Cuban-born mid-century furniture maker and interior designer Clara Porset is having a moment in museums such as New York’s Museum of Modern Art and beyond, with attention being paid not just to her designs for chairs, lamps and tables but to her life story, with its ties to feminism, modernization and the identification of value in indigenous materials and methods.
Born into a wealthy Cuban family, Porset studied at Columbia University, the Sorbonne and Black Mountain College in North Carolina, which she attended at the urging of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius and where her teachers included Josef and Anni Albers.
A critic of Cuba’s right-wing government, she left her home country for Mexico, with its more simpatico regime, in 1935. With her Mexican husband, painter Xavier Guerrero, she threw herself into studying that country’s design traditions, and together the two were winners of MoMA’s Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition in 1941. (Porset was unfortunately not recognized at the time for her contribution but has since been credited alongside her husband for the entry.)
Like Porset, other designers of the mid-century era such as Cynthia Sargent, Don Shoemaker and the Bauhaus-trained architect Michael van Beuren who had relocated to Mexico found inspiration in their adopted country. Klaus Grabe, Morley Webb and van Beuren were also named among the Mexico-based winners of MoMA’s 1941 competition. (And van Beuren's furniture brand Domus produced Porset's designs in addition to his own.)
Fascinated by a Spanish-inflected Mexican wood-and-wicker chair called the butaque, Porset developed her own version by tweaking proportions and incorporating new materials.
According to art critic and curator Ana Elena Mallet, its design was “a manifestation of her profound engagement with Mexican craft traditions” at a time when “discussions surrounding the definition of Mexican identity were paramount within the larger political landscape.” In this view, “Porset’s Butaque becomes not merely a chair but a tangible expression of the socio-political discourse of its time,” she says. Or, as Paola Antonelli, MoMA’s senior curator of architecture and design, told the New York Times, “This is the Latin American chair.”
Porset designed many other chairs, some in collaboration with the preeminent Mexican architect Luis Barragán. She returned to Cuba in 1959, after Fidel Castro came to power, with high hopes, but when her plans to start a design school (under Che Guevara, Castro’s minister of industries from 1961 to 1965) foundered, she returned to Mexico, where she continued to promote design for the rest of her life.
Find vintage Clara Porset furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Clara Porset's Mexican Walnut & Hemp Butaque Chair, licensed reedition by Luteca
By Clara Porset, Luteca Furniture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cuban-born Clara Porset was a pioneer for modern design in Mexico. Having studied architecture in New York and then Paris, she finally settled in Mexico devoting her life to champion...
Walnut, Hemp
Tropical Hardwood and Rattan, Butaque Chair, Outdoor Use, Licensed Reedition
By Luteca Furniture, Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cuban-born Clara Porset was a pioneer for modern design in Mexico. Having studied architecture in New York and then Paris, she finally settled in Mexico devoting her life to championing her mutually enriching vision of modernity and tradition. A fierce proponent of historical craft traditions, Clara Porset created wholly contemporary versions of the classic Mexican vernacular forms including the colonial butaque chair...
Rattan, Hardwood
Clara Porset's Mexican Butaque Chair, licensed reedition by Luteca
By Luteca Furniture, Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cuban-born Clara Porset was a pioneer for modern design in Mexico. Having studied architecture in New York and then Paris, she finally settled in Mexico devoting her life to championing her mutually enriching vision of modernity and tradition. A fierce proponent of historical craft traditions, Clara Porset created wholly contemporary versions of the classic Mexican vernacular forms including the colonial butaque chair...
Hide, Maple
$22,699 / set
Clara Porset Rare Lounge Chairs, 1950's
By Clara Porset
Located in Uccle, BE
Clara Porset (1895-1981) - Xavier Guerrero (1896-1974) Pair of armchairs Rope and lacquered metal Model created circa 1950 Measures: H: 79 x W 70 x D 69 cm This chair model is part of the selection of the 1950 international low-cost furniture...
