1st Edition Black Leather Vintage Danish Poul Kjaerholm PK22s for E. Kold Christensen 1960s.

A pair of early production 1960s Vintage Danish Mid Century Poul Kjaerholm PK22 Lounge chairs in polished steel and black leather for E. Kold Christensen. The price shown is for both chairs.

Originally designed in 1956 the PK22 stands out as one of Kjaerholm’s most lauded and recognised designs. Inspired by both the ancient ‘Klismos’ Greek chair design and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, it features legs that are angled in opposite directions to provide a strong but light frame. The frame is constructed from bent steel bar and has a simple elegance that originates from his graduation project, the ‘Element’ Chair. That chair, also known as the PK25, had a frame made from a single piece of steel and this was adapted in the PK22 to be formed from additional parts to lower production costs. 

The chair was an immediate commercial success and critical acclaim followed when, in 1957, the design was awarded the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale, the world's premier design fair. This award immediately elevated Kjaerholm’s status and career and he has enjoyed this position ever since.

From 1982, two years after his death, all of Kjaerholm’s designs were licensed to Fritz Hansen where the PK22 is still produced to this day. However, early models were produced by Kjaerholm’s friend and manufacturing partner Ejvind Kold Christensen and are the most sought after as not just exceptional pieces of design, but also as icons of 20th Century design history. Recognised by a simple ‘EKC’ stylised square logo stamp impressed into the front cross stretcher of the frame they carry a much higher premium than the later FH production models.

The chairs are comfortable to sit in, and these examples, unlike some other early PK22s, retain their support integrity so benefit your seating experience. This is naturally obvious when sitting on the chairs, but in only reviewing photographs the integrity of the seat can be determined by simply looking for evidence of sagging on the front edge of the seat. Under the covers of all PK22s are a series of webbing straps (or canvas slings on later models) that span the frame in the seat and back. In the early editions, given they are pushing 70 years old now, the webbing can deteriorate and come apart at the sides. When this happens you’ll see the seats can sag and bow significantly at the front which generally signifies that the chair needs to be stripped and the webbing replaced.
 

These particular examples both benefit from the EKC stamp as shown, and are in very good condition with just some small signs of use on the frames and leather seats as shown in the photos - given the condition it's possible the leather covers have been replaced at some time but if so these look to be the original later, Fritz Hansen covers as evidenced by the quality and thickness of the leather, the style of the grain and the bonded seam that runs down the back of the seat back. 

Finally, you’ll note that both chairs maintain their full complement of 5 metal retaining screws under the seat, as shown in the photographs. These small cabinet style screws hold the larger main section of the seat flap in position under the frame and are quite often missing in action, or replaced with string, (or even occasionally, unsightly nuts and bolts). These metals screws are therefore a nice touch and much rarer as they were replaced with plastic press studs on later models.

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Further information HERE