Finn Juhl
FJ 46 chair
Armchair with teak frame. Seat and back with original natural leather upholstery.
Model designed 1946. This example made and stamped by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder 1950s.
Width 61 cm, height 83,5 cm, depth 61 cm, seat height front 45 cm.
The FJ-46, or NV-46 or perhaps more correctly the “Aubertin chair”
is a chair that is both the climax in Finn Juhl´ search for a perfect armchair as well the epitome of organic post-war design. As such it represents the essence of Danish furniture design.
While neither as rare as the “FJ-44” chair nor as excessive as the “Chieftain” chair it is a chair that had a during popularity and one of those few models that remained in production with Niels Vodder from its introduction in 1946 up until he fully seized operations around 1980.
The history of the model is linked to its presentation at the 1946 Fall Copenhagen Cabinetmakers´ Guild Exhibition. The chair was however actually designed in the spring of 1946 a short time before for the timber merchant mr. Aubertin for use in his executive office and conference room. The original sketch for the chair is named “Aubertin” by Finn Juhl in writing.
Aubertin would develop so close a relationship with Finn Juhl, that few years later Juhl would make the only private full year house beyond his own, for the Aubertin family including a complete design of the interior.
Finn Juhl then later in 1946 decided that the chair should be included in the booth he would present together with cabinetmaker Niels Vodder for the exhibition in the fall of 1946.
His sketch from the fall of 1946 of the layout for the booth, was seemingly largely a project for himself, as almost all the pieces presented either found their way to his house in Ordrup, or were already there and simply was borrowed and put into the booth.
There was a chest in Cuban mahogany with white painted front that he had made and used as early as 1938 in his apartment in Copenhagen.
A built-in sofa that for a while found its its way to his house.
A coffee table he had made possibly around 1942 and used also for a while in his house.
A pair of FJ-45 chairs .. also used in his house.
A large simple sturdy teak work table that was new in 1946 and where subsequent fate is unknown.
And then of course the FJ-46 chair.
The FJ-46 would remain in production for decades. The present example was made in the 1950s and originate from a former employee at Niels Vodder´ workshop. It retains the original leather, that has been carefully restored and stabilized.