Objet d’Art: The Neue Sport Jump Rope

Every month, Interview picks an artist or designer created object that straddles the line between aesthetics and function. Subdued tastes need not apply.

Perhaps because of its association with childhood (or Richard Simmons), the jump rope has never managed to truly take hold in the world of fitness. Though it’s seen as less of a heavy-duty calorie burner and more a schoolyard plaything, the jump rope is actually a potent means of exercise that engages your cardiovascular system and core muscles. By some accounts, skipping rope can achieve a burn rate of up to 700 calories per hour, and just 10 minutes of skipping is equivalent to running an 8-minute mile.

Recently, Neue Galerie—the Upper East Side museum of German and Austrian art—released the Neue Sport Jump Rope in their design shop. Produced by Hock, the German luxury exercise equipment company, the jump rope features oiled walnut handles, a high-speed four ball bearing system, lightweight anodized aluminum connections, and a nine-foot natural leather rope (which is adjustable to one’s individual body height).

“This handsome jump rope is a perfect match of form and function,” Renée Price, Neue Galerie’s director, tells us. “It’s a stylish addition to anyone’s personal training regimen.”

With its German pedigree and museum-approved design, the Neue Sport Jump Rope is not only an exercise product that demands to be taken seriously—it’s a collector’s item.

THE NEUE SPORT JUMP ROPE IS AVAILABLE THROUGH NEUE GALERIE’S DESIGN SHOP FOR $350.

Objet D’Art runs every month. For more, click here.