Arne Jacobsen Chair
There is only one "Egg Chair", the Arne Jacobsen Chair; but there are a few other chairs that are "Egg shaped" or have the word "Egg" in their title and that make it a bit confusing. Here is a brief explanation of the differences with a little bit of history thrown in.
Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair is a true design icon. It was introduced in 1958 as Jacobsen designed the Royal Hotel in Denmark and is licensed by Fritz Hansen. An original can be purchased at Design within Reach or a Fritz Hansen retail store (opened in NYC March 2010). I bought a great replica of the Arne Jacobsen Chair online at City Chair for about one third the price.
The original chair pushed the limitations of design for its day. A new technique for of using an inner form shell was created by Jacobsen and covered in a leather hide. The shape is said to be inspired by Saarinen's Womb chair, but I personally see few similarities. There was an Egg Couch that was manufactured in very limited quantity and if anyone has a picture, I would love to see it and ask that you please post a link in the comments below.
No description of this Arne Jacobsen chair could be complete without mentioning another piece that he designed for the same Royal Hotel. The Swan chair is like a low backed Egg chair with separate arms. These two chairs were the only two designs from this period of Jacobsen's work that were massed produced.
Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair is a true design icon. It was introduced in 1958 as Jacobsen designed the Royal Hotel in Denmark and is licensed by Fritz Hansen. An original can be purchased at Design within Reach or a Fritz Hansen retail store (opened in NYC March 2010). I bought a great replica of the Arne Jacobsen Chair online at City Chair for about one third the price.
The original chair pushed the limitations of design for its day. A new technique for of using an inner form shell was created by Jacobsen and covered in a leather hide. The shape is said to be inspired by Saarinen's Womb chair, but I personally see few similarities. There was an Egg Couch that was manufactured in very limited quantity and if anyone has a picture, I would love to see it and ask that you please post a link in the comments below.
No description of this Arne Jacobsen chair could be complete without mentioning another piece that he designed for the same Royal Hotel. The Swan chair is like a low backed Egg chair with separate arms. These two chairs were the only two designs from this period of Jacobsen's work that were massed produced.