"Egg" Armchair

Arne Jacobsen|Fritz Hansens Eft. A/S

1958 · Ox-hide, plastic, aluminum · Modern and Contemporary Art

Scandinavian designers often combined the traditional beauty of natural materials with advanced technology, giving their designs a warm and domestic yet modern quality. The ox-hide upholstery of this armchair is stretched over a foam-covered molded-plastic frame, giving it a striking sculptural quality. Originally designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the model was later put into general production. Jacobsen was one of the first—and most influential—modernists working in Denmark. Unusually prolific, he turned his hand to designing everything from architecture to lighting, furniture, textiles, and metalwork. The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) was one of his most important clients, commissioning an air terminal and hotel, both in Copenhagen, for which he also designed all the furnishings. Such projects provided enormous publicity and exposure, as countless travelers experienced first-hand his now-iconic designs.

Artist

Arne Jacobsen|Fritz Hansens Eft. A/S

Date

1958

Medium

Ox-hide, plastic, aluminum

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Purchase, Edward C. Moore Jr. Gift, 1961