining tables and other furnishings by the likes of Finn Juhl, Grete Valk, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen all gracing its catalogues.
Even as there was a focus on mass production at France & Søn — and the brand doesn’t quite enjoy the same renown as fellow mid-century Danish furniture makers such as Carl Hansen & Søn — Charles France believed in making quality furniture, and the company’s offerings evoke the warmth of the handcrafted work that is typically associated with Scandinavian modernism.
In the 1960s, the company was bought by Danish designer Poul Cadovius, who folded it into the operations at CADO, a company he founded during the 1950s. Surviving examples of early work from the brand as well as modern icons by the likes of Verner Panton that followed in later years continue to be in demand.
Find a collection of France & Søn furniture on 1stDibs.
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