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

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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 designs of Kristian Illum Wikkelsø (1950’s) and Raphael Raphel (1970’s).
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 Hjellegjerder, 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 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. But the fluting then changes to a smooth leather finish on the exterior back and arms, giving a more modern appearance. 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 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.

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