Harry Bertoia “Big Diamond” Chair for Knoll International, USA 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Knoll (Manufacturer),Harry Bertoia (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.17 in (69 cm)Width: 44.1 in (112 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:
Harry Bertoia
Sculptor, furniture and jewelry designer, graphic artist and metalsmith, Harry Bertoia was one of the great cross-disciplinarians of 20th-century art and design and a central figure in American modernism. Among furniture aficionados he is known for the wire-lattice Diamond chair (and its variants such as the tall-backed Bird chair) designed for Knoll Inc. and first released in 1952. As an artist, Bertoia is revered for a style that was his alone. Bertoia’s metal sculptures are by turns expressive and austere, powerful and subtle, intimate in scale and monumental. All embody a tension between the intricacy and precision of Bertoia’s forms and the raw strength of his materials: steel, brass, bronze and copper.
Fortune seemed to guide Bertoia’s artistic development. Born in northeastern Italy, Bertoia immigrated to the United States at age 15, joining an older brother in Detroit. He studied drawing and metalworking in the gifted student program at Cass Technical High School. Recognition led to awards that culminated, in 1937, in a teaching scholarship to attend the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Bloomfield Hills, one of the great crucibles of modernism in America. There, Bertoia made friendships — with architect Eero Saarinen, designers Charles and Ray Eames and Florence Schust Knoll and others — that shaped the course of his life. He taught metalworking at Cranbrook, and when materials rationing during World War II limited the availability of metals, Bertoia focused on jewelry design. He also experimented with monotype printmaking, and 19 of his earliest efforts were bought by the Guggenheim Museum.
In 1943, he left Cranbrook to work in California with the Eameses, helping them develop their now-famed plywood furniture. (Bertoia received scant credit.) Late in that decade, Florence and Hans Knoll persuaded him to move east and join Knoll Inc. His chairs became, and remain, perennial bestsellers. Royalties allowed Bertoia to devote himself full-time to metal sculpture, a medium he began to explore in earnest in 1947.
By the early 1950s Bertoia was receiving commissions for large-scale works from architects — the first came via Saarinen — as he refined his aesthetic vocabulary into two distinct skeins. One comprises his “sounding sculptures” — gongs and “Sonambient” groupings of rods that strike together and chime when touched by hand or by the wind. The other genre encompasses Bertoia’s naturalistic works: abstract sculptures that suggest bushes, flower petals, leaves, dandelions or sprays of grass. As you will see on these pages, Harry Bertoia was truly unique; his art and designs manifest a wholly singular combination of delicacy and strength.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Wilnis, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Franco Albini Desk for Knoll International, USA 1960By Franco Albini, KnollLocated in Amsterdam, NLA wonderful desk designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Knoll International in the USA around 1960. The unique frame of the table has chrome plated crossed legs on each side ...Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Franco Albini Desk for Knoll International, USA 1960By Franco AlbiniLocated in Amsterdam, NLA wonderful desk designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Knoll International in the USA around 1960. The unique frame of the table has chrome plated crossed legs on each side ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Pierre Paulin “Big Tulip” Chair for Artifort, Netherlands 1960By Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Amsterdam, NLA stunning lounge chair, model “Big Tulip”, designed by Pierre Paulin and manufactured by Artifort in the Netherlands around 1960. This eye-catching piece has a beautiful elegant st...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- “LCM” Easy Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Evans, USA 1960By Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLAn iconic easy chair, model LCM, designed by Charles & Ray Eames and manufactured by Evans in the USA around 1960. LCM stands for “Lounge Chair Metal”, because of the metal base, and is a timeless design by the iconic designer duo. The thin black lacquered tubular metal base provides sturdy support and an elegant style. The seat and backrest are crafted from brown oak wood, creating a warm and inviting aesthetic. The LCM design is celebrated for its simplicity, ergonomic shape, and the innovative use of materials which is typical for the Eameses’ approach to furniture design. Because of the round, organic shapes of the two wooden elements, this piece was soon nicknamed the “Potato Chip Chair...Category
Vintage 1960s American Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- EA124 Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, USA 1960By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Amsterdam, NLA wonderful lounge chair, model EA 124, designed by Charles & Ray Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller in the USA around 1960. This eye-catching chair is a highly recognizable ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Office Chair by Preben Fabricius & Jorgen Kastholm for Kill InternationalBy Kill International, Jørgen Kastholm & Preben FabriciusLocated in Amsterdam, NLA fantastic office chair designed by Preben Fabricius and Jorgen Kastholm, manufactured by Kill International in Germany around 1970. This eye-catching chair features an elegant, tu...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Harry Bertoia "Diamond" Lounge Chair for Knoll, USA, 1980sBy Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in Hellouw, NLA diamond lounge chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll with Kvadrat Fabric from the USA. This chair is probably produced in the 1980s and has a black frame with a fully covered seating ar...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Harry Bertoia for Knoll International Bird Chair and OttomanBy Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in The Hague, NLHarry Bertoia for Knoll International bird chair and ottoman. This iconic lounge chair and ottoman were originally designed by Harry Bertoia in 1952 and manufactured by Knoll Interna...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Harry Bertoia for Knoll International Bird Chair and OttomanBy Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in Houston, TXHarry Bertoia for Knoll International bird chair and ottoman. This iconic lounge chair and ottoman were originally designed by Harry Bertoia in 1952 and manufactured by Knoll Interna...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- 1955, Harry Bertoia for Knoll International, Wide, Large, Chrome, Diamond ChairBy Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis chair is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beac...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Harry Bertoia for Knoll Large Diamond ChairBy Harry Bertoia, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAHarry Bertoia for Knoll large diamond chair with a green cover. Base is original white. Bushings are in good shape, and overall the cover is pretty clean! ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Bird Lounge Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll International, 1970sBy Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in Izegem, VWV1970s production Bird Chair in black by Harry Bertoia for Knoll International. New rubber shockmounts were provided.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel