Finn Juhl's 44 Chair, also known as the Bone Chair, is being reintroduced by House of Finn Juhl as a semi-permanent part of the collection. The chair has achieved cult status within the design world and has solely been produced in limited series. This will also be the case in the future.
The 44 Chair imposes high demands on the dimensions and quality of the wood. Prior to use, the wood must undergo a three-year storage and drying practice. The production process is also incredibly time-consuming, and the chair is only made by the most skilled and experienced Japanese cabinetmakers. For this reason, House of Finn Juhl can only supply very few of this sought-after collector's item. In 2023, only 100 chairs will be manufactured in total, which will be distributed and sold through the official Finn Juhl retailers worldwide. After this, a minimum of three years will pass before a new series of chairs becomes available.
Information on price and delivery time is only available on request from the official Finn Juhl retailers.
44
Together with master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Finn Juhl presented the 44 Chair at the Cabinetmakers' Exhibition in 1944. Together they challenged how far one could go with wood as the key material. The Bone Chair was originally made from Cuban mahogany, and only 12 chairs were produced.
44
Although Finn Juhl did not acquire a chair for himself at the time, he remedied this 30 years later by purchasing two chairs from one of the original buyers. At that point, Finn Juhl stated that the chair had now become a classic - and, above all, his personal favourite.
The Complicated Favourite
With the 44 Chair, Finn Juhl formed a piece of wood into an organic, bone-like shape, earning it the distinctive nickname the Bone Chair. Finn Juhl described the chair's appearance in 1944 as having "an animalistic pleasing character". Like nature's own constructions, the strength of the wood is utilized to the maximum, with the mass distributed where it is needed most. When studying the 44 Chair, this becomes strikingly apparent.
While the exclusive chair has never been in continuous production, House of Finn Juhl has previously produced limited series of the chair for special occasions. Today, these rare pieces are seen fetching high prices at auctions worldwide.
"Like nature's own constructions,
the strength of the wood is utilized to the maximum."
"Like nature's own constructions,
the strength of the wood is
utilized to the maximum."
Uncompromising Craftsmanship and Incomparable Quality
The frame for Finn Juhl's most complex design is crafted by House of Finn Juhl's Japanese partner and hereafter upholstered by hand in Denmark. At the joinery in Yamagata, Japan, the frame is made by the most experienced cabinetmakers, who possess the deepest understanding of the wood's possibilities and limitations. While working on the large solid back-piece of the chair, pauses and drying time are just as essential as the precise work by hand. To achieve the complex shape, uncompromising craftsmanship is required, wherein one must constantly keep an eye on the tension of the material and the load on it.
It is with pride that House of Finn Juhl reintroduces the 44 Chair into the collection, to the limited extent that the materials allow. The first series of chairs will be crafted from oak and walnut, but wood types may vary in the future depending on the availability of materials. All chairs are numbered and will be delivered with a signed certificate.
The Bone Chair
Design: Finn Juhl
Name: The 44 Chair
Year: 1944
Materials: Walnut or oak, upholstered in vegetal tanned leather
Dimensions: H: 74 cm x W: 61 cm x D: 52 cm x Sh: 47 cm
Visit the product page of the 44 Chair for more information.
