Børge Mogensen dining chairs

This is a rare set of four dining chairs, model 122, also referred to as the shell chair, designed by Børge Mogensen and produced by Søborg Møbelfabrik in Denmark during the 1960s. The chairs represent Mogensen’s approach to democratic design: highly functional, structurally honest, and visually restrained. The form consists of a solid teak frame supporting a sculpted seat and backrest, both executed in molded teak veneer with a slight curvature to support the body ergonomically.

The chairs are constructed with great attention to joinery and grain alignment. The rear legs rise vertically to support the backrest through extended posts, creating a clean silhouette while offering structural stability. The seat is subtly curved and upholstered in patinated brown leather, exhibiting creases, softening, and natural variations in tone due to use over time. The combination of warm teak and aged leather creates a tactile and visual contrast that reflects the Scandinavian material palette of the period.

Børge Mogensen (1914–1972) was one of the central figures of Danish modernism, renowned for his focus on functionality and everyday usability. He was a student of Kaare Klint and a contemporary of Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, contributing a significant body of work that emphasized craftsmanship, modesty in form, and social responsibility in design. Søborg Møbelfabrik was one of the manufacturers with which Mogensen maintained a close partnership, producing a number of his wooden furniture designs during the postwar decades.

The chairs are in good vintage condition with light signs of use. There is minor surface wear to the teak frames and visible patina on the leather seats, which remain structurally firm and usable. The finish on the wood retains a soft matte luster, and the craftsmanship details remain clearly defined.

Dimensions are 50.5 cm in width, 47 cm in depth, and 77 cm in height, with a seat height of 42 cm. In imperial units, this corresponds to approximately 19.9 inches wide, 18.5 inches deep, 30.3 inches high, and 16.5 inches seat height.