I'm a bona fida sucker for mid-century anything — especially chairs. Honestly I can spot a piece at 40 paces. Not many things make me green with envy but the want monster comes out when I see a great armchair that fulfills both aesthetic and Feng Shui criteria.
The Papa Bear chair by the famous Danish designer Hans J. Wegner, is an acquisition I'd love to own. Well a pair, if I'm truly honest - symmetry is another one of my penchants. That said this elegant chair can certainly hold its own in any interior whether it's partnered or solo it's the perfect Feng Shui Chair.
It's been described as the godfather of comfortable chairs, delivering comfort while never forsaking style. Designed by a design godfather - the pioneering furniture designer of the twentieth century - Hans J. Wegner. The Danish architect designed over 500 chairs and was recognized worldwide as the worthy 'Master of the Chair'.
The chair received its name after a critic had referred to its armrests as 'great bear paws embracing you from behind'. Designed in 1953 the Papa Bear Chair in later years, has been one of the most popular Wegner designs and it remains a classic today.
Although I'm not privy to what inspiration Wegner sought in his design processes, it's common knowledge in design circles that he designed a series of so called 'China Chairs'. The 1944 series was inspired by Chinese chairs from the Ming dynasty. One of the China chairs, was the Wishbone Chair (CH24) designed in 1949, which went onto become Wegner's most successful design of all time. The wishbone chair is indeed a beauty. The curved top rail and arms are fashioned into a single piece, which caresses the body while the characteristic Y-shaped yoke back provides comfortable support to the lower back.
While the handcrafted Papa Bear chair is upholstered, it is not unlike the Wishbone chair with its curved skeletal arm structure. And this is where the Feng Shui criteria is met. An ideal chair from a Feng Shui perspective, supports and caresses the sitter, it also has a solid back. So an opening in the back would lack support and allow chi to escape while exposing the kidneys and lower back to wind, which in simplified TCM terms is unsettling chi.
This logic also comes from a form school philosophy which cites the best positioning for a structure in the landscapes topography. The four Chinese celestial animals are referenced - The Black tortoise supports from the rear and the Green Dragon and White Tiger provide shelter on the left and right as they caresses and protect a dwelling from the elements, in an armchair like horseshoe formation. The fourth animal was termed a red bird and is positioned on slightly lower terrain. So the tall winged back is the Tortoise and the horseshoe arms are the Dragon and Tiger while the seat is the red bird.
As Wegner, was a trained architect he may have known this Feng shui principle, given his interest in Chinese Ming Dynasty chairs and perhaps Chinese architecture. Either way I think you will agree that the Papa Bear chair fulfills both a design and Feng Shui brief on all counts.
As I write this article it's close to Father's Day, the aptly named chair would make an ideal Father's day gift for anyone with deep pockets. It had a RRP of AUD$26,074 a few years back. And if your curious where’s the best Feng Shui to position according to your acquisition? As a general caveat, Northwest is the sector in everyone’s home that aligns with Patriarch energies.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Papa Bears.
