Arnold Madsen, a Danish upholsterer with no formal design training, became an influential figure in Scandinavian furniture design in the 1940s. In 1944, Madsen envisioned what would become the iconic Clam Chair, initially shaping it by hand in plaster to capture its organic, curving form. His partnership with skilled cabinetmaker Henry Schubell in 1945 led to the founding of Madsen & Schubell, a collaboration that brought innovative, hand-crafted designs like the Clam Chair to life.