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Designer
Ole Wanscher
Ole Wanscher (1903-1985) was a Danish furniture designer. Wikipedia gives his birth as 16 September 1903 in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, as the son of the art historian Vilhelm Wanscher and the painter Laura K. Baagøe Zeuthen, and says he…
Biography
Background
Ole Wanscher (1903-1985) was a Danish furniture designer. Wikipedia gives his birth as 16 September 1903 in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, as the son of the art historian Vilhelm Wanscher and the painter Laura K. Baagøe Zeuthen, and says he studied at the Danish School of Art and Design and was particularly influenced by Kaare Klint. Carl Hansen & Søn says he studied under Klint at the Royal Danish Academy and later worked at Klint's design studio before becoming an independent furniture designer.
Signature Style
Carl Hansen & Søn says Wanscher viewed furniture design as a branch of architecture and emphasised slim dimensions and resilient forms, citing the Colonial Chair and Colonial Sofa as examples. He found inspiration on travels through Egypt and Europe. Wikipedia adds that he was influenced by 18th-century British design, ancient Egyptian furniture, and Greek and Chinese design.
Notable Works
- Colonial Chair (OW149), which Carl Hansen & Søn calls his most famous furniture work
- Colonial Sofa (OW149-2) and Colonial Coffee Table (OW449)
- Egyptian Folding Stool (OW2000), dated 1957 by Carl Hansen & Søn and 1960 by Wikipedia
- Rungstedlund Dining Table (OW224), designed in 1962
- OW58 T-Chair and OW150 daybed
Legacy
After Kaare Klint died in 1955, Wanscher succeeded him as professor at that academy, a post he held until 1973 according to Wikipedia. Carl Hansen & Søn records that his work won the Copenhagen Carpenters' Guild Annual Award and the gold medal at the Milan Triennale in 1960.
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Products
OW224 Rungstedlund Dining Table
Ole Wanscher's elliptical OW224 Rungstedlund table in bookmatched oak veneer, 1962
OW2000 Egyptian Folding Stool
Ole Wanscher's OW2000 Egyptian Folding Stool, inspired by Temple of Thebes furniture
OW149F Colonial Footstool
Ole Wanscher's light OW149F Colonial Footstool with a hand-woven cane seat
OW149 Colonial Chair
Ole Wanscher's slim Colonial Chair with curved armrests that rise to a point
OW58 T-Chair
Ole Wanscher's relaunched OW58 T-Chair with a T-shaped backrest and three-legged look
OW150 Daybed
Ole Wanscher's OW150 daybed: one long cushion on a solid oak frame, 1963
OW449 Colonial Coffee Table
Ole Wanscher's square OW449 Colonial Coffee Table with raised corners, 1964
OW149-2 Colonial Sofa
Ole Wanscher's slim two-seat Colonial Sofa with a lattice frame and double centre legs
