Karen & Ebbe Clemmensen easy chair

This very rare easy chair was designed by Danish architects Karen and Ebbe Clemmensen and produced by Fritz Hansen in Denmark in 1959. The chair combines a sculptural, expressive silhouette with refined joinery and a harmonious material palette, reflecting Scandinavian postwar functionalism imbued with artisanal sensitivity.

The frame is made from solid ash, chosen for its linear grain and warm honey-toned finish. The legs are slender and elegantly tapered, with the rear legs subtly splayed to ensure stability. The armrests curve gently and end in rolled tips that cradle the sling-like leather backrest. The backrest and seat are formed from a single piece of molded, stitched thick brown leather, stretched taut across the frame in a continuous sling configuration. This original leather has aged gracefully, displaying a rich patina with natural creases and tonal variations that attest to its authenticity and history of use.

Mechanical fastenings are minimal and discreet; the leather is looped and secured around custom brass hardware located at the arm joints. The chair’s side profile reveals its dynamic posture, with the seat angled slightly rearward and the backrest tilted for a relaxed seating position. The interplay between the rigid wooden frame and the supple leather components expresses both structural logic and tactile comfort.

The chair carries the Fritz Hansen maker’s stamp, confirming its provenance. It is in very good condition, with the leather exhibiting expected surface wear and rich coloration, and the ash frame remaining structurally sound with only minor wear. All elements are original and unrestored.

Karen and Ebbe Clemmensen were a husband-and-wife architectural team known for their modernist ideals. While less prolific in furniture design than some peers, their collaborative works are valued for intellectual rigor and formal clarity. This chair reflects their architectural mindset, emphasizing precise geometry and integrated material detailing.

Fritz Hansen, founded in 1872, is a prestigious Danish manufacturer renowned for collaborations with icons such as Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm. Their partnership with the Clemmensens produced a small but important body of work, with this chair standing as a rare surviving example.

The chair measures 61 cm in width, 68 cm in depth, and 71 cm in height, with a seat height of 35 cm. In imperial measurements, this corresponds to approximately 24 inches wide, 26.8 inches deep, 28 inches high, and a seat height of 13.8 inches.