Skip to main content

Sori Yanagi Furniture

Japanese, 1915-2011

Sōri Yanagi was a Japanese product designer. Born in 1915 in Tokyo, Japan. His father was Yanagi Sōetsu, founder of the Japanese folk crafts mingei movement, which celebrated the beauty of everyday objects, and the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingeikan). Yanagi entered Tokyo Art School in 1934, where he studied both art and architecture. He played a role in the Japanese modern design developed after the Second World War to the high-growth period in the Japanese economy. Yanagi was both a representative of the wholly Japanese modern designer and a full-blown Modernist, who merged simplicity and practicality with elements of traditional Japanese crafts. He designed the official torch for the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Yanagi died in 2011 at the age of 96.

to
5
7
2
10
3
8
10
3
7
3
1
2
4
1
1
8
4
3
2
1
12
12
12
13
13
13
7
9,856
3,943
2,543
2,240
Creator: Sori Yanagi
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in Molded Blonde Rosewood for Tendo Mokko
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Chicago, IL
The Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi, (1915 - 2011) an iconic figure in Japanese industrial design. Originally created in 1954 using the moulded plywood technique that had been newly ...
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Rosewood

Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Stools . Earliest examples.
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Toronto, Ontario
An incredible example of an iconic Mid 20th Century masterpiece. Designed by Sori Yanagi in the late 1950.s These examples are the earliest examples of this form. As evidenced by ...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Rosewood

Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Vitra
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Centreville, VA
The Elephant Stool, designed by Sori Yanagi for Vitra, is a playful yet elegantly crafted piece that showcases the harmonious blend of function an...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Vitra
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Vitra
$525 Sale Price / item
25% Off
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in Molded Blonde Rosewood for Tendo Mokko
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Chicago, IL
The Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi, (1915 - 2011) an iconic figure in Japanese industrial design. Originally created in 1954 using the moulded plywood technique that had been newly c...
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Rosewood

Japan Furniture Exhibition '61
By Sori Yanagi
Located in New York, NY
Catalog accompanying an exhibition held in the United States in 1961, sponsored and published by the Japan Export Furniture Manufacturer Association (JEFMA), a trade organization of 48 leading furniture makers in Japan, in collaboration with their government-run National Industrial Arts Institute, with the dual purpose of stimulating the production of Japanese “Good Design” in furniture, and introducing the results to the U.S. market. According to the introduction to this, the second iteration of this exhibition, “it is full three years since the First Exhibition was held in the United States in 1958…these recent years, we Japanese furniture manufacturers have increasingly equipped with facilities for mass production, so that we are now in a position to offer the products of better quality at lower prices. At the same time we have been making efforts to create furniture of graceful design with Oriental taste, using Japanese traditional craftsmanship. We have mainly selected the furnitures which are ready for mass production, and added some pieces of Japanese taste.” The 24 page catalog presents chairs, tables, and case pieces by prominent Japanese architects and designers including Katsuo Matsamura, Taichiro Nakai, Kozo Asari, Hideo Saito, Takeshi Mineo, Yujiro Yamaguchi, Ryuchi Ise, Fukuji Suzuki, Masaharu Ito, Keisuke Nakamura, Yo Yamagishi, Shigeru Imai, Shiro Kodo, Tadao Kawanami, Akira Sogi, Tomoichi Yoshida, Sori Yanagi, Taichiro Nakai, Toshio Miyake, Motoi Kojima, Fukui Suzuki, Akira Takayabu, Selichi Watanabe, and T. Nii, along with works from the Industrial Arts Institute and an armchair by American ex-pat Noemi Raymond, wife of architect Antonin Raymond. Manufacturers include. Manufacturers represented in the exhibition include Akita Mokko Co, Bokai Industry Co, Fuji Furniture Co, Haneda, Kosajujo Co, Inada & Co, Iwai Kogyo Co, Imada Mokko Co, Kobe Wood Chemics Assoc., Kosuga & Co, Kotobuki Seating Co, Kobyashi Fukuzo & Co, K.K. Shimada Seisakusho, Kubo Shoten Co, Kassai Manufacturing Co, Miyoshi Mokko Co, Okamura Mfg. Co, Sakigake Furniture, Santa Kogyosho Corp, Tendo Mokko, Tsuji Mokko Co, Tottori Kagu Kogyo Co, Taihei Mokko Co, Toki Mokko Co, Toyohashi Mokko Co, Yamaguchi Co...
Category

1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Paper

Sori Yanagi Vintage Rosewood and Brass Butterfly Stool
By Sori Yanagi
Located in North Miami, FL
This iconic and collectable butterfly stool is a work of simple and elegant sculpture by the Japanese designer Sori Yanagi. It is rosewood and brass structure. The combination aesthe...
Category

1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Brass

Wooden Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Stool in Molded Plywood by Tendo Japan, 1980s
By Sori Yanagi, Tendo Mokko
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare and iconic wooden mid century "butterfly" stool in molded plywood by Sori Yanagi for Tendo Mokko Japan, 1980s. In good condition and purchased by the previous owner on a busines...
Category

