Furniture Icons: The Egg Chair - Arne Jacobsen, 1958
Royal Copenhagen SAS hotal, room 606
The Arne Jacobsen Experience
The Egg chair was originally designed for the use in the Royal Copenhagen SAS hotel, where Jacobsen designed everything that came under the ‘interior design’ label; from furniture, to textiles, and even cutlery. Sadly, to this day most of his work has been replaced by corporate fabrics and furniture, and only one room has been kept to original design. Room number 606 (below) still has its original green-blue walls, blue furniture, and all of its wooden paneling is still present. The room is still available for booking should you feel like embracing a real piece of design history, following many esteemed guests such as The Beatles, the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela.
Ahead of its time
The Egg chair was cleverly constructed and was one of Jacobsen’s most impressive creations, developed using an unknown technique for its time., and was produced by Fritz Hansen, the producer of most of Jacobsen’s works. It contained an inner shell made of polyurethane foam, which is padded with cold foam and an outer layer of either fabric or leather. The base consists of a satin chromed, swivel center of welded steel tubing, which is connected to an aluminium star swivel base, creating a beautiful juxtaposition to the curves of the chair. However, the chair’s unique and distinctive design does not detract from its ergonomics; it provides an extremely comfortable experience, and also affords a degree of privacy to the user — which was perfect for the busy waiting room of the SAS hotel. Although Jacobsen designed these chairs for use in the hotel, their popularity called for a small run of “special edition” Egg chairs to be produced shortly after the hotel’s opening. To maintain the chairs exclusivity, each chair released had a huge price tag of $60,000 in 1958 (which amounts to a whopping $520,000 in 2018).
60 years later and the Egg chair is still one of the most popular chairs for thousands of interior designers and home owners across the globe. Due to its masculine size yet elegant, feminine curves it creates a unique addition to any room setting. Being influenced by many modernist designers, including Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, all of Jacobsen’s creations lend themselves especially to a modernist space. The chair is a sculpture in itself and can also stand on its own in a minimalist setting where the user can cocoon themselves from the outside world.
From fame, to flea market, to in fashion
When the Royal SAS hotel changed owners, most of the furnishings were either destroyed or sold on Copenhagen's flea markets. This now means that finding an original Arne Jacobsen Egg chair made for the hotel is extremely difficult; Christie's of London is reported to have had an original example in September 2011 believed to be used inside the hotel and which sold for £5000. Others have been known to sell with much higher price tags, including an early example which sold for a huge £18,750 on the 26th October 2016 in Christie's Design sale.
Making sure your Egg’s from the right basket
Given the rarity of the chair, the price to purchase one can vary enormously. Generally, the price will depend on originality, date of production, provenance, condition, colour, and whether or not it is stamped the underneath. These are all things to consider when purchasing, and if the price is below £3000 — £4000 questions need to be asked as to the pieces authenticity. As the old adage goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. As always, to prevent buying an imitation, always buy from a reputable dealer or a well known auction house who will have many years experience of handling and examining these chairs. Here’s a few tips that will help you to differentiate a real Fritz Hansen Egg Chair from an imitation:
If the chair you are viewing has more than four prongs to the base, this is an immediate indication of a cheap copy. All Fritz Hansen examples were/are only made with four - no more and no less.
The stitching on the chair should always be of excellent quality. There should not be any visible folds, creases, or wrinkles, and no joins or stitching to the front of the chair.
Fritz Hansen used two hides for each leather chair, so there should only ever be two pieces of leather joined at the sides.
Cheap versions have an equally cheap lever for reclining. If there is a lever, make sure you can control exactly how much you want to recline. Real Egg Chairs give you precise control over how much you want to recline.
Although there are many things to consider and look out for when purchasing an original egg chair, you can be sure that this will be an investment for the future. Originals will only become harder to find and, due to it’s timeless aesthetic, this is not a design that will go out of fashion anytime soon. Good luck with your search!
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My name is James Broad, antique & curio enthusiast turned entrepreneur. I buy, restore & sell beautiful things for homes & commercial interiors. For more information, check out my About Me page; for products, have a look at my Inventory & for anything else, well, just click on the big CONTACT button.