A pair of early production 1950s Vintage Danish Mid Century Poul Kjaerholm PK22 Lounge chairs in polished steel and cognac/bronze leather for E. Kold Christensen. The price shown is for both chairs.
 
PLEASE NOTE - this item has now been sold. If you're looking for something similar please get in touch and we'll do our best to help.
 
Originally designed in 1956 the PK22 stands out as one of Kjaerholm’s most lauded and recognised designs. Inspired by the 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. This 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 licenced 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 logo stamp impressed into front cross stretcher of the frame they carry a much higher premium than the later FH production models.
 
These particular examples both benefit from the EKC stamp as shown, and are in very good original condition. Usually the PK22s of this age have worn and distressed leather and significant corrosion to the frame so it’s rare to find a matching pair in such great condition. This is mainly because they have lived most of their lives in the more temperate climate of California and have just recently been repatriated to Europe. The frames show light evidence of wear and a little tarnish as expected, and the leather upholstery (which appears to be hand dyed and coloured) has a wonderful patina and colour that can only be described as a deep cognac bronze with hints of chocolate – I’ve never actually seen a pair quite like them; the dark richness of colour and the lustre of the shine is truly exceptional.
 
The chairs are also very comfortable to sit in and again, unlike many other early PK22s, retain their support integrity. This is naturally obvious when sitting on the chairs, but in only reviewing photographs the give of the seat can be determined by simply looking for evidence of sagging. Under the covers of all PK22s are a series of webbing straps 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 which generally signifies that the chair needs to be stripped and the webbing replaced.
 
Finally, you’ll note that both chairs maintain their original compliment of 5 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). The original flat head screws are therefore a nice touch and much rarer as they were replaced with press studs on later models.
 
Dimensions
H71 x W63 X D63cm
Seat height: Mid height 35cm: however the seat slopes by 10cm from 38cm at the front to 28cm at the rear.
Seat depth: 42cm.
 
Buying
As every item is different we deal with each purchase on an individual basis. If you're interested in purchasing or making an offer on an item please contact us either by phone on +44 (0) 3300 535067 or by email via our contact page HERE.
​
Our checkout uses PayPal to add buyer protection and also allows payments vai all major credit cards as well PayPal itself. All items shown in stock will normally be ready for dispatch within 1-3
business days.