Metal
Clara Porset Modernist CP3 Solid Walnut and Glass Coffee Table by Luteca
By Luteca Furniture, Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cuban-born Clara Porset was a pioneer for modern design in Mexico. Having studied architecture in New York and then Paris, she finally settled in Mexico devoting her life to champion...
Glass, Walnut
Clara Porset 'Butaque' Lounge Chair - II
By Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Porset 'Butaque' lounge chair c.1940s, Mexico. The lounge chair features a curvaceous solid cypress wood frame with the original brown saddle leather sling seat. The leather is...
Leather, Cypress
Clara Porset 'Butaque' Lounge Chair - I
By Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Porset 'Butaque' lounge chair c.1940s, Mexico. The lounge chair features a curvaceous solid cypress wood frame with the original brown saddle leather sling seat. The leather is...
Leather, Cypress
Clara Porset Butaque Lounge Chair, Cypress & Leather, Mexico, 1940s
By Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Porset 'Butaque' lounge chair c.1940s, Mexico. The lounge chair features a curvaceous solid cypress wood frame with the original brown saddle leather sling seat. The leather is...
Leather, Cypress
$15,000
Butaque Sofa by Clara Porset
By Clara Porset
Located in Danville, CA
Clara Porset Butaque sofa from an important architectural masterpiece designed by Ricardo Legarreta in Emeryville California. Part of a reception ...
Oak
Clara Porset 'Butaque' Lounge Chair - III
By Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Porset 'Butaque' lounge chair c.1940s, Mexico. The lounge chair features a curvaceous solid cypress wood frame with the original brown saddle leather sling seat. The leather is...
Leather, Cypress
$9,500 / set
Clara Porset Lounge Chairs
By Clara Porset
Located in Danville, CA
Pair of iconic arm lounge chairs by Clara Porset from an architect, really significant building designed by Ricardo Legarreta architect located in Emeryville, California.
Oak
Moderno: Design for Living in Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela, 1940-1978
By Lina Bo Bardi, Clara Porset
Located in New York, NY
Catalog of a traveling exhibition that opened at the America’s Society in New York in 2015. Published by America Society and Santillana. 4to, hardcover, 280 pages, with both full col...
Paper
Price Upon Request
Butaque Armchairs by Clara Porset, Oak & Leather, Mexico, c1947
By Clara Porset
Located in San Francisco, CA
Large frame 'Butaque' oak armchairs upholstered in heavy tan leather with a rich, time-earned patina. The restored frames highlight the warmth of the wood, while the later-added bras...
Brass
$5,400 / item
H 14 in W 40 in D 50 in
FRANKLIN Coffee Table XL by AMBROZIA, Solid Walnut, Blackened Steel & Brass
By AMBROZIA
Located in Drummondville, QC
The Franklin centre table is handmade from a thick solid wood surface and featured subtitle hand polished brass details at the end. It has a hand rubbed natural oil and wax finish th...
Gold, Brass, Steel, Stainless Steel
$3,631Sale Price|20% Off
H 13.78 in W 43.31 in D 43.31 in
Marquetry Walnut Coffee Table by Jaume Tresserra
By Jaime Tresserra
Located in Madrid, ES
Gorgeous walnut wood coffee table designed by Spanish furniture designer Jaume Tresserra in 1987, also produced around that time. Made of light walnut wood with darker marquetry.
Walnut
French Reconstruction Lounge Chair
By Jean Prouvé, Pierre Guariche
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Presenting a remarkable armchair from the 1950s. Inspired by the timeless designs of mid-century masters, this chair pay homage to the iconic styles of renowned designers such as Pie...
Oak
Modern Walnut Coffee Table
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
This modern walnut coffee table is made in the heart of Ohio with locally sourced wood. Each table is a hand-made mitered box from walnut v...
Walnut
2-Strand Pretzel Shape Arm Rattan Lounge Chair
Located in Sheffield, MA
The 2 strand wicker/rattan club chair has rounded arm that comes with green and white wide striped canvas seat and back cushions. The side has pretzel shape x design. This lounge chair offers style and comfort for any porch or patio. The seat cushion has a wood frame at the bottom and metal support and springs, the way they used to make outdoor seat cushions...
