The Grasshopper Chair | Finn Juhl | 1938
Designed in 1938, the Grasshopper Chair was one of Finn Juhl’s first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom through furniture, marking the beginning of a long line of designs that would establish his reputation. Although it was never produced during his lifetime, the chair gained iconic status through numerous illustrations in design literature and was finally put into production in 2019. The chair is hand-upholstered in Denmark, available in textile or leather, with a frame crafted in oak or walnut.
Please note that the versions shown here represent only a selection of the many available options. For a complete overview of colors and materials, please explore the material page.
Design:
Finn Juhl
Year:
1938, relaunched in 2019
Materials:
Frame: Oak or walnut
Upholstery:
Textile or leather
Model and Dimensions:
FJ 3800
W: 87 cm | D: 101 cm | H: 93 cm
Seat height: 34 cm
Designed in 1938, the Grasshopper Chair was one of Finn Juhl’s first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom through furniture, marking the beginning of a long line of designs that would establish his reputation. Although it was never produced during his lifetime, the chair gained iconic status through numerous illustrations in design literature and was finally put into production in 2019. The chair is hand-upholstered in Denmark, available in textile or leather, with a frame crafted in oak or walnut.
Design:
Finn Juhl
Year:
1938, relaunched in 2019
Materials:
Frame: Oak or walnut
Upholstery:
Textile or leather
Model and Dimensions:
FJ 3800
W: 87 cm | D: 101 cm | H: 93 cm
Seat height: 34 cm
A Daring Input to the Furniture Industry
The remarkable Grasshopper Chair was first exhibited at Niels Vodder’s stand during the Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition in 1938. Two chairs were presented alongside a mobile bar cabinet, with illustrations of exquisite cocktails adorning the walls – a bold and extravagant display in contrast to the otherwise traditional and weighty furniture showcased at the time.
However, the public neither understood nor appreciated Finn Juhl’s provocative setup. To spare Niels Vodder from financial loss, Finn Juhl bought the two chairs himself. These remained the only Grasshopper Chairs in existence until the design was finally relaunched by House of Finn Juhl in 2019.
Today, the Grasshopper Chair holds iconic status, and the original 1938 versions are among the most coveted collectibles in Danish furniture design. In November 2018, one of the two chairs was auctioned for €319,000 at Artcurial in Paris.
Artistic Freedom in the Form of Furniture
Unlike his contemporary colleagues, Finn Juhl had no formal training as a cabinetmaker or furniture designer; instead, he had studied to become an architect. The lack of technical knowledge allowed him to approach furniture design without being limited by traditional craftsmanship constraints — a fact that likely explains the expressive, sculptural quality of his early work.
Finn Juhl was unbound by conventions of what could or couldn’t be done, and he relied on the skill of master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder to bring his ambitious ideas to life. The Grasshopper Chair, while appearing deceptively simple, is notoriously complex to build, with intricate angles, advanced joinery, and organic forms that require meticulous craftsmanship.
Today, each Grasshopper Chair is produced in Denmark and sequentially numbered.
– Hans Henrik Sørensen, Co-founder of House of Finn Juhl
