Ole Wanscher For Cado Senator Danish Teak Three Seater Sofa Model 166 Mid Century Vintage Retro MCM

New Stock ✅

Ole Wanscher For Cado Senator Danish Teak Three Seater Sofa Model 166 Mid Century Vintage Retro MCM

Elegant and classic solid teak model 166 'Senator’ three seater sofa designed by Ole Wanscher in 1951 and manufactured by France & Søn and Cado in the 1960s.

Featuring the original sprung cushions and original oatmeal cream beige striped wool fabric.

This spring system, also used in Wegner's GE290 sofas and lounge chairs which provides excellent comfort.

We’ve priced it accordingly to allow for reupholstery costs if the buyer so wishes to have new coverings. The solid teak frame has been professionally renovated and restored.

Dimensions
Height - 76cm
Length - 180cm
Depth - 74cm
Seat Height - 45cm

Born in Copenhagen in 1903, Danish architect-designer Ole Wanscher was a key player in Denmark's midcentury modern movement. In the postwar era, the simple and refined aesthetic he achieved by reinventing classic forms helped define Scandinavian design, and many of his pieces became staples in Scandinavian homes.

Wanscher studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under famous architect-designer Kaare Klint (1888-1954). Upon graduating, Wanscher worked with Klint from 1924 to 1927 and, after Klint passed away, Wanscher was given Klint's professorship at the academy - a position he held until he retired in 1973.

In 1927, Wanscher opened his own architecture firm, specializing in furniture design.

Between the 1940s and 1960s, Wanscher enjoyed fruitful collaborations with small-scale, artisanal cabinetmakers, like the masterful A. J. Iversen (1888-1979), as well as well as larger-scale Danish companies, such as France & Søn, Fritz Hansen, Poul Jeppesen, and Rud Rasmussen.

Wanscher went on to write various articles and publish several books on design history, such as The History of the Arts of Furniture (1956) and Five Thousand Years of Furniture (1967).

Wanscher passed away in 1985. Many of Wanscher's design remain in production with Carl Hansen & Søn.

Given the popularity of vintage Cado shelving units and other pieces of furniture, it is surprising that so little information about the Danish manufacturer’s history survives.

Cado began as modernist furniture producer France & Søn, which was founded by British entrepreneur Charles W. France and Danish cabinetmaker Eric Daverkosen circa 1948 in Denmark (originally named France & Daverkosen after its founders). The company entered a new phase when successful Danish designer Poul Cadovius (1911-2011) took ownership sometime between 1964 and 1967. The iconic Senator Chair (1951) by Ole Wanscher along with a number of designs by Grete Jalk, Finn Juhl, and Arne Vodder - continued to be produced by Cado into the late 1960s.

Cado is best remembered for the modular wooden wall units designed by Cadovius. Named Royal System, the space saving exemplar of Danish modernism dominates Cadovius's legacy, even as he patented approximately 400 designs in his lifetime.

Unfortunately, there is no information as to what happened to the Cado business after the 1970s.

For any questions please message us on WhatsApp +447590146893 or please call us and follow us on Instagram @relicsofretro

Local delivery can be free depending on distance. National and international delivery is available at an extra cost which we can organise on your behalf.

Collection in person is welcome. We are West of Cambridge in Bourn CB23.

Please message before purchasing to confirm delivery costs.

Please note that vintage furniture may have some slight imperfections, which is to be expected in keeping with its age, as we do not offer returns on items sold.