Arne Jacobsen

The Royal Hotel, SAS House, Copenhagen
Collection of Noritsugu Oda, Japan
Private Collection, Denmark
Sotheby’s New York, June 8, 2005, lot 83

Poul Erik Toejner and Kjeld Vindum, Arne Jacobsen, Architekt & Designer, Copenhagen, 1995, p. 84
Carsten Thau and Kjeld Vindum, Jacobsen, Copenhagen, 2001, pp. 436, 439 and 441
Michael A. Sheridan, Room 606: The SAS House and the Work of Arne Jacobsen, London, 2003, pp. 202, 206 and 214

Overall very good original condition. This chair appears to retain the original leather upholstery which has acquired a beautifully aged patina throughout. The surface of the leather are delicate and presents with a few minor surface scratches, a few light edge nicks to the piping, light crazing and a few minor areas of discoloration. There is small tear to the leather at the center portion of the seat measuring approximately 2 inches in length. The seat with some minor darkening consistent with gentle use (visible in the catalogue illustration). There are a few minor areas of small discolorations, likely from liquid, to the seat. The seat with a minor abrasion measuring one inch in length. There is a second area with two minor tears to the leather at the center portion of the reverse of the chair. This area is minor and the tears measure less than two inches in length. The reverse of the chair with one horizontal light surface scratch that does not break the surface of the leather and two abrasions with associated small and minor losses and tears, measuring ¼ inch in length. The underside of the chair with an abraded surface possibly the result of tape residue. This area is not visible once the chair is righted. The brass legs present with some minor discolorations which are consistent with the natural aging process of the material. This chair is a highly sculptural work showing the artist's deep appreciation of line and form.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The established theoretical idea that an individual’s psychological interiority could be projected onto external forms influenced many designers, including Jacobsen, to create furniture with both anatomical considerations and the context of a greater spatial experience in mind.  As with his groundbreaking commission for the Scandinavian Airline System's Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the “Drop” chair’s design takes on a heightened meaning in situ, as one element in a larger, synthesized architectural space.  Approximately fifty "Drop" chairs executed in leather were incorporated by Jacobsen into the interior scheme of  this commission.