Hans J. Wegner has designed many unusual and unique pieces that have captured the imaginations of many a young designers and artists, plus many of the average citizens as well. And this unique piece prime example as well, and it is also another prime example of a designer's work being misunderstood when it was first made widespread. The Ox chair (EJ100) was first introduced in 1960 and it represented its name to the fullest as the first thing you notice when you look at it is the distinctness of the bull's head and even the horns.



Wegner was apparently inspired to create the Ox chair from the works of Picasso himself, and certainly it was the modest ox. The design also instigated to create something original and truly innovative furniture from something that does not easily come from that domain. At the time he introduced this potential masterpiece, the world of design, creation and acceptance was to young to embrace such a bold and brash conception, and it went out of production just two years later in 1962, and not being revived until 1985. The initial short life of the chair did nothing to dampen the spirits of enthusiasts that had cropped up, and its fame and ideals rose again.

In its core design the point was for the individual to sit comfortably, and also to be able to sit comfortably in any position that they chose that is the true purpose of the chair. But it was a hefty chair that needed space around it in order for this to be achieved, but nonetheless, it was worth it. Wegner was known for designing around the use of wood and stainless steel as secondary, but with the Ox chair his unique combination of steel with leather was astounding and with no wood in sight, only a minute amount to make up the frame. But the frame itself is completely covered by leather, as the two components of steel and leather are strong contrasts to one another, and allows the program of the chair to flow elsewhere.

The process of the chair contains a wooden frame being padded into a large body, then completely covered by leather in the shape of a strong, definite bull. The bullhead is raised of the floor by light but sturdy, chromium plated steel legs, and use of the leather in the form of the head signifies a radical unity between to the two elements, as the bull is source of the leather. The chair is light but very robust, and it will certainly shape any room, and the dimensions of the chair consist of depth of 91cm, a width of 91cm, and a highest of 91cm.

The original was no longer in production for a while after its second restart, but there were a lot of copies and variations. But until recently the unusual chair began to be manufactured in its original form by Erik Jorgensen once again, but for a huge price of anywhere between ?5,900 - ?6,500 depending on its specifications. This was one of Wegner's few chairs that had no parentage, but has certainly become a symbol of design and concept, and it was of the chairs that was very close to Wegner's heart.