Skip to main content

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.

8
3
to
1
4
3
11
9
9
9
8
3
5
3
1
4
2
1
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
10
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
9
4
3
3
3
10
9
9
1
1
7
1,375
1,181
1,154
1,129
Creator: Sori Yanagi
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 Seating

Materials

Wood

Kotobuki Chair by Sori Yanagi, 1969
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Venezia, VENETO
Designed in 1969 by Sori Yanagi, the Kobotuki chair has a comfortable FRP shell seat, steel plated legs and original black and yellow upholstery. Back in the 1960s, this chair was u...
Category

1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Steel

Armchair X by Tendo Mokko, circa 1960
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Venezia, VENETO
This very unique vintage armchair has been manufactured by Tendo Mokko in the 1960's. It is a very rare item coming from a facilities in Japan, after the relocation of the warehouse,...
Category

1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Wood, Upholstery

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 Seating

Materials

Plywood

Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Mid Century Stool in Plywood Produced by Tendo, 1980s
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare and iconic mid century stool model "Butterfly" in molded plywood by Sori Yanagi produced by Tendo Mokko, Japan ca 1980s. Acquired from the very original owner who bought this st...
Category

1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Plywood

Sori Yanagi 'Monjiro' Stool in Oak and Steel for Hida
By Sori Yanagi, Hida
Located in Glendale, CA
Sori Yanagi 'Monjiro' Stool in Oak and Steel for Hida. For centuries, famed Hida artisans in Gifu prefecture have played a role in Japan's woodworking culture, crafting iconic bentwood furniture from sustainable local forests. Established in 1920, Hida Sangyo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Javanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Sori Yanagi 'Collection' Dining Chair in White Oak for Hida
By Hida, Sori Yanagi
Located in Glendale, CA
Sori Yanagi 'Collection' Dining Chair in White Oak for Hida For centuries, famed Hida artisans in Gifu prefecture have played a role in Japan's woodworking culture, crafting iconic ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Oak

Sori Yanagi 'Collection' Dining Armchair in Stained White Oak for Hida
By Sori Yanagi, Hida
Located in Glendale, CA
Sori Yanagi 'Collection' Dining Armchair in Stained White Oak for Hida For centuries, famed Hida artisans in Gifu prefecture have played a role in Japan's woodworking culture, craft...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Oak

Sori Yanagi Side Chairs for Kotobuki, Pair, Designed in 1969
By Kotobuki, Sori Yanagi
Located in Edogawa-ku Tokyo, JP
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

Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Uccle, 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 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 Seating

Materials

Brass

Related Items
Stacking Chair by Tendo Mokko, Japan, 1970s
By Tendo Mokko
Located in Edogawa-ku Tokyo, JP
A chair that designed and manufactured by Tendo Mokko. This model had been manufactured and sold during 1974 to 1979. Designed to be stacked. Faux Leather and metal. A bar between th...
Category

1970s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Metal

Stacking Chair by Tendo Mokko, Japan, 1970s
Stacking Chair by Tendo Mokko, Japan, 1970s
H 29.53 in W 21.26 in D 20.67 in
Beachcomber Milking Stool in Oiled Walnut
By Greg Mitchell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The beachcomber milking stool is our take on a Classic, simple form. The hand shaped seat is sculpted for comfort, and the legs are shaved wi...
Category

2010s American Shaker Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Oak, Walnut

Custom Buell Oak and Steel Stool
Located in New York City, NY
Each Buell stool is handcrafted and made locally in New York. Simple yet sleek construction consists of an industrial steel frame with a dark patinated fi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Steel

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 Seating

Materials

Brass

Chairs 3221 by Jenzo Sakakura for Tendo Mokko, 1950s, set of 4
By Junzo Sakakura
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
Set of four chairs, model 3221, envisioned in the 1950s by the Japanese designer and architect Junzo Sakakura, known for his collaboration with Le Corbusier. These chairs exude the s...
Category

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

Materials

Beech

HIDA Suwari Kneeling Chair Meditation Stool Prayer Stool - Japanese Oak
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
The HIDA Sangyo Suwari Kneeling Legless Stool Chair was designed by acclaimed Japanese designer Kenya Hara, known for his minimalist aesthetic and focus on the essential elements of ...
Category

