Midcentury Modern Sergio Rodrigues "Sheriff" Lounge Chairs, Brazil
About the Item
- Creator:Sergio Rodrigues (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 33.47 in (85 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1957
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Argelato, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7342238825692
Sergio Rodrigues
The prolific architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues is often called the "father of modern Brazilian design," but it is the second adjective in that phrase that deserves emphasis: Rodrigues’s great achievement was to create furniture in a style that captured the spirit, character and personality of his country.
Modernity came slowly to 20th-century Brazil, politically and culturally. The nation finally realized genuine constitutional democracy in 1945, ushering in a new, progressive era in the arts. Until that time, heavy furniture based on historical European models had been the norm. In the late 1940s, designer Joaquim Tenreiro introduced sleek, minimalist chairs and cabinets; José Zanine Caldas, now best known for his later artisanal work, created plywood furnishings for mass-production; the Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi, a former editor for the Gio Ponti-founded magazine Domus, set up shop in São Paulo, designing elegant, flexible chairs set on slim metal frames.
This was the heady scene into which Rodrigues, the son of an artistically prominent Rio de Janeiro family, arrived after graduating in 1952 from the national university. He established Oca Industries in 1955, a company that would become the preeminent maker of modernist furniture in Brazil. When architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer were tasked in 1956 with the whirlwind project to plan, design and build the new capital, Brasília, in five years, they used Rodrigues’s early chairs, with their softly-contoured lines and caned seats and backrests, to furnish many of the buildings.
Rodrigues would realize the true expression of his talents in — and garner international awards and acclaim with — his Mole chair of 1957. The word mole means "soft" in Portuguese, but can be interpreted as "easygoing" or even "listless." Rodrigues's chair features a sturdy, generously proportioned frame of the native South American hardwood jacaranda, upholstered with overstuffed leather pads that flap like saddlebags across the arms, seat, and backrest. It is a chair that invites sprawling — perfect for the social milieu of the bossa nova and caipirinha cocktails; where a languorous afternoon spent chatting and joking is the apex of enjoyment.
Most of the estimated 1,200 armchairs, sofas, tables, storage cabinets and dining tables Rodrigues designed in his long career are imbued, in one way or another, with this air of robust relaxation. Sergio Rodrigues was a designer true to the temperament of his people.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Argelato, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Charles Eames, Lounge Chair in black leather by Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Argelato, BOEames Lounge is probably one of the most famous armchair designs in the world. The design couple Charles and Ray Eames designed it in 1956 for Herman Miller. It was the first chair ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood, Walnut
- Charles Eames, Lounge Chair in black leather by Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Argelato, BOEames Lounge is probably one of the most famous armchair designs in the world. The design couple Charles and Ray Eames designed it in 1956 for Herman Miller. It was the first chair ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood, Walnut
- Warren Platner Easy Lounge Chair for Knoll 1966 (Old Edition)By Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Argelato, BOVintage Warren Platner Easy Chair (Model 1705; aka Easy Lounge Chair) It is one of the most iconic and representative models of the famous American architect and designer Warren Pl...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- 'Zelda' Armchair by Sergio Asti for Poltrona, Italy, 1962By Sergio AstiLocated in Argelato, BOSergio Asti, 'Zelda' model armchair for Saporiti, Italy. The armchair, compact and elegant, has a refined wooden structure of great geometric rigor. One of the most iconic and repre...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Safari Lounge chairs by Kaare Klint, Rasmussen, DenmarkBy Kaare KlintLocated in Argelato, BOPair of Safari lounge chairs by Kaare Klint, Rasmussen, Denmark Pair of Safari Lounge Chairs, in leather and wood, model KK47000 by Kaare Klint (1888-1954) for Rud. Rasmussen Snedke...Category
Vintage 1940s Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Lounge Armchair by Renato Balestra for Cinova, Italy 1970sBy Renato BalestraLocated in Argelato, BORenato Balestra "Lounge" armchair or fireside chair by the Italian designer Renato Balestra for Cinova, published in 1973. This armchair is made of padded leather on a "floating" ch...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Midcentury Brazilian Modern Sergio Rodrigues "Sheriff" Lounge Chair & OttomanBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMidcentury Brazilian Modern Sergio Rodrigues Leather "Sheriff" Lounge Chair and Ottoman - All solid wood - with NO Cushions. Cushions can be custom made by most upholstery shops that...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood
- Midcentury Brazilian Modern “Sheriff” Lounge Chair Designed by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Union City, NJMid Century Brazilian Modern “Sheriff” Lounge Chair Designed By Sergio Rodrigues. Originally designed in 1957, this chair took first prize at the ...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- 'Franco' Lounge Chairs with headrest, Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Modern DesignBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThe "Franco" lounge chairs, designed by Sergio Rodrigues, stand as a distinct representation of Brazilian mid-century design. These chairs are characterized by their robust solid har...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood
- Moleca Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Mid-Century ModernBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThe "Moleca" lounge chair is a significant piece of Brazilian design history, created in 1957 by master designer Sergio Rodrigues. It is a beautiful example of Rodrigues's unique and...Category
Mid-20th Century South American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
- 'Stella' Lounge Chair, by Sérgio Rodrigues, Brazilian Mid-Century Modern DesignBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThe "Stella" lounge chair, a creation of Sergio Rodrigues from 1956, is a symphony of timeless elegance and meticulous design. At first glance, its plush upholstery, reminiscent of s...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsOther
- Bloch Chairs by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Midcentury Design, 1964By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYA particular characteristic in Brazilian mid-century furniture making was the practice of furnishing houses and commercial buildings in exchange for a special commission. This chair ...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRosewood, Leather