The soft and sinuous shapes of the Pelican Chair are dressed with refined naturalness
As autumn turns to winter, the iconic Pelican Chair by Finn Juhl is dressed again in fine sheepskin from the Swedish island of Gotland. The natural finish gives the chair a new and original expressiveness: the warmth of sheepskin softly enhances the sculptoral character of the chair. Launched in 2020 on the 80th anniversary of the chair, the latest Pelican Chair 80th Anniversary Limited Edition is only produced for a limited time due to the supply of Gotland's sheepskin being seasonal.
The Pelican chair seems to create a welcoming and enveloping space. A feeling that is further enhanced by the soft covering in Gotland’s sheepskin: a combination of forms and natural materials that evokes relaxing feelings adding warmth and voluptuousness to interiors.
The hardy native sheep of Gotland island, in the Baltic sea, have adapted to the harsh climate of Scandinavia over the centuries. Belonging to the primative species of nordic sheep, they have a short tail and a distinctive fleece made of thick and frizzy or big and soft locks in light to dark grey tones with black and white nuances. Each Gotland sheep is different and unique, just like every Pelican Chair covered in sheepskin has a distinctive and characteristic expression.
When the Pelican Chair was presented for the first time in 1940 at the Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition, it was negatively judged and was never put in production. Nevertheless, it gradually became an iconic prototype in the world of Scandinavian and international design.
House of Finn Juhl decided to relaunch the Pelican Chair in 2001 based on the brand’s first prototype, on its original designs and methods; to this day the chair is still produced in Denmark and hand-upholstered by experts.
The most famous and coveted Pelican Chair is in white shearling, available all year round. The use of the Gotland sheepskin covering gives a further unique look to the distinctive design of the chair.
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