Arctander Clam Chair

Philip Arctander Style Clam Armchair

The Arctander Clam Chair, also known as the “Muslinge-Stolen”, is easily recognized by its signature rounded arms, club-shaped legs, and curved, slightly tilted backrest upholstered in the finest sheepskin material. It exudes grace, comfort, and beauty, and is a piece that will effortlessly add a touch of elegance to any space.

Material & Feature:

Molded fiberglass shell with highly resilient urethane foam

Solid ash wood frame with walnut stain finish

Faux sheepskin/shearling upholstery; the length of Sheepskin Long Hair is 17mm

All materials are non-toxic (Baby Friendly)

Fully Assembled

Dimensions:

Width: 27.5" x Depth: 31.8" x Height: 30.3"

Seat Height: 15.7"

The Arctander chair - also known as the Clam chair - saw the light of day for the first time back in 1944, when it was produced in a limited number. The chair was reintroduced in 2016 in collaboration with Arctander's grandson and the founders of Paustian.

The chair has gradually become a reference in modern furniture design due to its velvety soft shape and is recognized as a modern furniture classic.

The mussel chair is part of the Paustian Furniture Collection and is produced in a number of different colours and materials curated by Monika Paustian and Sofie Arctander Paustian - sheepskin being the utmost luxury. There is also a footstool to match.

Technical Info

Dimensions: H:77 x W:65 x D:87 cm (Seat height: 34 cm)

Legs: solid oak, lacquered

The Story Behind Philip Arctander's Clam Chair

Philip Arctander’s whimsical clam chair is the latest style trophy

In the late 1990s, Peter Kjelgaard, now with the Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen, noticed an amusing chair on the block. Perched on cartoonish beech legs, its fabric-covered seat and back formed the shape of a happy open clam. You could buy the chair, with no known designer, for about $300.

In fact, it was only after a series of misattributions—the Danish architect Viggo Boesen; the unknown Norwegian Martin Olsen, which turned out to be merely the name of a now-defunct Oslo ­furniture store—that the chair’s actual creator was identified in 2013. The much-loved mollusk was designed in 1944 by Philip Arctander, an obscure Danish architect best known for his work on affordable housing.

“Arctander is such an oddity,” says Kjelgaard, who verified the narrative with the Dane’s descendants and friends. “He’s known for basically nothing at all in terms of design.”

While the chair was made inexpensively and in mass ­quantities—and, more recently, reupholstered in cozy sheepskin—it has gained steady traction in the trophy market of late. In 2013 a pair­­—misattributed to Martin Olsen—went for over $220,000. After that, says Los Angeles–based dealer Joel Chen, everyone started dusting off their clam chairs and bringing them to ­market. Still, mysteries ­continue to emerge. In May, reports that a 1944 Arctander chair for IKEA sold for $65,000 made its way around the design world. But ­dealers generally refute the IKEA attribution: “They are copies or heavily inspired,” says Kjelgaard. “A ­testament to the relaxed ­attitude toward copyrights in 1950s Sweden.”

Regardless of the origin story, the fashion and design sets remain enchanted. Style maven Vanessa Traina has ­proclaimed her love for the seat. Scandinavian-design dealer Jill Dienst keeps two fuzzy clams in the living room of her New York apartment. And art dealer Maggie Kayne snapped up a pair for her Los Angeles home. Says Kayne: “They’re beautiful objects that are supercomfortable. It’s not easy to find both.”