Arne Jacobsen’s Ant Chair (Model 3100)
The name
Although the chair is also known by its model number (3100), it is not difficult why it is called an Ant Chair (or even simply Myren in Dutch). Despite the fact that ants in nature have more than three legs, the back of the chair bears a striking resemblance to the head of an ant.
The design
The Danish architect Arne Jacobsen (1902 - 1971) has made several well-known chairs in his career, but the Ant Chair is probably the most recognizable because it features only three legs. Apart from the usual objective to make a light stackable chair, there was also a desire to reduce the number of chair feet on the floor in crowded spaces. The tangled wood of metal or wood is the plague of every small café or dining space. In full accordance with Bauhaus principles, the Ant Chair is elegant, durable and can be mass produced. There is perhaps a bit of sad symbolism in the fact that an object made for the human masses looks like an ant… It has been observed that while sitting in this chair one feels somewhat restrained in movement: the wide back keeps one from turning around too drastically. Suppose, this adds to the safety of others in a crowded space. If you are sitting in an Ant Chair you should stick to the business of eating! In 2002, the manufacturers of the Ant Chair lost their case in the Supreme court of Denmark against the makers of the so-called Jackpot chair. Although to the naked eye the Jackpot looks like a simplified version of the Ant Chair, the court ruled that only an extremely close imitation would constitute an infringement of copyright.
Despite Jacobsen’s hopes, stability of his Ant Chair turned up to be an issue. Later models used four chairs, which made the look a lot more similar to conventional kitchen furniture.