The eye-catching work of the Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen often introduces new collectors to mid-20th century furniture. With their fluid lines and sculptural presence, Jacobsen’s signature pieces — the elegant Swan chair and the cozy-yet-cutting edge Egg chair, both first presented in 1958 — are iconic representations of both the striking aesthetic of the designers of the era and their concomitant attention to practicality and comfort. Jacobsen designed furniture that had both gravitas and groove.
Though Jacobsen is a paragon of Danish modernism, his approach to design was the least “Danish” of those who are counted as his peers. The designs of Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Børge Mogensen and others grew out of their studies as cabinetmakers. They prized skilled craftsmanship and their primary material was carved, turned and joined wood. Jacobsen was first and foremost an architect, and while he shared his colleagues’ devotion to quality of construction, he was far more open to other materials such as metal and fiberglass.
Many of Jacobsen’s best-known pieces had their origin in architectural commissions. His molded-plywood, three-legged Ant chair (1952) was first designed for the cafeteria of a pharmaceutical company headquarters. The tall-backed Oxford chair was made for the use of dons at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, whose Jacobsen-designed campus opened in 1962 (while still under construction). The Swan, Egg and Drop chairs and the AJ desk lamp were all created as part of Jacobsen’s plan for the SAS Royal Copenhagen Hotel, which opened in 1960. (The hotel has since been redecorated, but one guest room has been preserved with all-Jacobsen accoutrements.)
To Jacobsen’s mind, the chief merit of any design was practicality. He designed the first stainless-steel cutlery set made by the Danish silver company Georg Jensen; Jacobsen’s best-selling chair — the plywood Series 7 — was created to provide lightweight, stackable seating for modern eat-in kitchens. But as you will see from the objects on 1stDibs, style never took a backseat to function in Arne Jacobsen’s work. His work merits a place in any modern design collection.
Find authentic Arne Jacobsen chairs, tables, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Arne Jacobsen 'Station' Table Clock, Green, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'City Hall' Table Clock, Black, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Bankers' Table Clock, White, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Station' Table Clock, Red, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Station' Table Clock, Blue, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
Arne Jacobsen’s petrol-blue Station table clock is ideal as an alarm clock with useful detailing in a calm bedroom, as a colourful element in the bathroom or as a stylish detail in a...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'LK' Table Clock in White Plastic, Scandinavian Design
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Station' Table Clock, White, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Station' Table Clock, Grey, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The elegant Station Table Clock by Arne Jacobsen Clocks was originally designed back in 1939, when Arne Jacobsen designed a home for electricity company CEO Lauritz Knudsen. The attr...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Roman' Table Clock, White, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
The world-renowned architect's table clock with alarm feature was created in 1939. Its graphic look and metal base – clearly referencing his own Ant and No. 7 chairs – make the clock...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'City Hall' Table Clock, Sand, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
Arne Jacobsen's City Hall table clock was originally designed for Rødovre Town Hall in 1956. What makes the City Hall clock so popular is its universal expression, which is why it wa...
Plastic
Arne Jacobsen 'Bankers' Table Clock, Grey, Ø 4.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
Arne Jacobsen was known as an architect who made total designs when de designed buildings. In 1971, Arne Jacobsen drew the Nation bank in Copenhagen. For the beautiful marble clad bu...
Plastic
$436 / item
H 10.24 in W 7.09 in D 2.76 in
Nomon Mini Puntero G Table Clock in Brass & Walnut, Modern Design
By Nomon
Located in New York, NY
It is made with the greatest precision to represent a high-end designer clock made to turn the desktop into a true showcase where it can be seen by ever...
Brass
Large Siemens Factory, Station or Workshop Wall Clock
By Siemens
Located in Vienna, AT
Huge 43cm steel painted clock face made in Germany in the 1950s. Formerly a slave clock, it is now fitted with a modern quartz movement with a batt...
Steel
Vintage art deco blue glass table clock
Located in Houston, TX
Beautiful Art Deco Cobalt Blue Table Clock English Moderne Circa 1930's. Not sure how it operates as I’ve never opened the inside but it is in good ...
Glass
Black Forest Cuckoo Clock
Located in Nantucket, MA
Carved Walnut Black Forest Cuckoo Clock in form of a Chalet, with applied carved wooden leaves, grapes and bird, circa 1900, with pierced res...
Walnut
Contemporary Wall Clock 'Moment' in Black Lava Stone
By Bentu Design, Buzao
Located in Paris, IDF
Wall clock 'Moment' by Buzao x Bentu design. Black lava stone Measure: Diameter 24cm.
Lava
Large Bakelite Industrial, Train Station Wall Clock
Located in Vienna, AT
Bakelite industrial wall clock from about 1940's, 1950's. Diameter 49 cm and a depth of 10,5 cm. The clock is in perfect condition, no major scr...
Bakelite, Glass
Soft Clock, Ceramics, White Ceramics
By Kiki & Joost, Kiki van Eijk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Soft is a collection of sensual and tactile ceramic pieces in which Kiki looks at vernacular shapes to re-imagine them. The Netherlands has a long history of craft and Dutch designer...
Ceramic
Floating Frames Mantel clock Red
By Kiki & Joost, Kiki van Eijk
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Kiki van Eijk designed Floating Frames as a collection of handmade objects in anodized aluminium wire. Each piece is meticulously handmade in her workshop; no two items are alike. ...
Aluminum
Postmodern Table desk Clock in Uranium White Milk Glass
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and unique uranium glass postmodern table desk clock, circa 1980's.
Glass
Large Station Clock with Moon Phase and Calendar, 78 cm
Located in Apeldoorn, NL
A unique industrial station clock featuring a large enamel-style dial, original calendar functions, and a decorative moon phase display. The clock includes its original steel hanging...
Steel
New Haven Clock Co. Art Nouveau Style Table Clock
By New Haven Clock Company
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is an Art Nouveau Style Table Clock. It depicts a small balloon shape clock mounted in copper color metal. A standing young nymph is adorning the front of the case while holding its face. The white enamel round dial of the clock has Arabic numbers and is also decorated with a garland of roses and leaves around the center. The gold color metal hours and minutes hands are made of scrolls of leaves. At the bottom of the dial face is hallmarked New Haven Clock...
Bronze
Gilbert Rohde Table Clock
By Gilbert Rohde
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Gilbert Rohde Clock Model #4706 Chrome Plated Aluminum and Glass Manufactured by Herman Miller Clock Co. An Iconic example of Art Deco Design
Chrome