Famous for the  Wishbone chair, the iconic chair with a characteristic rounded back with a wooden fork in the center,  Hans J. Wegner has designed just under 500 seats in his career. Born in 1914, it was one of the pillars of Danish modernism and described its creative process, always claiming to start from function and continuing through refinements and simplifications to bring the chair to its purest representation. Appreciated for his in-depth knowledge of materials and processing techniques, Wegner graduated as a carpenter at the age of 18 and then studied for three years at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, years during which he began his search for the link between form, function and comfort. In 1938 he made his debut at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild exhibition and soon after he began collaborating with Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller. In 1943 he founded his studio and was noticed by Holger Hansen, son of Carl Hansen: thus was born the partnership between the designer and the company for which he signed an iconic series of chairs, including the Wishbone chair. Today, Wegner's legacy is managed by his daughters, in collaboration with whom  Carl Hansen & Son has decided to re-edit another iconic chair by the designer: the CH78 , better known as Mama Bear.

CH78 by Carl Hansen & Son

"I was 7 years old in 1954 - says Marianne Wegner - when my father designed the CH78 armchair, which was also called Mama Bear. My father had already designed Papa Bear in 1951, which was excellent for the comfort of the seat and the quality of the materials. But it was a bit heavy and bulky model and given the many hours of work to build it, it must have been relatively expensive. It was therefore logical for him to design an armchair that was less bulky. The CH78 is a light, padded and ergonomic lines. "

CH78 chair by Carl Hansen & Son detail

The shape of the backrest is the feature that most catches the eye and makes the armchair recognizable among all the others: "It is the upper half of the armchair - from the armrests to the tip of the backrest - which attracts the most attention in this piece. In particular, the two large tips of the back that look like ears. The other feature is the upward arch in the middle of the backrest, which interacts with the downward arch at the top of the backrest. The small suspended cushion - added to increase the comfort of the armchair - with its crescent shape, harmonizes well with these two arches. The armchair acts both as an independent armchair to relax, and as a high-backed armchair combined with a living room set, where the whole family can gather in company ”continues Marianne.

CH78 chair by Carl Hansen & Son

An ergonomic and intelligent armchair: comfortable to sit on, but not particularly padded or reclined, it invites you to relax composed and healthy for your body. The slightly inclined wooden legs transmit stability, the upper part of the armrests is covered in wood, to protect the fabric where it normally undergoes greater wear. The seams in the center of the backrest, on the other hand, ensure that the fabric is always taut and at the same time give rise to a decorative groove in a discreet way.

CH78 Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner

Ergonomics, comfort and clean lines are therefore the fundamental characteristics of the armchair, made more familiar and kind by the wooden details, the seams and the half-moon cushion that can be removed. An armchair suitable for both a domestic context and a contract space, thanks to the design rigor that characterizes it.

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