Mid-Century Modern Danish Teak Sofa by Poul Jeppesen, 1970s

Scant information remains available on Danish furniture manufacturer P. Jeppesen Møbelfabrik A/S, even though the company achieved a great deal of success between the 1940s and 1960s producing the designs of well-known designers Ole Wanscher (1903-1985) and Grete Jalk (1920-2006), alongside the work of lesser known designers like Wilhelm Wohlert, Gorm Lindum, Jørgen Posborg, Troels Grum-Schwensen, and Morten Gøttler.

Sometimes also written as Poul Jeppesen or PJ Furniture, the date that the company was established is unknown. However, records show that sometime in the 1950s, Wanscher left his private firm and joined P. Jeppesens Møbelfabrik as head designer, a role that would last for the rest of his professional life.

Notable P. Jeppesen designs include Wanscher’s PJ-149 Colonial Chair (1949), Rungstedlund Dining Chair (c. 1950), and PJ-112 Sofa (1951); as well as Jalk’s iconic postwar GJ Chair—also known as the Shell Chair (1963). This teak-veneered, molded plywood piece features a distinct origami-like shape achieved through an intricate bending and laminating process; the complexity of the fabrication in those early years limited its manufacture to only a few hundred. Nevertheless, it was snapped up by New York's Museum of Modern Art the year it was released. In 2009, the GJ Chair went back into production with Danish manufacturer Lange, and, unsurprisingly, the original mid-century editions remain highly sought after on the secondary market.