A fantastic pair of Danish mid century chairs designed by Herbert Hirche for Jofa Stålmøbler and dating to approximately the 1950s.
The real appeal of these chairs is the shape. Each one has a beautifully sculpted moulded teak plywood shell, with a broad curved back, narrow waist and gently upturned seat edges. They have a wonderfully fluid, almost sculptural quality, and look just as good from the side and back as they do from the front.
The rich teak grain works beautifully against the slim grey tubular steel frames, giving them that perfect balance of warmth and industrial simplicity that makes 1950s Danish furniture so easy to live with.
They are also surprisingly practical. Lightweight, comfortable and stackable, they would work brilliantly as occasional chairs, desk chairs, dining chairs or simply as a striking pair in a hallway, bedroom or living space.
Both chairs retain plenty of original character. The metal frames have areas of wear, marks and oxidation from age, while the wooden shells show some light surface marks and scratches, including a more noticeable scratch to one seat. Nothing detracts from the overall look, and we think the honest patina suits them perfectly.
The underside is stamped “Made in Denmark”, confirming their Danish manufacture.
A really stylish and unusual pair, with a strong sculptural presence and all the character you want from an original mid century design.
£595.00
In stock
Jofa Stålmøbler was a Danish furniture manufacturer producing modernist furniture during the mid 20th century, with its work particularly associated with the clean lines and practical construction of post-war Scandinavian design.
The company is best known for seating combining moulded plywood with slender steel frames. Among its most recognisable pieces are the sculptural stacking chairs attributed to German architect and designer Herbert Hirche, whose beautifully shaped plywood shells provide a striking contrast to their simple tubular steel bases. Examples are typically marked “Made in Denmark”, with some retaining an original Jofa Stålmøbler label.
Original Jofa Stålmøbler furniture is relatively uncommon on the vintage market today and offers a particularly interesting meeting point between Danish manufacturing and European modernist design.
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Herbert Hirche was born in 1910 and trained first as a carpenter before going on to study at the Bauhaus in Dessau and Berlin, where his teachers included Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Wassily Kandinsky. When Mies moved to the United States, Hirche was invited to join him but chose to stay in Berlin, subsequently working for architects Egon Eiermann and Hans Scharoun.
After 1945 he worked on the reconstruction of Berlin and joined the Berlin Werkbund group. In 1952 he was appointed Professor of Interior Design and Furniture Making at Stuttgart’s State Academy of Arts, a post he held until 1975.
Furniture companies including Wilkhahn, Walter Knoll, Holzäpfel, and Wilde+Spieth produced pieces designed by Hirche. His approach was rooted in the Bauhaus principle that good design should serve the people who use it – his buildings, interiors, and furniture were intended not to dominate but to give users the greatest possible freedom. His 480 range was shown at the World Exposition in Brussels in 1958.
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