Arne Jacobsen Swan Settee, Model 3321 Fritz Hansen

About the Item

Model FH3321 Swan sofa by Fritz Hansen, designed by Arne Jacobsen for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen in 1958. The innovative design and form, consisting only of lines, gives an organic and soft impression. The Swan sofa, with its left and right arms reminiscent of swan feathers, offers a gentle seating comfort that wraps around the chair and conforms firmly to the body. The leather is made from one large piece of cowhide on each side of the front and back. It is carefully hand-stitched, resulting in a beautiful form that has less joints. In contrast, the straight, sharp legs made of aluminium add an interesting contrast to the design. The upholstery is made of original leather with a good colour and shine and a deep taste with age.

Creator:
Arne Jacobsen (Designer)
Design:
Swan SofaSwan Series
Dimensions:
Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 27.56 in (70 cm)Depth: 57.09 in (145 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Aluminum,Leather
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970s
Condition:
Repaired.
Seller Location:
Shibuya-ku, JP
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU9751239440832
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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.