Mid Century Danish Lounge Chair & Ottoman Teak Black Leather By Illum Wikkelsø For Niels Eilersen Vintage Retro MCM

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Mid Century Danish Lounge Chair & Ottoman Teak Black Leather By Illum Wikkelsø For Niels Eilersen Vintage Retro MCM

Designed by Illum Wikkelsø and manufactured by Niels Eilersen in Denmark in the 1960s, this lounge chair and footstool is simply stunning and a remarkable iconic piece of mid century Danish design.

Illum Wikkelsø has a legacy for creating some of the finest Danish mid century furniture; this sculpted organic chair and footstool is no exception.

A generous teak frame with highly sculpted ribbon-like armrests define this iconic design.

Crafted from premium quality solid teak boasting striking flowing form and sculptural joinery. The black aniline leather is original, which has been cleaned and treated.

The legs, which taper somewhat towards each other at the bottom, are not only optically strong, but also constructively a real challenge, they are proof that both design and construction are of an exceptionally high level.

Lounge Chair Dimensions
Height - 102cm
Width - 74cm
Depth - 72cm
Seat Height - 41cm

Ottoman Dimensions
Height - 42cm
Width - 63cm
Depth - 45cm

Though very little biographical information survives for Danish architect-designer Illum Wikkelsø (1919-1999), the rich, organic quality of his designs found on the vintage market affirms his status as an active proponent of Scandinavian modernism in the postwar era.

Like most Danish designers at the time, Wikkelsø studied cabinetry, graduating from the Copenhagen School of Arts & Crafts. He later held positions with the cabinetmaker Jacob Kjaer and the architectural firm of Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielsen. In 1944, Wikkelsø moved to Århus to work as an interior designer.

In 1954, he began designing his own furniture and, a few years later, established a workshop. Like many of his Danish contemporaries - Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, and Hans Wegner, for example - Wikkelsø’s designs emphasize formal simplicity and biomorphic silhouettes. Wikkelsø’s background in cabinetry engendered in him a profound understanding of materials and an excellent attention to detail. Working with teak and rosewood, he captured delicately sculptural forms. Wikkelsø believed that furniture should be built to last while cradling the body and pleasing the eye.

Well known designs from Wikkelsø’s career include T118 Coffee Table (ca. 1950s), Gyngestol Rocking Chair (1958), and Model 91 Lounge Chair and Ottoman for Mikael Laursen (ca. 1959), among others.

A number of Danish manufacturers produced Wikkelsø’s designs, such as C.F. Christensen, Holger Christiansen, Eilersen, Farstrup, Silkeborg, and Søren Willadsen.

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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.