Treasures in your attic: Was this chair designed by Arne Emile Jacobsen?

Q. Is it possible that you could tell me something about this chair? I purchased it in the early 1960s when it was on display in a model home. I wonder what it is worth now.

A. We are tired of talking about “gloom and doom” in the antiques-and-collectibles world. We do not enjoy discussing the waning interest in such areas of collecting as Victorian furniture and glassware, and we are happy to get the opportunity to discuss a category of collecting that seems to be on the upswing — namely, midcentury modern.

This term — first employed in the 1950s — refers to an important design movement that is characterized by simplicity and by shapes inspired from nature. It was heavily influenced by Scandinavian designers and has a focus on functionalism, utility and affordability.

Midcentury-modern furniture is all about straight lines with a few organic curves and virtually no ornamentation. It was an outgrowth of early-20th-century reactions against excessive embellishments and the use of “style” as a form of status.

Instead, midcentury modern celebrated technology, mobility and democracy by making “good design” available to a larger number of households. The movement was fueled by the growth of postwar suburbs and the demand of returning veterans for modern-feeling furnishings to fill the rooms in their new homes.

Arne Emile Jacobsen (1902-1971) was a Danish architect and designer who is often credited with “creating” the so-called “Danish Modern” style. In Europe, he is known for his incredible, somewhat Spartan buildings, but he is known around the world for his simple but highly effective chair designs.

We will not delve into his incredibly successful career as an architect, but will focus on his chairs instead. Somewhat inspired by the American design team of Ray and Charles Eames (and others), Jacobsen began doing product design in the early 1950s. His first chair was the “Ant Chair,” molded plywood on three spindly steel legs, and his next was the Model 3107 — Series 7 chair, which was also made from molded plywood, but with an hourglass shape and four steel legs.

Jacobsen is also known for two important upholstered chairs that he designed in 1956 for the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. These are the “Egg Chair,” which looks something like an egg cut away with curves to be a comfortable seat, and the “Swan Chair,” which was all curves.

This chair was inspired by Jacobsen’s 3107 chair. From its inception, the 3107 was widely copied. The chair in today’s question, with the very graceful and attractively sweeping arms and wooden legs, is probably an early-’60s teakwood adaptation.

Though not an actual Jacobsen piece, this chair is still well-designed and is a true midcentury-modern period piece. It is currently worth between $250 and $350.

Ÿ Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928.