Rattan
Kipp Stewart Aluminum Patio Lounge Chair for Terra
By Kipp Stewart, Terra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lounge chair by Kipp Stewart for Terra of California, USA, c.1970s. The lounge chair features an aluminum tube frame with applied faux patina and new cotton rope that has been woven ...
Aluminum
Van Os Culemborg Lounge Chair
By Van Oss Culemborg
Located in Waalwijk, NL
G. Van Os for Van Os Culemborg, lounge chair, beech, fabric, The Netherlands, 1950s This elegant easy chair, designed by G. Van Os in the Netherlands, is...
Fabric, Beech
$2,422 / item
H 27.96 in W 19.69 in D 27.56 in
Contemporary Mexican Easy Chair in Walnut Wood and Natural Leather Seat
By Laura Noriega
Located in Guadalajara, Jal.
The “Your Skin” easy chair is a comfortable low chair with a solid and light structure perfect to accentuate with its impeccable and minimal aesthetics the decoration in every room o...
Leather, Walnut
Meadowcraft Dogwood Garden Patio Poolside Spring Seat Lounge Chair
By Meadowcraft
Located in New York, NY
Wrought iron and metal mesh spring seat lounge chair by Meadowcraft, in the Dogwood pattern, circa 1950 - 1960's. The chair is in very good, original estat...
Wrought Iron
19th Century Biedermeier Walnut Chair. Vienna, c. 1825
Located in Vienna, AT
Hello, This fine Biedermeier side chair was made in Vienna circa 1825. Viennese Biedermeier pieces are distinguished by their sophisticated proportions, rare and refined design, exc...
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Frame Lounge Chair by Viko Baumritter
By Viko Baumritter
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Simple and elegant and in excellent vintage condition. Naugahyde remains in top condition and is quite comfy and stylish. Walnut frame is also in like new condition.
Naugahyde, Walnut
$3,000
H 27.56 in W 15.75 in D 18.12 in
Surrealist Hand Chair in Style of Pedro Friedberg, Exotic Hardwood, 1970s Mexico
By Pedro Friedeberg, Salvador Dalí
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Surrealist arm chair inspired by Pedro Friedberg. Carved with exceptional skill from a block of exotic hard wood, likely to be Central American Samanea saman (Monkeypod). The sculpt...
Wood, Walnut
Clara Porset 'Butaque' Lounge Chair
By Clara Porset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Porset 'Butaque' lounge chair c.1940s, Mexico. The lounge chair features a curvaceous solid cypress wood frame with the original brown saddle leather sling seat. The leather is...
Steel
Sold
H 10.75 in W 7.75 in D 1 in
Moderno, Design for Living in Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela, 1940-1978
By Clara Porset
Located in New York, NY
Catalog of a traveling exhibition opening at the America’s Society in New York in 2015. Published by Santillana. 4to, hardcover, 280 pages, with both full color and b/w illustrations, including a section of plates dedicated to the exhibit. With incisive essays by Gabriela Rangel, Jorge Rivas Perez, Lourdes Blanco, Ana Elena Mallet, Christina L. De Leon, Maria Cecilia Loschiavo Dos Santos, and Luis Canstaneda, along with historical texts by Clara Porset, Lina Bo Bardi and others, plus designer biographies. An important contribution to the understanding of Latin American postwar modernism...
Paper
Clara Porset Steel Desk for DM Nacional
By Clara Porset
Located in Mexico City, MX
Made in Mexico the 1950s for the Office steel furniture company DM Nacional Company. Attributed to Clara Porset.
Cut Steel
Clara Porset Steel Desk for DM Nacional Company
By Clara Porset
Located in Mexico City, MX
Cuban-born furniture and interior designer Clara Porset is best known for Modern designs inspired by the local traditions of Mexico, her adopted homeland. Educated in New York at ...
Steel
Clara Porset Lounge Chairs
By Clara Porset
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare form from Cuban-born designer, Clara Porset. Woven rush seat and back on wood frame.
Cord, Wood