Finn Juhl Chieftain Chair Identification  

It is hard to see that detail from the close up  of the horn, but the front view shows a very subtle change in the wood color.
It is the best an iPhone 5 can do on a catalog that was supposed to be in the landfill 17 years ago.

Yep those are the ugly stick on horns of the 90s Baker chieftain. Unmistakeable even in a catalog long past its expiration date. You can also see that Baker did not carve down a thick piece of wood to create a wide support underneath the arm rests, but just put a thin flat board under there. (This is tchp's observation, originally, not mine).
The Juhl designs made by Baker in the 50s were actually respectable.

Placitas,
Both your ottoman and your chair appear to me to be entirely legitimate as being produced by Niels Vodder. Why they are not marked is difficult to say, but for the age of the chairs and early time period they were from, it does not make sense to me that they could have been made by anyone else.
Probably the best auction house you could make an inquiry to for information would be Bruun Rasmussen, in Denmark. They probably deal with more authentic early Finn Juhl pieces than anyone else, and would likely know if there were similar unmarked Chieftain chairs in existence, which have an otherwise impeccable provenance as being produced by Niels Vodder's shop, and would at least serve as a precedent that such chairs exist. If anyone has the authority to establish an unmarked Chieftain chair as being by Vodder, it is probaby Bruun Rasmussen. Even if you do not plan to sell the chair, I have found the people in the 20th Century Design Dept. at Bruun Rasmussen to be quite helpful and considerate, so they may be able to pass on some information to you.
If you happen to have any period photos that show the chair in your grandmother's house, when it was newer, it would be fun to see some images like that.

I might add that any paperwork you can find, as well as old family photographs of the chair that would prove it as having been owned by your family back into the 1950's, could be of great value at helping establish the authenticity of the chair.

i agree with tchp that this chair looks like Niels Vodder production. And the only other possible maker from the 1950s, Baker, is not consistent with the appearance of the chair, nor with the Denmark stamps, as Baker was in the USA.
But I am just some nobody on a forum who happens to have studied the Chieftain chair only a tiny bit less than has tchp.
Bruun-Rasmussen is a great place to ask about this chair. But I have a suspicion that the reason your chair is NOT marked has to do with various details of its purchase that would seem trivial to you, and would mean that Bruun-Rasmussen, located in Denmark might never have seen an unmarked chair. And considering the small number of Chieftains ever purchased from Niels Vodder it might be the case that only one or two chairs ever fit these theoretical circumstances. This is why I am curious about precisely when it was purchased, where from, where it was shipped to. And I am also curious to see the other receipts for other furniture purchased, because they will provide a lot of this detail and might provide other unexpected details as well.

I sent an email to Bruun-Rasmussen and they replied right away. I can't fully express how much I appreciate your understanding of the design differences between the manufacturers of the chair - it enabled me to send the most illuminating photos in the initial email. I do believe that the chair belongs in a less busy home than this one! I will continue to search for receipts and documentary evidence and post what I find here if it will be interesting to you.

I think Leif is right that it would good to see any of the documentation you can find for the furniture purchases. A number of us here are motivated by a good mystery, and perhaps this instance could shed some light on why manufacturers and/or retailers perhaps opted not to mark some pieces in the way you would otherwise expect.

Oh!
keep the chieftain chair
it's part of your history!
tranquilize your guests.
Oh,
Aunt Mark

Placitas,
Yes, many of us here would be grateful to see any other information you find regarding the chair.

Hi Placitas,
I am a Danish collector/dealer/scholar of Danish furniture currently located in New York City and Copenhagen. I own an original Niels Vodder chieftain as well as several Niels Roth Andersen chairs.
That's a great chair you have. Unfortunately, it has been through the mill and has been subjected to the unfortunate US upholstery techniques. Regardless of whether you decide to keep it or sell it, this chair requires (and deserves) a proper renovation and reupholstery (maybe the leather can be saved). Unfortunately, this can only be done properly in Denmark. It sounds dum, but it is true. I am happy to help you get into contact with the correct people and provide advice as to how to move forward. This is at no cost to you - I simply care very much for the fate of these important pieces of art. They require attention that only Danish trained cabinetmakers (who have already worked in this chair) have. Also, I am personal friends with Niels Roth Andersen, who is the last proper cabinetmaker to make this chair in Denmark.
Let me know if you are interested and I can give you my contact details. I am also happy to meet if you are near NY.
By the way, the side table with the lamp in the pictures is by Tove & Edvard Kindt-Larsen for France & Søn - also a great little piece.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that you might want to cut a piece of paper to cover your grandmother's name on any old documents you show here, otherwise you can expect people tracking you down.

Hi.
The portrait in post #24 highly resembles our handsome Eameshead.
carry on,
Aunt Mark
ps I've been _____ before.

And if that were my sweet chair, I would not change a thing! I even like the round needlepoint? covering the cracked leather on the ottoman. This is "Old Money" patina.
Yes it is,
Aunt Mark

The number frequently floating around the internet is that there were originally ~78 Chieftain chairs that were made by Niels Vodder. Where does this number come from: a documented reference, or some type of word of mouth that eventually was put into print/electrons? Also, does this 78 number refer to a "first edition" production by Vodder, a la a book printing, or the total number that Vodder ever made. If the latter, then Placitas' chair might be #79. Your grandmother had impeccable taste. This chair is your free ticket to a feature spot on Antiques Roadshow if you are so inclined.
Welcome back to the forum, macmx. You have a radar for Chieftain chair threads.

Haha yes thank you. Juhl is my speciality and the majority of my collection is Juhl/Vodder pieces.
The number 78, which is sometimes also 68 or 65, does not come from any valid source as far as I know. Word of mouth. Maybe the Danish Design Museum knows the source. It's probably Juhl himself. Suffice to say there have been over 60 and under 100 Chieftains from Vodder. Often it is cited that Vodder made 4 Chieftain sofas. Apart from Vodder only NRA has made the sofa version in a very limited edition. I actually think that the frames of the NRA chairs are better than most of the Vodder chairs.
In short, as far as Cabinemaker Danish furniture goes, the Chieftain is actually not that rare. True, "good" Chieftains with original leather and the right dimensions and patina are hard to come by and very expensive but there are quite a few out there.