Ant Dining Chairs in Black Leather & Chrome by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, 1960s, Set of 4

Model · Ant Chair
Designer · Arne Jacobsen
Manufacturer · Fritz Hansen
Origin · Denmark
Period · 1960s
Style · Scandinavian Modern / Mid-Century Modern
Materials · Moulded plywood, leather, tubular steel
Colour · Black, polished chrome

Object

The Ant Chair began with a remarkably thin piece of plywood. Jacobsen narrowed its waist, curved it around the body and placed it on slender steel legs until the chair seemed to contain almost less material than should be possible. Seen from behind, the silhouette suggested an ant with its head raised, and the nickname stayed.

Designed in 1952, the Ant was originally created for the canteen of the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo. It was light enough to move without thinking, compact enough to gather around a table and stackable when the room needed to become something else. What began as an almost utilitarian solution became one of the early symbols of a new Scandinavian way of living. In black leather and polished steel, this set of four turns that radical lightness into something darker, quieter and more tactile.

Designer

Arne Jacobsen (1902–1971) rarely treated architecture, furniture and interiors as separate disciplines. A building could lead naturally to a chair, a lamp, a door handle or a piece of cutlery. Together, these objects created the atmosphere he had imagined for the whole.

That architectural way of thinking made even his simplest furniture remarkably precise. With the Ant Chair, Jacobsen pushed moulded plywood toward an unusually thin, continuous shell, removing material until back and seat became almost a single gesture. It was an experiment in industrial production, but the result feels unexpectedly organic.

Manufacturer

Fritz Hansen began as a Copenhagen cabinetmaking workshop in 1872 and gradually became one of the manufacturers that transformed Danish furniture from a craft tradition into an international modern movement.

Its relationship with Arne Jacobsen was particularly important. Technical experimentation at Fritz Hansen allowed Jacobsen's increasingly ambitious ideas in moulded plywood to become viable furniture, beginning with the Ant and later developing into an entire family of chairs. The collaboration blurred the boundary between industrial production and the refinement traditionally associated with Danish cabinetmaking.

Condition

The moulded plywood shells are beautifully preserved and upholstered in black leather, retaining their elegant form and tactile character. The tubular steel bases remain clean, structurally sound and well preserved. The set is presented in excellent vintage condition, with subtle traces of age and previous use possible as part of its authentic character.

Dimensions

Width · 50 cm / 19.7 in
Depth · 52 cm / 20.5 in
Height · 79 cm / 31.1 in
Seat height · 45 cm / 17.7 in

Included

The dining chairs are accompanied by a Back to the Furniture Certificate of Originality, a Back to the Furniture flyer, a Thank You card and a small gift.

Availability

The dining chairs can be ready to ship within 10-15 workdays.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available. Every piece is carefully prepared and packed for international transport. Shipping costs are calculated according to destination at checkout, with tracking provided after dispatch.

Enquiries

For questions about the piece, its condition, shipping, delivery or any other details, please get in touch. Additional information is always available before purchase.

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