Set of Eight Dining Chairs by Karl Springer
View Similar Items
Set of Eight Dining Chairs by Karl Springer
About the Item
- Creator:Karl Springer (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 38 in (96.52 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970
- Condition:Suede not in need of cleaning but must be re-stretched.Should be re-done.
- Seller Location:Wainscott, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: 200309087784113
Karl Springer
The Berlin-born, New York–based designer Karl Springer brought a chic, high-fashion sensibility to furnishings. During his heyday in the 1970s, Springer’s work was a favorite of the glamour set, who enjoyed the novelty of pieces finished in rich and striking materials that ranged from exotic hides and skins to lacquer and chromed metal. In a sense, Springer was a pre-postmodernist. Much as the dull, safe, corporate sameness of late 20th-century modernism prompted Ettore Sottsass, Michael Graves and others to explore new and provocative structures and materials in design and architecture, so, too, was Springer driven to enliven his creations with fresh and alluring energy and sleekness.
Springer came to New York in the late 1950s and found work arranging window displays at the department store Lord & Taylor. He had studied bookbinding in Germany, and, using his meticulous skills, he began crafting desk accessories wrapped in leather as a sideline. These pieces were sold in luxury stores like Bergdorf Goodman, and drew a sophisticated clientele that included the Duchess of Windsor. By 1965, he had established his own Manhattan atelier, and at his death he had showrooms as far afield as Los Angeles, Tokyo and Munich.
The chairs, tables, credenzas and other furniture forms Springer created are generally simple, but substantial, and often have robust, rounded lines. The appeal of his work lies in Springer's insistence on exacting construction and, above all, his eye for unusual materials and finishes. He employed Lucite, brass, and gunmetal along with chromed and polished steel, and revived exquisite finishes rarely seen since the days of Art Deco masters such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank: shagreen (a type of sharkskin), python, goatskin, bone, horn, and lacquered parchment, as well as fabrics that include batik prints. Made of such materials, Springer’s work is by its very nature flamboyant and eye-catching: a suite of pieces will astonish, and an artfully placed side table in exotic hide will add a surprising spark.
Find a collection of vintage Karl Springer furniture today on 1stDibs.
- JMF Dining Chairs by Karl Springer, Set of 6By Karl SpringerLocated in Raleigh, NCA stunning restored set of Jean-Michel Frank Chairs by Karl Springer. These have reptile skin stamped leather, newly refinished with a matte black l...Category
Vintage 1970s Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood
$18,000 / set - Karl Springer Pair of "JMF Chairs" in Lacquered Raffia 1993 'Signed'By Karl SpringerLocated in New York, NYPair of J.M.F. Chairs in lacquered raffia by Karl Springer, American 1993 (signature on bottom reads "Karl Springer 1993"). These are very elegant and the raffia is quite beautiful. ...Category
1990s American Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsRaffia, Wood, Lacquer
- Pair of Karl Springer Goatskin Onassis Chairs with Leather Upholstered SeatsBy Karl SpringerLocated in Los Angeles, CAA pair of original Karl Springer Onassis chairs in lacquered goatskin. The pair have been in a one user household and are in great vintage condition. We have six of the same chair in...Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsGoatskin, Wood, Lacquer
- 6 Karl Springer Onassis Chairs in Goatskin with Leather SeatsBy Karl SpringerLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of six original Karl Springer Onassis Chairs in goatskin. The six chairs have been in a one user household and are in great vintage conditi...Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsGoatskin
- Set of Eight Newly Upholstered Dining Chairs by John WiddicombBy John WiddicombLocated in Rockaway, NJVery nice set of eight 8 dining room chairs by John Widdicomb.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Set of Eight Biedermeier Style Dining Chairs by Burton-ChingLocated in San Francisco, CASet of eight beautifully proportioned mahogany dining chairs in the Biedermeier style made by Burton-Ching. The chairs have graceful sloping outward legs, a backrest of carved intert...Category
Late 20th Century American Biedermeier Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany