Extremely Rare 3-Piece Scandinavian Modern “Pollux” Sofa Set Designed by Ingmar Relling for Hjellegjerde Møbler and Westnofa, Norway, 1960s

Details

Description

Built in Norway in the late 1960’s at the pinnacle of Mid-Century Scandinavian design, this Pollux sofa set remains in … Read more Built in Norway in the late 1960’s at the pinnacle of Mid-Century Scandinavian design, this Pollux sofa set remains in very good condition. Designed by celebrated furniture designer Ingmar Relling and manufactured by Hjellegjerde Møbler, with custom bases made by SøDa Galvano, it consists of three pieces made in finest tan-colored calf leather: a three-seater sofa, a two-seater loveseat, and a gracefully styled swivel armchair. Each piece is designed in a channel-back style, with a curved low-back profile, similar to the croissant design.
Best known for his chairs, especially the “Siesta” (1965) which is stilll made today, Ingmar Relling also designed sofas, a fact that is poorly documented outside of Norway. In the 1950's and 1960’s, he designed sofas for several of the furniture manufacturers in his home town, the village of Sykkylven, including many for his brother-in-law's company Vestlandske Møbler, and several for his cousins' company, Hjellegjerde Møbler.
In 1965, Relling worked in parallel on the designs of the Siesta chair and the Pollux sofa set. In 1966, he completed the Pollux design for Hjellegjerde, which specialized in manufacturing high-quality living room furniture. Featured on their website as their finest sofa set of the 1960’s, the Pollux model was a great success in Norway, but only a few pieces were exported. It consisted of 2-seater, 3-seater and 4-seater sofas, and a swivel armchair.
This 3-piece set was exported by Westnofa and purchased in 1972 from Scandia Interiors in San Diego, a highly reputable store selling finest quality Scandinavian Modern furniture. The style is reminiscent of fluted, channel-backed sofas from the Art Deco period, but the fluting and the curved low-back profile are closer in style to the croissant design of Illum Wikkelsø, which is now back in vogue. However, the fluting of these three pieces is less extreme, with narrower channeled sections that are less puffy, resulting in a sleeker look.
Consistent with the croissant design, the low back sections curve around and gently downward to form the arms, embracing the sitter with comfort and style. The fluting then changes to a smooth leather finish on the exterior back and arms, giving a more modern appearance overall. The fluting on the interior back sections extends over the top, forming a border on the exterior back that further enhances the rear and side views.
The symmetrical low-back design and soft flowing curves make each piece attractive from any angle, fitting well in a variety of living spaces, especially in open-concept floor plans.
A unique characteristic (described as a masterpiece by Hjellegjerde!) is that the entire fluted back section of each piece (the “back duvet”) is removable, revealing a lower surface made from black satin covering the inner back and sides of each piece. The smooth leather seat cushions are also removable.
Further attention to detail is evident in the design and detailed workmanship of the rosewood bases of each piece, custom-built by SøDa Galvano. These are actually made in steel, with each foot having slender prongs that are capped with removable rosewood covers. The sofa and loveseat both have a straight two-pronged foot on each end, while the swivel armchair has one X-shaped foot with four prongs. The feet connect to the underside of each piece by a short circular section also covered in rosewood.
This sofa set is still in very good condition, with three minor imperfections that are not visible: two of the removable rosewood foot covers have been restored, and there is a two-inch slit in the dust cover on the underside of the 3-seater sofa.
All three pieces have been re-upholstered in finest aniline calf leather. Since then, they have been covered in protective slipcovers made of soft-backed faux leather, keeping the calf leather in fine condition. The covers will be provided with the set.
These three matching pieces will grace your home for many years to come, providing highly comfortable seating while exemplifying the elegance of Mid-Century Scandinavian design and craftmanship. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a top-quality sofa set from the 1960’s designed by one of Norway’s greatest furniture designers in a style that is very much in vogue today.
Note: A newly published book by Ole Hjellegjerde, “Tider Skal Komme” (Times Will Come”), covers the history of the Hjellegjerde company and the growth of the furniture industry in Western Norway, centered around Sykkylven.
In his book, Hjellegjerde gives a detailed account of conversations with his grandfather Ingvald about the company’s Pollux product. Ingvald recalled a meeting with Ingmar Relling in early 1965 where Relling showed him his design for the future Sista chair, which soon became a huge best-seller. At the same meeting, Relling also mentioned that he had been working on a draft for a new sofa for the Hjellegjerde factory. He had come up with an innovative idea for a chair and sofa model with a loose down cushion in leather, something that was quite different from competing sofa models on the market. The result was the Pollux model which was released by Hjellegjerde later in 1965, named after the brightest star in the constellation Gemini. The Pollux model soon became a big success for Hjellegjerde.
In his book, Ole Hjellegjerde also recalls how he sat with his grandfather Ingvald watching an English soccer Cup Final match in 1990, both seated in black Pollux swivel armchairs. On the other side of the room was a long four-seater sofa from the same series. He also recalls that Pollux was the first Hjellegjerde product to use a professional model in an advertisement; the model was seated in the swivel chair, with a full bottle of Ballantine's whiskey and two glasses on a small round table beside the sofa.

Dimensions:
Sofa: 82”W x 30”D x 25”H
Loveseat: 61”W x 30”D x 25”H
Swivel Chair: 36”W x 30”D x 25”H See less