Sori Yanagi Seating
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.
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Creator: Sori Yanagi
Elephant stool by Sori Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Paris, FR
An Elephant stool by Sori Yanagi in blue fiberglass, manufactured by Kotobuki Seating Company, Tokyo, Japan, engraved with the editor’s m...
Category
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Fiberglass
Sori Yanagi Rosewood and Brass Butterfly Stool Vintage
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 Seating
Materials
Brass
Sori Yanagi Side Chairs for Kotobuki, Pair, Designed in 1969
By Kotobuki, Sori Yanagi
Located in Kawaguchi city, Saitama
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 Seating
Materials
Steel
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool
By Sori Yanagi
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Sori Yanagi butterfly stool for Tendo in bent rosewood and brass.
Literature: Design since 1945, Hiesinger, pg. 137.
Category
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Rosewood
Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Mid-Century Stool in Plywood Produced by Tendo ca 1980s
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare and great example of Sori Yanagi iconic "Butterfly" stool in bent plywood produced by Tendo Mokko, Japan ca 1980s. This example was purchased by the previous owner in Tokyo in t...
Category
1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Plywood
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Paris, FR
An Elephant stool by Sori Yanagi, in black fiberglass, manufactured by Kotobuki Seating Company, Tokyo, Japan, engraved with the editor’s mark and desig...
Category
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Fiberglass
Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Paris, FR
A butterfly stool, model "S-0521/M", by Sori Yanagi, in wood and patinated brass, manufactured by Tendo Mokko, Japan, with the old editor’s label, model designed in 1954.
Category
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Brass
Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Brussels, BE
This stool was made for the In 1936, 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 Seating
Materials
Seagrass, Cherry
Sori Yanagi, Early Production "Butterfly" Stools Walnut, Brass, Tendo Mokko 1954
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A set of rare and early organic "Butterfly" stools, designed in 1954 by Sori Yanagi. Produced by Tendo Mokko, Japan. Priced and sold individually.
Other designers of the period incl...
Category
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Brass
Sori Yanagi Rare Early Red Elephant Stool for Kotobuki, Japan
By Sori Yanagi, Kotobuki
Located in Maastricht, NL
A rare and early red version fiberglass elephant stool, designed by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki.
It bears its name 'elephant stool' because of the shape resemblances a baby elephant....
Category
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating
Materials
Fiberglass
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Previously Available Items
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Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Puig, 1960s Set of 2
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Pair of red fibreglass stools, designer Sori Yanagi. Stamped on the leg. Wear due to time and age of the stools.
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Sori Yanagi, "Elephant" Stool, Fiberglass, Japan, 1954
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Yanagi designed the official torch for the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
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Rosewood Butterfly Stool by Japanese Designer Sori Yanagi
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A perfect fusion of western function and eastern or Asian sensibility, the iconic butterfly stool was originally conceived in 1954 by Japanese designer ...
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Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool
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A Sori Yanagi butterfly stool for Tendo in bent rosewood and brass. Marked with label.
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Sori Yanagi Elephant stool, circa 1954
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Sori Yanagi seating for sale on 1stDibs.
Sori Yanagi seating 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 seating, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original seating 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 seating by Isamu Kenmochi, Akita Mokko, and Junzo Sakakura. Prices for Sori Yanagi seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at £1,746 and can go as high as £5,869, while a piece like these, on average, fetch £3,138.