Chieftain chair

Teak, leather
34"w x 39"d x 38"h
Originally designed for the Cabinet Maker's Guild exhibition in 1949, the Chieftain is Finn Juhl's most distinctive chair design. The form is a culmination of years of designing by Juhl to create a chair composed of free elements, in contrast to the prevailing aesthetics of overstuffed furniture at the time. Rietveld and Breuer originally developed the concept of a free seat and backrest but the refined tastes and warmth of Juhl's Scandinavian sensibilities came to a completely original form in the Chieftain lounge chair. Niels Vodder Cabinetmakers created Juhl's early work in very limited numbers and fewer than eighty Chieftains were originally made. A fine example from the original owners who purchased the chair in Copenhagen in 1962. Signed with branded factory marks.
Literature:
Finn Juhl: Furniture, Architecture, Applied Art; Hiort, pg. 32
Provenance: Private collection, Idaho