Shell Chair

Form-pressed walnut veneer or form-pressed beech veneer with lacquer finish; molded cold foam seat and back; leather, cowhide or wool-blend fabric. Danish designer Hans J. Wegner preferred to work in solid wood, but occasionally he explored the use of bent plywood, and for that we are very thankful. Sometimes called the "smiling chair," his Shell Chair (1963) achieves a floating lightness due to its wing-like seat and the arching curves of its tapered legs. And while it stands on only three legs, this chair has an absolute stability that could only be achieved by someone with Wegner's expertise in cabinetmaking and architecture. Wegner's belief that a chair "should be beautiful from all sides and angles" is especially evident with his Shell Chair.

This comfortable masterpiece is a marvel of grace and beauty.