Furniture manufacturer AP Stolen

Written by Niklas Søgaard on

AP Chair / Anker Petersen (1944-1977)

Danish furniture manufacturer – Wegner's master upholsterer and creator of iconic lounge chairs

AP Stolen, founded by upholsterer Anker Petersen in 1944, is one of the most significant manufacturers of upholstered furniture of the Danish Modern period. The company became particularly known for its close collaborations with Hans J. Wegner, where together they created classics such as the Bamsestolen, Mama Bear and Ox Chair. AP Stolen's historical production is today among the most sought-after in Danish design due to its craftsmanship precision, rarity and a unique quality that has never been repeated since.


Background and founding (1944)

AP Stolen was founded in Copenhagen by Anker Petersen, a skilled and respected upholsterer who had been in the furniture business for several years and had built a solid reputation for quality. The company was brand new and very small when the collaboration with Hans J. Wegner began — less than a year old in fact. But Petersen possessed a technical expertise that few others in Denmark could match.

Since Wegner had extremely high quality standards, choosing a young and untested manufacturer could have been risky. But Petersen was a master of his craft, and Wegner saw in him a partner who could realize his most advanced upholstered forms.


The collaboration with Hans J. Wegner

AP Stolen quickly became Wegner's preferred manufacturer of upholstered models. Petersen needed designs—and he got them in a rush that was almost dramatic. Wegner delivered a number of his most ambitious and organic lounge chairs specifically to AP Stolen:

  • The Teddy Bear Chair (AP19), 1951 – Wegner's most iconic upholstered armchair; named by a journalist who compared the armrests to "teddy bear paws".

  • Mama Bear Chair (AP27), 1950s – high-backed armchair with characteristic “ear flaps”.

  • The Airport Chair (AP37), 1953 – a slimmer lounge chair with solid lines and leather upholstery.

  • Ox Chair (AP46), 1960 – one of Wegner's most advanced and sculptural upholstered chairs.

  • Various prototypes and small series – including early versions of the Wing Chair and experimental upholstery.

From 1953, PP Møbler supplied all wooden frames for AP Stolen, and according to Ejnar Pedersen's recollections, PP had to supply several hundred frames every quarter in the 1950s to keep up with demand for the Bamse Chair.

This collaboration between Wegner – AP Stolen – PP Møbler is legendary today and is considered one of the most fruitful in Danish design history.


Crafts and production technology

AP Stolen's furniture was hand-built using traditional upholstery techniques that only a few masters mastered. The construction was characterized by:

  • Hand-sewn springs and base construction
  • Natural horsehair as primary stuffing
  • Hand-sewn edges and precise fit
  • Canvas, linen and jute as inner materials
  • Wooden frames made by PP Møbler from 1953
  • Minimal use of foam (Only used in the seat cushion)

This traditional construction gives the early AP Stolen models a special texture, weight, scent and patina - and they feel significantly different than later versions from the 2000s.


Copies and plagiarism in the 1950s

The popular models of the AP Chair led to a wave of copies in the 1950s. Some were inspired, others outright illegal.

The most significant conflict took place in Sweden:

  • Jio Furniture, Jönköbing – bought an original Teddy Bear Chair, took it apart and produced an almost identical copy.
  • G. Åberg, Malmbäck – launched a similar copy.
  • Svend Skipper (Denmark) – designed a similar chair, although more angular and less refined.

Anker Petersen led legal proceedings against the Swedish manufacturers. In 1958, both companies were convicted of violating artist's rights — a decisive victory that strengthened the protection of Danish furniture art.

Yet the copies were sold far and wide, and they still appear at auctions in the Nordic countries. However, we, KLASSIK , only deal in the originals from AP Stolen, like this one below:


Shutdown and legacy

In the early 1970s, demand for the large upholstered Wegner chairs declined, leading to the closure of AP Stolen in 1977 after 33 years of operation.

In 2003, PP Møbler took over the full production of the Bamse Chair , made using many of the same methods and principles that Wegner specified in the 1950s.
The original AP Chair models from the 1940s–1970s stand today as some of the most sought-after and rare pieces of furniture from the Danish Modern period, loved for their sublime craftsmanship and sculptural forms.


Experience the AP Chair at KLASSIK

At KLASSIK you will find original AP Stolen furniture from the period 1944–1977 — including the Bamsestolen. All pieces are selected for their authenticity, patina and craftsmanship.

Contact us at support@klassik.dk or tel. +45 3333 9060 – or visit us at Bredgade 3, Copenhagen.