Grete Jalk 'Great Dane' Teak Lounge Chair, Model 128, for France & Søn, Denmark, c. 1960
Denmark's Best-Selling Mid-Century Armchair — And It's Easy to See Why
A beautifully resolved lounge chair by Grete Jalk — one of the most significant female voices in Danish mid-century design — produced by France & Søn in Denmark around 1960. The original maker's mark is present and intact, confirming authenticity.
The Model 128 was France & Søn's best-selling armchair, known affectionately in the trade as the 'Great Dane' — a nickname that speaks to both its Danish pedigree and the quiet confidence of its presence in a room. It is not difficult to understand the appeal. The solid teak frame is aerodynamic and assured: sculpted armrests that taper and lift toward the front, an open slatted back with gently angled vertical supports, and the distinctive cigar-shaped legs that are among the most recognisable details of France & Søn's production. Every element is resolved with the discipline and material sensitivity that characterises Jalk's best work.
The chair is low and generous — designed for genuine lounging rather than upright sitting — and its open frame gives it a lightness that prevents it from dominating a space, even in rooms of modest scale. It is a chair that works equally well alone as a reading chair or as part of a considered lounge arrangement.
Carefully restored in our workshop and newly upholstered in a light blue FibreGuard fabric — a clean, contemporary choice that complements the warmth of the teak without competing with it.
Grete Jalk’s work has gained increasing international recognition in recent years, with collectors appreciating her contribution as one of the important voices of Danish modern furniture design.
A complementary Ib Kofod-Larsen Lounge chair is also available — see separate listing.
Designer Profile — Grete Jalk (1920–2006)
Grete Jalk was one of the most accomplished and important designers of the Danish modern movement — remarkable both for the quality of her work and for the fact that she achieved it in a field almost entirely dominated by men.
Born in Copenhagen in 1920, she trained in cabinetmaking before completing her education at the Royal Danish Academy under the highly influential Kaare Klint. In 1946 she won first prize at the annual Cabinetmakers' Guild Competition, and five years later received wide acclaim at the 1951 Milan Triennale. Around 1953 she opened her own studio and began producing furniture for Denmark's leading manufacturers, including Poul Jeppesen, Fritz Hansen, Glostrup, and France & Søn.
She also taught at the Royal Danish Academy, edited the influential design magazine Mobilia, and in 1981 was named a member of the Danish Design Council. Her most celebrated work — the GJ Chair of 1963, moulded from two pieces of laminated teak plywood — is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The Model 128, produced a few years earlier, represents a more accessible but equally refined expression of her design thinking — and is increasingly sought after by collectors who recognise the quality of both the design and the making.
All Vintage Club pieces are carefully considered for authenticity, provenance, and condition before acquisition. Restoration is undertaken in-house to the highest standard.
Vintage Grete Jalk Lounge Chair, Denmark 1960s
Designer: Grete Jalk
Maker: France & Søn (original maker's mark present)
Model: 128 ('Great Dane')
Country: Denmark
Date: c. 1960
Materials: Solid teak frame, newly upholstered
Dimensions: W 79cm, D 74cm, H 77cm | Seat H 42cm
Condition & Restoration
The solid teak frame has been gently refinished, preserving its original form, patina, and integrity. Newly upholstered in a high-quality light blue stain-resistant FibreGuard fabric from Home Fabrics — featuring Stain Free Technology for everyday durability — a clean, contemporary choice that complements the warmth of the teak without competing with it— with new high-density foam throughout. The original maker's mark is intact.
As with all authentic mid-century pieces, gentle signs of age remain and are considered part of their character.
Photographed in natural light in our studio.
We photograph every piece honestly — what you see is what you'll receive. Before dispatch, each item is cleaned and finished with Osmo Polyx®-Oil so it arrives looking its best.
