1953 Arne Jacobsen Tri-Leg Teak Ant Chairs Fritz Hansen Danish Cabinmodern
View Similar Items
1953 Arne Jacobsen Tri-Leg Teak Ant Chairs Fritz Hansen Danish Cabinmodern
About the Item
- Creator:Arne Jacobsen (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 30.31 in (76.99 cm)Width: 16.14 in (41 cm)Depth: 19.69 in (50.02 cm)Seat Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Teak,Oiled
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1953
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages.
- Seller Location:Hyattsville, MD
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU985713908002
Ant Chair
For almost anybody else in the early 1950s, designing a three-legged chair inspired by the shape of an ant with its head raised would be unthinkable. But Arne Jacobsen (1902–71), the modernist Danish designer and architect, was always ahead of his time. His Ant chair is part of his legacy of designing avant-garde, unusual and revolutionary chairs like the Egg, the Swan and the Drop.
As a child, Jacobsen covered the Victorian wallpaper in his bedroom with white paint, the beginning of a lifetime of pioneering new ideas in design and architecture. Soon after graduating from the School of Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Jacobsen set up his own practice, through which he could further his ideal of “total design.” This meant that for the architecture projects he undertook — such as the revered SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen — he was involved in the design of everything down to the last detail: from the exterior structure to the door handles to the carpets.
Over time, this attention to detail evolved into a pursuit of perfect proportions, a quality that is most prominent in his organic furniture pieces like the Ant chair. Originally called the Model 3100 and designed for the cafeteria of Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the spare Ant chair (Myren in Danish) was inspired by plywood furniture crafted by American designers Charles and Ray Eames. Assisted by his then-apprentice Verner Panton, who would apply what he learned at Jacobsen’s practice to his own Cone chair and more, Jacobsen applied the Eameses’ groundbreaking ideas to the construction of his two-piece Ant chair — a seat and backrest made from a single piece of molded plywood supported by tubular metal legs. While the chair’s silhouette was unusual for the time, so too were its three legs. But Jacobsen insisted that in order for the chair to be functional and stackable — also uncommon in the 1950s — it couldn’t be any other way.
“I based my work on a need. What chairs are needed?” asked Jacobsen. In working toward his mission of creating functional furniture, Jacobsen inadvertently also created some of the most imaginative designs of the 20th century. The Ant chair is one of his most well-known designs.
Jacobsen’s longtime collaborator, Fritz Hansen, introduced the three-legged Ant chair as stipulated in 1952, despite complaints about its instability, and only introduced a four-legged version after Jacobsen’s death. It’s still manufactured today by Fritz Hansen and is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and elsewhere.
Arne Jacobsen
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.
- 6 Danish 1960s Henry Rosengren Hansen Nº39 Teak Black Dining Table ChairsBy Henry Rosengren Hansen, Brande MøbelfabrikLocated in Hyattsville, MDI prefer to sell my vintage and antique pieces in the condition it was at the time of procurement. This is a set of 6 included in this sale. All usable as-is with Danish markings und...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsTeak
$2,800 Sale Price / set20% Off - Borge Mogensen Danish Teak Scandinavian Rustic CabinModern Campaign Dresser BohoBy Poul Volther, Slagelse Mobelvaerk, Børge MogensenLocated in Hyattsville, MDBørge Mogensen teak chest of drawers for Soborg Mobelfabrikk. A beautiful 1950s scandinavian campaign dresser with inset hanging brass handles, mitred edges and drawer edges, solid t...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- 1950s Scandinavian Cabinmodern Teak Sculptural Canoe Long Bowl DanishBy Jens QuistgaardLocated in Hyattsville, MDDenmark, c.1950. A long and large staved teak centerpiece fruit bowl designed by Jens Quistgaard, faint impressed marks to bottom.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsTeak
- 1960s Danish Teak + Linen Pier Mirror with Storage Coat Rack Pouches CabinmodernBy Aksel Kjersgaard, Kai KristiansenLocated in Hyattsville, MDUncommon wall mirror design. A Minimalist Danish take on the Classic pier mirror. Teak pegs, cloth/linen lined with pockets. Measures: Actual mirror W 20.5 x H 39 in. Clothe area...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsTeak
$1,499 Sale Price69% Off - 6 Scandinavian Upholstered Dining Chair Danish Mid-Century Modern Cabin ChaletBy Niels Otto Møller, J.L. Møllers MøbelfabrikLocated in Hyattsville, MDSet of six, 4 sides and 2 armchairs in original upholstery is in fair condition, without rips or tears, but does have some light soiling. Upholstery is original. 1981 Upholstered ...Category
Vintage 1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsAsh
$2,995 Sale Price / set21% Off - 8 Brazilian Rosewood Spindle High-Back Dining Chairs Danish Sibast Model No. 422By Arne Vodder, Helge SibastLocated in Hyattsville, MDA large and commanding set of dining chairs in Solid extremely endangered Brazilian Rosewood. These Spindle Back chairs were designed by Arne Vodder and made by Sibast Mobler of Den...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsHardwood
- Expertly Restored - Arne Jacobsen "Ant" Model-3100 Teak Chair for Fritz HansenBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Los Angeles, CAArne Jacobsen "Ant" Model-3100 teak chair for Fritz Hansen. ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history b...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Steel
- Six Early Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Three-Legged Ant ChairsBy Fritz Hansen, Arne JacobsenLocated in Pawtucket, RISet of six teak early three-legged Jacobsen Ant chairs manufactured by Fritz Hansen. See other listing for table. Signed.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of four early ‘Ant’ chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, Denmark 1951By Fritz Hansen, Arne JacobsenLocated in Antwerp, BESet of four early ‘Ant’ chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, Denmark 1951. This is Model No. 3100 and features teak seats and a tubular steel frames. Presented in a ver...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of Six Ant Dining Chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz HansenBy Arne JacobsenLocated in Vienna, ATSet of six early ant chairs desingen in 1952 in Denmark by Arne Jacobsen Mod. 3100 for Fritz Hansen. Painted plywood seat and backrest on steel frame. In a good condition with some s...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- 1960s Danish Arne Jacobsen T-Chair / Hammer Chair by Fritz HansenBy Fritz Hansen, Arne JacobsenLocated in Knebel, DKDanish vintage, Arne Jacobsen model 3103 named "T chair" / "Hammer chair" due to the shape. The chairs are from an early production of the chairs in t...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Six 1950s "Model 3100" Ant Chairs in Teak by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz HansenBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Shepperton, SurreyA set of six beautiful 1950s "Ant" chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen. This very early edition has the original rubber disc spacers underneath, similar to Eames construction...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel