Iconic Designs
Bertoia Side ChairBy Harry Bertoia
About the Design
When Hans and Florence Knoll invited Italian-American artist Harry Bertoia (1915–78) to move from California to Pennsylvania in 1950 to work with their new design firm, they did not ask him to develop any specific pieces but instead to investigate whatever interested him. That open-ended experimentation led to the 1952 Bertoia Side chair, which was fitted with a fluid metal lattice that gave the seating an ethereal quality. Bertoia considered his collection of chairs created for Knoll Associates to be “mainly made of air, like sculpture,” as he bent steel wire into striking lightweight forms.
While these chairs were innovative in their use of industrial materials, they also had a progressive approach to the ergonomics of seating. Bertoia had previously collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on molded plywood chairs — what would become the LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) — yet was miffed by the lack of credit for his work. He went on to take a job in engineering for the human body at the Point Loma Naval Electrical Lab in La Jolla, California, during which he created metal sculptures in his spare time. The opportunity from Knoll, another of his former classmates at the famed Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan — Bertoia met the Eameses and Knoll and later taught metalworking there — gave him the time and space to devote himself to his own ideas independently. And, as with all Knoll designers, he would get named recognition for his designs.
In a garage in Bally, Pennsylvania, he set up his metal shop and developed ideas for the welded steel grids he would use in his seating. At the time, most chairs were constructed from wood; Bertoia saw the potential for graceful and comfortable designs in the strong material of metal. Along with the Bertoia Side chair, he created the Diamond chair with a diamond pattern in its metalwork and the undulating Asymmetric Chaise (which was too complicated to manufacture until 2005), all with the transparent volume that gives his metal furniture a sense of floating.
Although he would shift to making art rather than furniture, Bertoia still worked on a number of sculptural and architectural designs for the Knoll Planning Unit in the years that followed. Knoll, Inc. has produced the Bertoia Side chair since it was introduced, with its durable materials and optional upholstery or seat covers that can be snapped on and off, making it popular for indoor and outdoor seating.
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Five Harry Bertoia Chrome Wire Dining Chairs by Knoll
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in San Mateo, CA
Set of five Harry Bertoia side chairs manufactured by Knoll. These chairs date to around 1970. They have a chrome finish. The chairs have black vinyl seat pads. The pads are Knoll re...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Harry Bertoia side chairs by Knoll with original upholstery, mint 1970's
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Harry Bertoia side chairs
by Knoll International, 1978
Two available, price is per chair.
With original blue upholstery.
Manufacturer's label dated 1978.
New internal foam...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Bertoia for Knoll Dining Chairs
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Harry Bertoia for Knoll Wire Side Chairs with white vinyl pads. Newer models that are still in very nice shape. Classic design that still looks fresh and new! Easy to move around ...
Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Original 1960s Set of Six Harry Bertoia Side Chairs with Full Seat Covers
By Harry Bertoia
Located in New York, NY
This gorgeous set was acquired from an original owner who bought the set of six chairs in 1968 from Knoll and I have a copy of the receipts. The chairs are covered in the original re...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Steel
Vintage Pair of White Bertoia Side Chairs with Alligator Cushions
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Chicago, IL
Midcentury white powder-coated steel side chairs by Bertoia, with alligator cushions.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Harry Bertoria Chairs metal Knoll 1970 production Model 420
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Harry Bertoria Chairs metal Knoll 1970 production Model 420
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Set of 7 white coated wire chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, 1970s
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
"I began to think in terms of what I would like as a chair. It started very slowly…I came into rod or wire, whether bent of straight. I seemed to find myself at home there”. Produced...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Childs Size Wire Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A staple design from famous designer Harry Bertoia for Knoll. A child’s Size wire side chair. Great for indoor or outdoor use. Your kid will definitely have the coolest chair on the ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
Materials
Metal
Set of Four Chrome Dining Chairs by Bertoia for Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in New York, NY
Set of matching Bertoia side, or dining, chairs in chrome with original white pad seat covers. This nice set is in very fine, original, clean and ready to use condition, the only cav...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Bertoia, Eight White Welded Steel Chairs with Four Red Cushions
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Bloomfield Hills, MI
SALE ONE WEEK ONLY
This set of eight side chairs & four red cushions are as elegant, strong and functional as when they were manufactured. The colors are bright and the cushions are in very good condition. The chairs will add a touch of class to any setting.
Harry Bertoia's career began in the 1930s as a student at Cranbrook Academy of Art where he re-established the metal-working studio and later became head of the department before the school closed during WWII due to wartime restrictions on materials in 1943. During the war, Bertoia moved to California and is credited with developing new techniques for molding plywood with Charles and Ray Eames also from Cranbrook.
Harry Bertoia is one of the many well-known artists and designers who attended The Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, The school & buildings were designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. It is the country’s top ranked, graduate-only program in architecture, design and fine art. Each year, just 75 students are invited to study and live on the landmark Saarinen-designed campus which features: private studios, state-of-the art workshops, the renowned Cranbrook Art Museum and 300 acres of forests, lakes and streams, all a short drive from the city of Detroit. The focus at Cranbrook is on studio practice in one of ten disciplines including Architecture, 2D and 3D Design, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture. The program is anchored by celebrated Artists- and Designers-in-Residence, one for each discipline, all of whom live and practice on campus alongside the graduate students.
Numerous creative artists who are alumni of Cranbrook include: Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski, Duane Hanson, Nick Cave, Hani Rashid, George Nelson, Urban Jupena (Nationally recognized fiber artist), Artis Lane (the first African-American artist to have her sculpture, "Sojourner Truth," commissioned for the Emancipation Hall in the Capital Visitor Center in Washington DC), Cory Puhlman (televised Pastry Chef extraordinaire), Thom O’Connor (Lithographs), Paul Evans (Brutalist-inspired sculpted metal furnishings), Eugene Caples (small bronze images/abstract), Morris Brose (Bronze Sculptures), Herb Babcock (blown glass), Larry Butcher (mixed media), Lauren Anais Hussey (Abstract), Andrea Eis (film, photography), Lilian Swann Saarinen (Sculpture), Douglas Semivan...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Steel
3 Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Wire Side Chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll Int
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Timeless and fabulous design by Harry Bertoia for Knoll International. Set of 3 classic beauties with full leather pads for seats and backs. All labeled and in very good condition wi...
Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
Harry Bertoia Mid-Century Modern Vintage Four White Dining Chairs, 1950s
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Vienna, AT
Bertoia Mid-Century Modern vintage set of 4 dining chair or side chair, which show a white coated metal construction.
This iconic design by Harry Bertoia was designed in the 1950s an...
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Early Children's Side Chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll in White Enamel, Pair
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Stamford, CT
Harry Bertoia, renowned primarily as a sculptor, was approached by Florence Knoll with a simple request: if he discovered an interesting design motif in his artistic process, he shou...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Harry Bertoia Baby Size Child Chairs - a Pair
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage pair of wire child chairs designed by Harry Bertoia for Knoll. This iconic chair was originally issued in three sizes. As the smallest size was never reissued, the miniatures...
Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Early Pair Harry Bertoia Molded Fiberglass Shell Side Chairs for Knoll, Labeled
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Buffalo, NY
Matched Pair molded fiberglass shell side chairs designed by Harry Bertoia and manufactured by Knoll. Originally debuted in 1960, this very early set is from 1966 ,Classic modernist ...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Iron
Mid Century Silver Wire Dining Side Chairs by Bertoia for Knoll
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Detroit, MI
This set of four vintage mid century modern silver wire side dining chairs designed by Harry Bertoia (American, 1915-1978) for Knoll are circa 1970. Originally designed by Bertoia in...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel, Wire
Pair of Bertoia child's chairs by Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Highland, IN
The classic Bertoia wire chair was produced in the standard size for adults, but also in two smaller sizes for children. This pair is the larger of the two kid's sizes. They were often marketed with the Noguchi cyclone side table as a diminutive version of the dinette set to be used as a child's activity table...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of 7 Black and White wire chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, 1970s
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
This rare configuration of the Harry Bertoia side chairs, featuring a white base paired with a black seating structure, deviates from the more common combinations typically seen in t...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
Early Set of Four Harry Bertoia Molded Shell Side Chairs for Knoll, Labeled
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Set of four molded shell side chairs designed by Harry Bertoia and manufactured by Knoll. Originally debuted in 1960, this very early set is from 1963 and...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Metal
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Midcentury Chrome Bar Stools by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
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Mid century classic and iconic Bertoia for Knoll stools in a high chrome finish. Architectural design, clean original condition, ready to use. Very solid and sturdy showing no loss t...
Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
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Harry Bertoia Early and Rare 'Pre-Production' Small Diamond Chair for Knoll
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Early Set of Four Harry Bertoia Molded Shell Side Chairs for Knoll, Labeled
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
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Set of four molded shell side chairs designed by Harry Bertoia and manufactured by Knoll. Originally debuted in 1960, this very early set is from 1963 and...
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Pair of Bertoia child's chairs by Knoll
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Located in Highland, IN
The classic Bertoia wire chair was produced in the standard size for adults, but also in two smaller sizes for children. This pair is the larger of the two kid's sizes. They were often marketed with the Noguchi cyclone side table as a diminutive version of the dinette set to be used as a child's activity table...
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Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Harry Bertoia Mid-Century Modern Vintage Four White Dining Chairs, 1950s
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Vienna, AT
Bertoia Mid-Century Modern vintage set of 4 dining chair or side chair, which show a white coated metal construction.
This iconic design by Harry Bertoia was designed in the 1950s an...
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Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 29.14 in W 20.87 in D 22.84 in
Bertoia Diamond Chairs, White, Set of Two, Welded & Painted Steel
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Bloomfield Hills, MI
SALE ONE WEEK ONLY
Bertoia Diamond Chairs, White, Set of Two, Welded & Painted Steel. They are as elegant, strong and functional as when they were manufactured. The chairs will add a touch of class to any setting.
Harry Bertoia's career began in the 1930s as a student at Cranbrook Academy of Art where he re-established the metal-working studio and later became head of the department before the school closed during WWII due to wartime restrictions on materials in 1943. During the war, Bertoia moved to California and is credited with developing new techniques for molding plywood with Charles and Ray Eames also from Cranbrook.
Harry Bertoia is one of the many well-known artists and designers who attended The Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, The school & buildings were designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. It is the country’s top ranked, graduate-only program in architecture, design and fine art. Each year, just 75 students are invited to study and live on the landmark Saarinen-designed campus which features: private studios, state-of-the art workshops, the renowned Cranbrook Art Museum and 300 acres of forests, lakes and streams, all a short drive from the city of Detroit. The focus at Cranbrook is on studio practice in one of ten disciplines including Architecture, 2D and 3D Design, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture. The program is anchored by celebrated Artists- and Designers-in-Residence, one for each discipline, all of whom live and practice on campus alongside the graduate students.
Numerous creative artists who are alumni of Cranbrook include: Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski, Duane Hanson, Nick Cave, Hani Rashid, George Nelson, Urban Jupena (Nationally recognized fiber artist), Artis Lane (the first African-American artist to have her sculpture, "Sojourner Truth," commissioned for the Emancipation Hall in the Capital Visitor Center in Washington DC), Cory Puhlman (televised Pastry Chef extraordinaire), Thom O’Connor (Lithographs), Paul Evans (Brutalist-inspired sculpted metal furnishings), Eugene Caples (small bronze images/abstract), Morris Brose (Bronze Sculptures), Herb Babcock (blown glass), Larry Butcher (mixed media), Lauren Anais Hussey (Abstract), Andrea Eis (film, photography), Lilian Swann Saarinen (Sculpture), Douglas Semivan...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Pair of Bertoia Chairs in chrome-plated steel by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, 1970s
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Pair of Bertoia Chairs in chrome-plated steel by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, Made in Italy, 1970s.
Pair of Bertoia chairs in chrome-plated steel made in the 1970s by Harry Bertoia for ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
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H 28.75 in W 21.26 in D 22.84 in
BERTOIA Diamond Chair, Model HB_10, Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Neuss, NW
BERTOIA diamond chair, model HB_10, designed in the 1940s by Harry Bertoia for Knoll. Frame made of wire mesh with a new felt cover in red.
Quality Features:
very good workmans...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Knoll Bertoia Wire Bar Counter Stool
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Single Knoll bar stool by Harry Bertoia. Seat pad labeled with tag and printed into the fabric Knoll. Has some loss to vinyl coating, pictured. Very ti...
Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Red Wire Diamond Lounge Patio Chair by Harry Bertoia Knoll
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A classic diamond chair designed by Harry Bertoia and produced by Knoll. This chair features a red factory powder coat. Always used indoors but could be used as a patio chair.
Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
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H 30 in W 34 in D 27 in
Harry Bertoia "Diamond" Lounge Chair for Knoll, USA, 1980s
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Hellouw, NL
A diamond lounge chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll with Kvadrat Fabric from the USA. This chair is probably produced in the 1980s and has a black frame with a fully covered seating ar...
Category
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Pair of Metal Patio Chairs in the Style of Bertoia
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Styled after the iconic Bertoia Diamond chair, this pair of outdoor metal chairs has a unique form that is minimal and interesting. Perfect for an...
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Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Previously Available Items
Set of four Harry Bertoia for Knoll chrome dining chairs with deep red cushions
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Ferndale, MI
Set of four Harry Beroia chrome side or dining chairs . Welded steel rods form the seat supported on 3/8" thick wrought iron frame . Original seat cushions in a deep red are in fine ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
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H 29 in W 20.75 in D 22.75 in
Vintage Mid Century white wire chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll - a pair
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Asheville, NC
Set of two original wire chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll in white. Circa 1960s. Very sturdy dining set.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
BERTOIA Chairs, Model 420, Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Neuss, NW
BERTOIA chair, model 420, designed in the 1940s by Harry Bertoia for Knoll. Frame made of wire mesh with a new felt cover in grey. The offer includes 4 chair...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Bauhaus Chairs
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Bertoia Side Chairs with Seat Pads c.2014-Price per chair
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT
Sold as a set only.
Contact us for more shipping options: S16 Home San Francisco.
Featuring delicate filigreed construction that's supremely strong, the airy seats of the ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Metal
Harry Bertoia side chairs in chrome 1980s
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Den Haag, NL
Iconic Harry Bertoia side chair . Chrome wire chairs .with there slabs ,in
Black limitation leather. Very good condition .
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Vintage 1980s Italian Space Age Side Chairs
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Pair of Mid-Century Modern Wire Side or Dining Chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
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Located in Philadelphia, PA
A classic design by Harry Bertoia for Knoll. It features steel frames with blue suede seat cushion. Manufacturer stamp on frame. Price includes the pair as shown.
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H 29 in W 21 in D 22 in
Harry Bertoia Chrome Side Chair for Knoll, Vintage
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Vintage chrome mesh side chair designed by Harry Bertoia for Knoll. Comes with original beige hopsack seat pad.
Designer: Harry Bertoia
Manufacturer: Knoll
Origin: USA
Year 1960...
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Materials
Metal
Set of 6 Harry Bertoia Design Chairs for Knoll
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Harry Bertoia for Knoll Set of 4 Dining Chairs
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Harry Bertoia Wire Side or Dining Chairs for Knoll, a Pair
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Located in Miami, FL
Pair of red enameled wire side chairs by Harry Bertoia and produced by Forma Brazil for Knoll, 1980s.
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Set of Six Harry Bertoia for Knoll White Dining Chairs
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Ferndale, MI
Set of six white plastic coated dining chairs. Designed by Harry Bertoia and Produced by Knoll international. Set of six in above average condition. One chair retains Knoll label.
I...
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
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Childs Wire and Steel Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A smaller scale chair from Knolls Bertoia collection designed for a child with all the detail and quality of the larger version . White coated upper wire seat attached to a black ben...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel, Wire
More Harry Bertoia Designs
Diamond Chair
Average Price
$1,916
Number Available
32
Diamond Chair
Materials
Metal, Fabric
Styles
Mid Century Modern
To fully understand the design of Harry Bertoia’s (1915–78) 1952 Diamond chair — an austere and photogenic work of woven steel wire, the intricately sculptural wings of which create the illusion of sitting on air — it helps to go back to his college days: In 1937, the Italian-born artist and designer, who emigrated to Detroit at age 15, earned a scholarship to Cranbrook Academy of Art, the illustrious Michigan design school that attracted such luminaries as Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen and C...
Harry Bertoia Side Chair
Average Price
$2,786
Number Available
19
Harry Bertoia Side Chair
Materials
Metal, Steel
Styles
Mid Century Modern
When Hans and Florence Knoll invited Italian-American artist Harry Bertoia (1915–78) to move from California to Pennsylvania in 1950 to work with their new design firm, they did not ask him to develop any specific pieces but instead to investigate whatever interested him. That open-ended experimentation led to the 1952 Bertoia Side chair, which was fitted with a fluid metal lattice that gave the seating an ethereal quality. Bertoia considered his collection of chairs created for Knoll Associa...
Bertoia Bird Chair Ottoman
Average Price
$4,423
Number Available
9
Bertoia Bird Chair Ottoman
Materials
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Styles
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Harry Bertoia Barstool 428c
Average Price
$3,540
Number Available
7
Harry Bertoia Barstool 428c
Materials
Metal, Animal Skin, Fabric, Leather, Steel
Styles
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