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Garth Chester, a fine and original pair of 'Curvesse' chairs,…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
24-Sep-2020
Lot No.
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Description:
Garth Chester, a fine and original pair of 'Curvesse' chairs, designed in 1944. The 'Curvesse' chair is an icon of New Zealand design. Author Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins, in his book at home: a century of New Zealand design, notes that the Curvesse chair was ?the first cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world ?a progressive high point in local design.? inspired by the Bauhaus and international designers such as Marcel Breuer and Alvar Aalto, the Curvesse chair marries international form to a unique kiwi Diy, no. 8 wire philosophy. The chair is made from several thin sheets of water-glue softened plywood, with two lengthwise cuts forming the arms, laminated together in a mould and pressed until set, and with solid runners providing a stable base. The failure rate was said to be one in five. There are no definitive numbers on how many were manufactured, but the chair was ultimately a commercial failure and most estimates suggest less than 500 were produced. Unfortunately a mysterious fire burnt down Chester?s workshop and destroyed all the presses and production equipment in the process. This lead to a change in direction for the designer who then moved on to designing steel-framed furniture.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Furniture - Post 1950: New Zealand