1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Plywood

Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Uccle, BE
This stool was made in 1936 for the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum. Made of Japanese cherry wood and seagrass. Today, you can still see the original benches made for this museum. Yanagi Soetsu (1889 – 1961), also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese art critic, philosopher, and founder of the Mingei (folk craft) movement in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s. His son, Sori Yanagi, was a renowned industrial designer. In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of curiosity about Korean crafts. The trip led to the establishment of the Korean Folk Crafts Museum in 1924 and the coining of the term mingei by Yanagi, potters Hamada Shoji (1894–1978) and Kawai Kanjiro...
Category

1930s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Seagrass, Cherry

Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
$6,293 Sale Price
20% Off
Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Sori Yanagi (Japanese, 1915-2011); Tendo, attributed. (Japan) Marking(s); notes: no marking(s) apparent Materials: rosewood veneer over plywood, brass ...
Category

1960s Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Wood

Sori Yanagi White Elephant Stool for Kotobuki, 1960s
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
An iconic mid-century design by Japanese master Sori Yanagi. The Elephant Stool embodies simplicity, functionality, and sculptural beauty. Featuring a distinctive arching silhouette ...
Category

1960s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yonagi for Hida Bleached Oak Table and Chairs Reissue 2022
By Hida, Sori Yanagi
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A beautiful dining table and chairs by Sori Yanaga Design for Hida of Japan. This wonderful set in oak consists of 2 armchairs, 2 side chairs and the 47 inch diameter table. While he...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Oak

Japanese Sake Glass Set by Sori Yanagi, 1970s
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
A masterpiece of Japanese design, these vintage sake glasses by Sori Yanagi embody the harmony of form and function. With their refined silhouette and subtle elegance, they offer a ...
Category

Late 20th Century Japanese Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Glass

Sori Yanagi Side Chairs for Kotobuki, Pair, Designed in 1969
By Kotobuki, Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Stackable side chairs designed by Sori Yanagi in 1969 and manufactured by Kotobuki. Sold as a pair. Priced in pair. Upholstery, FRP (fiber-glass reinforced plastic), steel.
Category

1970s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Steel

Related Items
Pair of Blonde Toned Oak Brutalist T-Back Bar Stools
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of beautiful T-back Brutalist solid oak bar stools with subtle carved back, rounded legs and formed seats. Seat height is 31.25". In original condition with visible wear includi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Oak

Pair of Blonde Toned Oak Brutalist T-Back Bar Stools
Pair of Blonde Toned Oak Brutalist T-Back Bar Stools
$1,150 / set
H 42.5 in W 14.75 in D 16.5 in
Midcentury Blue Vintage Stool, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s. Beautiful blue high quality upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, characteristic of the...
Category

Mid-20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fabric

Midcentury Blue Vintage Stool, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Midcentury Blue Vintage Stool, Edmund Homa, 1960s
$286 Sale Price / item
20% Off
H 14.97 in W 21.66 in D 13.78 in
Jean Prouvé Tabouret Solvay / Bois Stool in Solid Natural Oak by Vitra
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Tabouret Bois (Solvay) is designed by Jean Prouvé and manufactured by Vitra. The design of the Tabouret Bois clearly bears the signature of Jean Prouvé. The shape is based on the...
Category

1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Metal

Vitra Model B Cork Stool by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison
Located in Dronten, NL
Stabile and robust, this stool or side table of the Cork Family by Jasper Morrison exploit the advantageous natural properties of cork: it is comparatively lightweight and extremely ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Cork

Pair of Paul McCobb Brass Stools Silver Shagreen Leather
By Paul McCobb
Located in Westport, CT
Pair of Paul McCobb brass stools, shagreen silver leather, with brass criss-cross bases, adjustable feet.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair of Paul McCobb Brass Stools Silver Shagreen Leather
Pair of Paul McCobb Brass Stools Silver Shagreen Leather
$7,400 / set
H 15.5 in W 20.5 in D 20.5 in
Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Sori Yanagi (Japanese, 1915-2011); Tendo, attributed. (Japan) Marking(s); notes: no marking(s) apparent Materials: rosewood veneer over plywood, brass ...
Category

1960s Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Wood

Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
$3,750
H 15.25 in W 16.5 in D 11.75 in
Tabouret 307 Stool by Jean Prouvé for Vitra
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Dronten, NL
Tabouret No. 307 in oak with tubular steel legs, designed by Jean Prouvé in 1951. Marked with Vitra label. Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) was a French architect, designer, and builder, ren...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Steel

Tabouret 307 Stool by Jean Prouvé for Vitra
Tabouret 307 Stool by Jean Prouvé for Vitra
$1,050
H 17.72 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Wooden Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Stool in Molded Plywood by Tendo Japan, 1980s
By Sori Yanagi, Tendo Mokko
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare and iconic wooden mid century "butterfly" stool in molded plywood by Sori Yanagi for Tendo Mokko Japan, 1980s. In good condition and purchased by the previous owner on a busines...
Category

1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Plywood

Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Beautiful soft velvet leopard print upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
Category

