3107 thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

3107

Chair
1955 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of the most successful chair designs of the twentieth century. Its simple and elegant form, and suitability for mass production, ensured its success. It was one of the first chairs in which a continuous seat and back were formed from a single sheet of plywood, bent into compound curves. The curvaceousness of the chair is both organic and sensual, a characteristic that the photographer Lewis Morley exploited in his portrait of Christine Keeler in 1963. In fact he used an early copy of the chair, one of many lookalikes that have been made over the years. Literally millions of Jacobsen's design have been made in the half century or so it has been in continuous production.


Object details

Category
Object type
Title3107 (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Moulded teak veneered plywood, with satin chromium-plated tubular steel legs
Brief description
model 3107; Denmark, designed 1955 by Arne Jacobsen
Physical description
Chair made of plywood and tubular steel legs. The one-piece back and seat are made of moulded teak veneered plywood. This is supported by four satin chromium-plated tubular steel legs that meet under the seat inside a protective grey plastic circular cover. There are rubber pads under the seat at the juncture with each leg and the legs have rubber feet on the ends.
Dimensions
  • Height: 78cm
  • Width: 50cm
  • Depth: 52cm
  • Seat height: 43.5cm
Style
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
From Twentieth Century Gallery, Room 73: STACKING CHAIR: 3107 CHAIR Designed by Arne Jacobsen (Danish, 1902-1971) Made by Fritz Hansens, Allerod, Denmark, from 1971 Moulded teak veneered plywood, statin chromium-plated steel legs Circ.371-373-1970 The back and seat of this chair, made from a single sheet, are moulded in a complex three-dimensional curve, which exploited the fashion for organic form. The chair is made in a range of finishes including natural oak and cheerful colours. It featured in Jacobsen's display at the 1957 Triennale Exhibition in Milan, which was awarded the Grand Prix.
Summary
This is one of the most successful chair designs of the twentieth century. Its simple and elegant form, and suitability for mass production, ensured its success. It was one of the first chairs in which a continuous seat and back were formed from a single sheet of plywood, bent into compound curves. The curvaceousness of the chair is both organic and sensual, a characteristic that the photographer Lewis Morley exploited in his portrait of Christine Keeler in 1963. In fact he used an early copy of the chair, one of many lookalikes that have been made over the years. Literally millions of Jacobsen's design have been made in the half century or so it has been in continuous production.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.372-1970

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJanuary 9, 2001
Record URL
Download as: JSON