Eight 'Chelsea' Rosewood Chairs, Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, Italy, 1966

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Eight 'Chelsea' Rosewood Chairs, Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, Italy, 1966

About the Item

Eight ,supremely elegant and rare rosewood 'Chelsea; dining chairs by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti ,Italy ,1966. The chairs with the more orange tone color seats (on the left hand side of the main photo) are very rare, from the very earliest production period dating from 1966, which have legs with a slightly lower seat height. Please see images 2 and 3 which highlight the differences between the two sets. This height difference in the wood frames really would not be noticeable at all If you kept the two sets at opposites sides of a dining table , the eye does not pick up on the small differences at all once a table width is placed inbetween as the overall height of the top of the chairs is the same. The chairs with the orange seats have wood frames/legs that are 0.75" lower than the examples with the lime color seats. The height of the legs was revised in the early 1970s to take into account the commercial demands of the export market reflecting the increase in average height of the post war generation. This was a common practice during the 1970s if designs were in still in production from an earlier era. The four yellow chairs on the left of the photo have their original upholstery and foam and have a seating height of 16.92 inches whereas the four lime color seats have been re-upholstered once before and have used a much thicker foam filling in the seats increasing the seating height to 18.30 inches. This difference in seating height between the two sets could be adjusted to match using a slightly difference thickness of foam and in addition there also appears to be a threaded rod (the thread is hidden inside the chrome caps) at the top of each leg which allows some seat height adjustment too. The front to back depth dimension of the wood frames on both sets is 16.5" and the depth and width of the wood leg frames on both sets are the same at 16.5", the transverse beams linking the legs together are at slightly different heights because the difference in overall height is all taken up in the height of the leg below the beams probably because this allowed them to use the original jigs for the beam tenon joints, however if you place the two sets on opposite sides of a dining table you will never notice this. Regarding the wood finish, as with any wood finish there will always be some natural variations in the finish as wood is a natural product, however the overall tone is exactly the same, there is only some small variation in tone in areas where the original varnish finish has become worn leaving the underlying wood to appear lighter in a few patches..This is easily remedied by reapplying oil or matching varnish. There also appears to be a very slight difference in the seat angle probably due to how they are adjusted on the metal pins at the top of each leg and the difference in foam thickness between the two sets. Again if placed at opposite sides of a dining table these differences are not noticeable. The original fabric is currently in fair condition overall, a few of the chairs are grubby and have tears in the corners, the entire set can be reupholstered in a color of choice in a quality fabric such as Kvadrat 'Tonus' for an additional 2500 euros , currently circa $3300, on top of the quoted price. The seats are supported on superbly detailed chromed metal pins mounted to the top of each of the rosewood legs, a beautiful and delicate solution very reminiscent of the masterful detailing of Carlo Scarpa. This design was exhibited at the 1st EURODOMUS international design exhibition curated by Gio Ponti and held in Genova,Italy in 1966. The Saporiti stand featuring these chairs was photographed in the July 1966 issue of Domus. LITERATURE : DOMUS. JULY 1966,pg 85 (illustrates the Chelsea chairs on the Saporiti exhibition stand at the 'Eurodomus' internatuonal design exhibition,Genova Italy 1966 DOMUS November 1966,pg D/357 small article on the 'Chelsea; chairs confirming designer, materials etc. EXHIBITIONS : EURODOMUS curated by Gio Ponti, Genova , 1966

Creator:
Vittorio Introini (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Width: 18.51 in (47 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 8
Materials and Techniques:
Chrome,Fabric,Rosewood,Steel,Velvet
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1966
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. Some of the chairs have grubby fabric ,a few with tears, the entire set can be reupholstered in a choice of color and quality fabric e,g Kvadrat 'Tonus' for an additional 2500 euros , currently circa $3300, on top of the quoted price.
Seller Location:
bergen op zoom, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU93011233716