The Ax is a lamp designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen in 1966. Unlike many of Jacobsen's other paintings, Oksen was not intended for a specific project but a product of experimentation. The chair is controversial among critics because of its short initial production period and its controversial but powerful expression. It took Arne Jacobsen no less than five years to develop the Ox, and unlike many of his earlier pieces, which are distinguished by rounded, organic shapes, this one has a much sharper outline.

The ox is both distinctive and consistent in its design, and the inspiration is the American type of recliner that Jacobsen had seen in the United States. Moreover, it can be seen as a backlash against Jacobsen as a designer who had previously worked with a soft sculptural form. The ax is also sculptural but in a completely different tight form and designed in a style in line with the soft royal furniture and the harder Oxford furniture in Fritz Hansen's collection.