2010s Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Oak

Isamu Kenmochi for Akita Mokko Japan Mid-Century Modern Stacking Stool
By Isamu Kenmochi
Located in St. Louis, MO
Single bentwood stool by Isamu Kenmochi (1912-1971) for Akita Mokko. Original condition, minor scuffs. Label, circa 1950s Kenmochi was one of the most significant designers in midcentury Japan. He was a founding member of the Japan Industrial Designers, which included Sori Yanagi and Riki Watanabe...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Beech

Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
By Up Závody, Jindřich Halabala
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, oak, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf is designed in the 1930s when the Art Deco Period was at its highest point and distinguishes itself by means of artistic upholstery that retained its original fabric and interesting construction. Halabala created a harmonious pouf that is based on a pleasing combination of soft colors - a pinkish red and beige shade - and bold shapes. Functionality comes into play through the various functions this item embraces: you can simultaneously use it as an ottoman for your easy chair or as a stool to...
Category

1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Fabric, Oak

Pair Vintage BKF Hardoy for Knoll Cream Leather Butterfly Stool
By Knoll, Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic butterfly ottoman in stunning cream leather, designed by Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy and produced by Knoll. An essential companion to the butterfly ...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Iron

Italian Midcentury Bar Stools in Wicker and Metal by Cidue, 1980s
By Cidue
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Pair of bar stools with base in white painted metal and seat in wicker. Made in the 1980s by Cidue, Italy. Both stools are in very good vintage condition, stable and clean. Equipp...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Metal

A Fumidai stool - Japan - 1920
By Sori Yanagi
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
Ce tabouret en bois de paulownia (kiri) incarne l'esthétique sobre et épurée du mouvement Mingei tel que défini par Sōetsu Yanagi dans son ouvrage "L’Idée du Mingei" (1933). Il reflè...
Category

1920s Japanese Japonisme Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Wood

A Fumidai stool - Japan - 1920
A Fumidai stool - Japan - 1920
H 24.41 in W 20.87 in D 15.75 in
Folding Wood and Fabric Stool, circa 1960
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Folding wood and Fabric Stool, circa 1960. By unknown artisan in Spain, circa 1960. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beauti...
Category

1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Wood, Fabric

Folding Wood and Fabric Stool, circa 1960
Folding Wood and Fabric Stool, circa 1960
No Reserve
H 18.9 in W 15.36 in D 13.78 in
Previously Available Items
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 Seating

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 Seating

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 Edogawa-ku Tokyo, JP
SORI YANAGI , Mageki Stacking Chairs for Akita Mokkou , 1960s , Japanese modern each price
Category

1960s Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

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 Seating

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 Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
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 Seating

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 Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

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 Seating

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 Model "Butterfly" Stool for Tendo Mokko, Japan, 2000s
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in Skokie, IL
Sori Yanagi model "Butterfly" stool for Tendo Mokko, Japan, 2000s Additional Information: Materials: laminated walnut, brass Dimensions: 15 1/2" H x 17" W x 12" D Condition: Ex...
Category

20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Walnut

Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi for Tendo, Japan, 1970
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A beautiful “Butterfly” stool designed by Sori Yanagi and manufactured by Tendo in Japan around 1970. A design classic that exudes a sense of elegance and understated beauty. Craf...
Category

1970s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Wood

Sori Yanagi Elephant stool by FRP
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Stacking stools also called elephant leg stools. It won the gold medal at the 12th Milan Triennale of 1960, and it is stored as MoMA and the museum of the Amsterdam as a permanent co...
Category

1990s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi Elephant stool by FRP
Sori Yanagi Elephant stool by FRP
H 13.98 in W 20.08 in D 20.08 in
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Puig, 1960s Set of 2
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Lasne, BE
Pair of red fibreglass stools, designer Sori Yanagi. Stamped on the leg. Wear due to time and age of the stools.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

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 Junzo Sakakura, Isamu Kenmochi, and Akita Mokko. Prices for Sori Yanagi seating 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.

Recently Viewed

View All