Mid-20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Velvet, Beech

Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
$238 Sale Price / item
20% Off
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Mike Hexagonal Stool or Side Table in Reclaimed Oak with Butterfly Wingnuts
By Fred&Juul
Located in Fiesole, Florence
Mike was born out of a geometrical game of combining rhombi. 12 wooden elements with rhombus-shaped tops are assembled with handmade brass butterfly wing bolts to form a stool or side table. Two, three or even more pieces, with their hexagonal top and star-shaped base, can be united to form a coffee table or bench. Handmade by master craftsmen in Tuscany, Italy. The 12 elements are screwed together instead of glued so the rhombi are perceived as individual parts. The oakwood is reclaimed from old Italian wine barrels...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Brass

T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Furniture of Classical Greece
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in Hudson, NY
This handsome book records the discovery and contemporary re-creation of Greek furniture designs virtually ignored for more than two thousand years. T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, internat...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Paper

Pair of Midcentury White and Blue Linen Vintage Stools, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stools from the turn of the 1960s. Beautiful white and blue high quality linen upholstery. The stools consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
Category

Mid-20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Beech

Pair of Midcentury White and Blue Linen Vintage Stools, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Pair of Midcentury White and Blue Linen Vintage Stools, Edmund Homa, 1960s
$572 Sale Price / set
20% Off
H 15.75 in W 25.2 in D 14.97 in
Previously Available Items
Rosewood Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Dronten, NL
A perfect fusion of western function and eastern or Asian sensibility, the iconic butterfly stool was originally conceived in 1954 by Japanese designer Sori Yanagi. The stool is made...
Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Brass

Rosewood Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi
Rosewood Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi
H 15.75 in W 16.54 in D 11.82 in
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi – Kotobuki - Japon - 1950s
By Kotobuki, Sori Yanagi
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
An early edition of the iconic Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi, produced by Kotobuki in 1954, featuring its original publisher’s label. Designed in fiberglass—a groundbreaking material...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in Molded Palisander Tendo Mokko
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Chicago, IL
The Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi, (1915 - 2011) an iconic figure in Japanese industrial design. Originally created in 1954 using the moulded plywood technique that had been newly ...
Category

1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Plywood

Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Centreville, VA
Ease of travel in the jet age encouraged a growing fusion of cultural influences after World War II. Although Yanagi's stool was designed and manufactured in Japan, it employs Weste...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Maple

Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi
Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi
H 15.25 in W 16.5 in D 12.25 in
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool Rosewood Brass
By Sori Yanagi
Located in San Diego, CA
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in rosewood and brass. Designed in 1954 and produced in the 1990s. Signed, Sori Yanagi.
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Rosewood

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool Rosewood Brass
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool Rosewood Brass
H 15.25 in W 16.75 in D 12 in
SORI YANAGI , Mageki Stacking Chairs for Akita Mokkou , 1960s , Japanese modern
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
SORI YANAGI , Mageki Stacking Chairs for Akita Mokkou , 1960s , Japanese modern each price
Category

1960s Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Wood

Sori Yanagi, "Butterfly" Stools, Walnut, Brass, Japan, 1954
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in High Point, NC
A set of first production walnut "Butterfly" stools, designed in 1954 by Sori Yanagi and produced by Tendo Mokko, Japan, c. 1960s. Unlabeled. Seat height: 15.75"
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair Black Sori Yanagi Elephant Stools by Kotobuki Japan c. 1950s
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of black Sori Yanagi Elephant Stools by Kotobuki, Japan c. 1950s. Yanagi foil sticker on underside. Originally designed by Yanagi as ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
By Sori Yanagi, Tendo Mokko
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ottoman designed by Sori Yanagi. The walnut bent plywood frame mirrors one another showcasing a butterfly shape, hence the name. The stool is finished with brass hardware. Dimension...
Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Brass

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
H 15.25 in W 17.25 in D 11.75 in
Sori Yanagi ‘Elephant’ stool for Kotobuki, Japan 1954
By Kotobuki, Sori Yanagi
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Elephant stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki Seating Company, Tokyo 1954. Yanagi originally designed the stool as a work chair for his studio, a couple of years later it was released b...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi, Oval Mirror for Akita Mokko, 1980s
By Sori Yanagi, Akita Mokko
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Wall hanging mirror that was designed by Sori Yanagi in 1977 and manufactured by Akita Mokko. There is only one seam in the frame, which shows Akita Mokko's excellent technique. S...
Category

1980s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Beech

Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
The Elephant Stool was designed by Sori Yanagi in 1954. This stool, which was released in 1956 with FRP material, which was rare at the time, was used in the pavilion at the 1970 Osa...
Category

1950s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki
H 14.57 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in

Sori Yanagi furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Sori Yanagi furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Sori Yanagi furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Sori Yanagi were created in the mid-century modern style in japan during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Junzo Sakakura, Akita Mokko, and Takeshi Nii. Prices for Sori Yanagi furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,221 and can go as high as $11,095, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,500.

Interiors Featuring Sori Yanagi

Explore the work of the world's best interior designers

Recently Viewed

View All