The Carl Hansen VLA61 Monarch Chair was designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen in 1944, and only ten chairs were originally produced. Until now, this rare chair has been a coveted collector’s item sold at auctions around the world and is now available to a wider audience for the first time.
The VLA61 Monarch Chair is named after the majestic Monarch butterfly, and the name is a tribute to the architect’s keen interest in butterflies, which he diligently studied throughout his life. The chair has a whimsical design with functionalist details and an elegant interplay between soft upholstery and the carefully hand-polished crafted frame. Details such as the small brass feet and hand-polished joints testify to Vilhelm Lauritzen's expressive design signature.
Manufacturing the VLA61 Monarch Chair is a complex and time consuming process for the experienced cabinetmakers at Carl Hansen & Son, as many of the chair’s parts are curved and double curved. In addition, all the parts are polished by hand before being assembled, after which the entire chair especially around the joints is hand-polished once again to achieve a perfect finish. The backrest is only upholstered after it has been mounted on the chair to achieve precise finishes around the armrests and hind legs a task requiring the greatest care from Carl Hansen & Son’s skilled furniture upholsterers. This is a true collectors item that is an outstanding piece of Danish design.
Material: Solid oak or mahogany frame with brass feet. Mahogany is oiled, Oak is either Soaped, Oiled or White Oiled, with foam-filled seat upholstered in Sahco Baru fabric (87% new wool 10% polyester 3% polyamide), or SIF Leather - an aniline leather made from the highest quality rawhide which is characterised by its exclusive and soft surface as well as excellent seating comfort.
Dimensions: Height: 87cm x Width: 69cm x Depth: 61cm (Seat height: 45cm & Armrest height: 70cm)
Vilhelm Lauritzen was one of Denmark’s most important architects and a father of Danish Modernism. Today, many of his projects remain as lasting examples of what was then a new and revolutionary approach to architecture in which form followed function. His beautiful Foyer Series for Carl Hansen are a shining testament to the Golden age of Scandinavian Design.
