Model 3107
Chair
1967 (made), 1955 (designed)
1967 (made), 1955 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The model 3107, designed by the Danish designer Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971), is probably the most popular Scandinavian plywood chair of the post-war era. In continuous production by Fritz Hansen since 1955, millions of the chairs have been sold around the world.
The design of the model 3107 chair was an evolution of an earlier design by Jacobsen for the Ant chair. Directly inspired by the Eames’ plywood designs, Jacobsen’s design for the Ant sought to minimise the materials required to make a chair by constructing the seat and back from a single piece of moulded plywood. This single unit could easily be attached to a very minimal three-legged steel frame. Reducing the elements of the chair meant it was particularly suited to mass production - as with the 3107, millions have been manufactured and the chair is still sold today.
The model 3107 was first designed in 1955 for Rødovre Town Hall and differs in form from the Ant in a number of ways. The shape of the moulded seat and back has been simplified and the chair given more stability by adding a fourth leg. The chair was – and is still – available in a wide variety of finishes and, unlike the Ant, can be customised to have arms and even a writing table.
The design of the model 3107 chair was an evolution of an earlier design by Jacobsen for the Ant chair. Directly inspired by the Eames’ plywood designs, Jacobsen’s design for the Ant sought to minimise the materials required to make a chair by constructing the seat and back from a single piece of moulded plywood. This single unit could easily be attached to a very minimal three-legged steel frame. Reducing the elements of the chair meant it was particularly suited to mass production - as with the 3107, millions have been manufactured and the chair is still sold today.
The model 3107 was first designed in 1955 for Rødovre Town Hall and differs in form from the Ant in a number of ways. The shape of the moulded seat and back has been simplified and the chair given more stability by adding a fourth leg. The chair was – and is still – available in a wide variety of finishes and, unlike the Ant, can be customised to have arms and even a writing table.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Model 3107 (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Oak-faced 9-ply plywood and tubular steel frame |
| Brief description | Model 3107 chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen, manufactured by Fritz Hansen, oak-faced plywood and tubular steel, Denmark, designed 1955, manufactured 1967 |
| Physical description | Chair made of plywood and tubular steel legs with rubber feet on the ends. The one-piece hourglass shaped seat and back are made of moulded oak-faced 9-ply plywood. This is supported by four tubular steel legs that meet under the seat inside a protective grey plastic circular cover. Beneath the cover is a circular piece of wood glued to the underside of the seat to which the metal plate joining the legs is screwed. Each leg is given additional support from rubber fittings glued to the underside of the seat. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Michael and Mariko Whiteway together with Brain Trust Inc. |
| Object history | This chair was supplied to St Catherine's College, Oxford, in about 1967 - a few years after the college was opened. It was sold by the college in aaround 2014. |
| Historical context | Model 3107 chairs were supplied to St Catherine's College, Oxford, shortly after the college opened. They were used in various areas of the building and post-1974, when women were first accepted into the college, they were employed in the dining hall instead of the original benches for modesty's sake. |
| Association | |
| Summary | The model 3107, designed by the Danish designer Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971), is probably the most popular Scandinavian plywood chair of the post-war era. In continuous production by Fritz Hansen since 1955, millions of the chairs have been sold around the world. The design of the model 3107 chair was an evolution of an earlier design by Jacobsen for the Ant chair. Directly inspired by the Eames’ plywood designs, Jacobsen’s design for the Ant sought to minimise the materials required to make a chair by constructing the seat and back from a single piece of moulded plywood. This single unit could easily be attached to a very minimal three-legged steel frame. Reducing the elements of the chair meant it was particularly suited to mass production - as with the 3107, millions have been manufactured and the chair is still sold today. The model 3107 was first designed in 1955 for Rødovre Town Hall and differs in form from the Ant in a number of ways. The shape of the moulded seat and back has been simplified and the chair given more stability by adding a fourth leg. The chair was – and is still – available in a wide variety of finishes and, unlike the Ant, can be customised to have arms and even a writing table. |
| Associated objects |
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| Bibliographic reference | Wilk, Christopher. Plywood: A Material Story. London: Thames & Hudson / V&A, 2017
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.6-2017 |
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| Record created | June 4, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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