Pair of Jindrich Halabala Chairs for Up Zadovy, Czech 1950
About the Item
- Creator:Jindřich Halabala (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 27.96 in (71 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:
H269
With its curvilinear silhouette, ample cushioning and cantilevered frame, the H269 chair is among the most beloved designs to come out of Czechoslovakia. Jindrich Halabala (1903–78) created the chair in the 1930s while working as head designer for the prominent state-owned manufacturing studio United Arts and Crafts Manufacture (known as UP).
Constructed from bentwood, which sees wood soaked or steamed with water so that it becomes malleable enough to bend into elegant forms, the H269’s instantly recognizable exaggerated arms give way to a graceful curve that extends straight down to the cantilevered foundation.
Halabala helped introduce a new age of industrial furniture design and mass production while at UP, driven by a focus on creating affordable, innovative furniture that was highly functional as well as widely available. More specifically, he helped revolutionize the modular furniture trend, using simple shapes like the “H” and “E” chairs to standardize the idea of straightforward design.
Halabala remained at UP from the 1930s through the mid-’40s and worked mostly in the modernist and Art Deco modes to design chairs, sideboards, tables, sofas and floor lamps. To create these pieces, he often used tubular steel or bentwood, as with the H269. Like many of his European contemporaries, Halabala’s work can be found in revered museums. And every year, a student competition sponsored by Mendel University in Brno and the Technical University in Zvolen presents awards to aspiring furniture design students in his name.
Vintage H269 armchairs manufactured by Thonet can be found on the secondary market, while Modernista in the Czech Republic currently produces new editions of this design.
Jindřich Halabala
Thanks to design lovers’ enthusiasm for Art Deco and mid-century modern furniture, and the increasingly competitive market for pieces by more famous creators, 20th-century Czech designers are making their way back onto the international stage. Foremost among these talents is Jindřich Halabala.
Halabala was one of the leading designers of a particularly rich period in Czech furniture history, when pieces were defined by Bauhaus functionalism as well as Art Deco influences. He was a cabinetmaker’s son whose training was almost wholly focused on woodwork, first at a state-run vocational school for woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí and later at UP Závody in Brno, where he ultimately became chief designer.
Halabala's alluring bentwood H chairs, such as the H269 and H237, and stylized ottomans have become classics, while his 1930s and 1940s sofas, tables and storage cabinets, with their sweeping curves, stylized geometry and dark, richly grained wood, embody the best of Art Deco furniture design, a style that was brought to worldwide attention at an exhibition in Paris in 1925.
Halabala's work, which was manufactured by the likes of Thonet and UP Závody, is seen by some as the segue between early 1900s Czech Cubism and the modern style that dominated the mid-century years.
Find a collection of vintage Jindřich Halabala furniture today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Wilnis, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Pair of Frantisek Jirak Lounge Chairs from Czech, 1950By Frantisek JirakLocated in Amsterdam, NLA fantastic pair of lounge chairs designed by Frantisek Jirak, manufactured in the Czech Repulbic around 1950. These eye-catching chairs have high quality beech wooden bases in a ...Category
Vintage 1950s Czech Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Miroslav Navratil Lounge Chair for Cesky Nabytek, Czech, 1959By Miroslav NavratilLocated in Amsterdam, NLA lovely lounge chair, designed by Miroslav Navratil and manufactured by Ceský Nábytek in the Czech Republic in 1959. This iconic piece was designed for the famous Triennale di Mi...Category
Vintage 1950s Czech Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of Arp Chairs by Steiner, France, 1950By SteinerLocated in Amsterdam, NLA pair of chairs, designed by ARP and manufactured by Steiner in France, circa 1950. ARP stands for Atelier de Recherches Plastiques (Research Plastic Studio) and is composed of t...Category
Vintage 1950s French Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 1950s “model 412” easy chair for Gispen, NetherlandsBy GispenLocated in Amsterdam, NLA lovely easy chair from the Netherlands, manufactured by Gispen and designed by W.H. Gispen around 1950. This chair, model “412”, is an iconic Dutch design and highly recognizable ...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Fritz Neth “Egg” Chairs for Correcta, Germany 1950By Fritz NethLocated in Amsterdam, NLA fantastic pair of so called “Egg Chairs”, designed by Fritz Neth and manufactured by Correcta in Germany around 1950. This inviting chairs have a very nice appeal, their rounded s...Category
Vintage 1950s German Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Kaare Klinkt Safari Chair for Rud Rasmussen, Denmark, 1950By Rud Rasmussen, Kaare KlintLocated in Amsterdam, NLA beautiful “Safari” lounge chair designed by Kaare Klint, manufactured by Rud Rasmussen in Denmark around 1950. This eye-catching chair has a wonderful oak wooden frame in a nice...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Jindřich Halabala Lounge Chairs for UP Závody, Czechoslovakia 1930sBy Jindřich HalabalaLocated in Utrecht, NLThis pair of rare Jindřich Halabala lounge chairs feature the world-famous Czech designer’s most well-known design element: the steam bent, curved arms. This model exemplifies why Ha...Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of H-269 Lounge Chairs by Jindřich Halabala, Czech Republic 1930sBy Jindřich HalabalaLocated in New York, NYThis stunning pair of armchairs by Czech designer Jindřich Halabala features dark-stained armrests elegantly curving around the sides of the seat, seamlessly becoming the supporting ...Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bentwood
- Pair of Armchairs by Jindrich Halabala, 1950sBy Jindřich HalabalaLocated in Lucenec, SKProfessionally restored and re-upholstered rmchairss, model No. 2, designed by Jindrich Halabala and produced in Czechoslovakia from the 1930s by UP Zavody Brno ( the same as the fam...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bentwood
- Lounge Chair H-269 by Jindřich Halabala, Czech Republic 1930sBy Jindřich HalabalaLocated in Greding, DESingle H-269 armchair by Czech designer Jindřich Halabala. The dark stained armrests run in an elegant c-shaped sweep around the side of the seat cushion and become the supporting fr...Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSatin, Bentwood
- H-269 Halabala Armchair By Jindřich Halabala For Up Závody, Czechoslovakia, 1920By Jindřich Halabala, Up ZávodyLocated in Zohor, SKIconic armchair designed by Jindrich Halabala for UP Zavody, Czechoslovakia in 1920s. The chair is H-269 model. This model has a very dynamic and abundant appearance. Beautifully cur...Category
Vintage 1920s Czech Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsVelvet, Oak
- Adjustable Lounge Chair H-70 by Jindřich Halabala for Up Závody, 1930sBy Jindřich Halabala, Up ZávodyLocated in PRAHA 5, CZRare early model of an iconic lounge chair. Designed by Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, Czechoslovakia in 1931. Fabric attributed to famous Czech textile designer Antonín Kybal. The...Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Beech