Mole Lounge Armchair, by Sergio Rodrigues in White Leather and Rosewood
View Similar Items
Mole Lounge Armchair, by Sergio Rodrigues in White Leather and Rosewood
About the Item
- Creator:Sergio Rodrigues (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 39.38 in (100 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Refinished. Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4912228145582
Sergio Rodrigues
The prolific architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues is often called the "father of modern Brazilian design," but it is the second adjective in that phrase that deserves emphasis: Rodrigues’s great achievement was to create furniture in a style that captured the spirit, character and personality of his country.
Modernity came slowly to 20th-century Brazil, politically and culturally. The nation finally realized genuine constitutional democracy in 1945, ushering in a new, progressive era in the arts. Until that time, heavy furniture based on historical European models had been the norm. In the late 1940s, designer Joaquim Tenreiro introduced sleek, minimalist chairs and cabinets; José Zanine Caldas, now best known for his later artisanal work, created plywood furnishings for mass-production; the Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi, a former editor for the Gio Ponti-founded magazine Domus, set up shop in São Paulo, designing elegant, flexible chairs set on slim metal frames.
This was the heady scene into which Rodrigues, the son of an artistically prominent Rio de Janeiro family, arrived after graduating in 1952 from the national university. He established Oca Industries in 1955, a company that would become the preeminent maker of modernist furniture in Brazil. When architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer were tasked in 1956 with the whirlwind project to plan, design and build the new capital, Brasília, in five years, they used Rodrigues’s early chairs, with their softly-contoured lines and caned seats and backrests, to furnish many of the buildings.
Rodrigues would realize the true expression of his talents in — and garner international awards and acclaim with — his Mole chair of 1957. The word mole means "soft" in Portuguese, but can be interpreted as "easygoing" or even "listless." Rodrigues's chair features a sturdy, generously proportioned frame of the native South American hardwood jacaranda, upholstered with overstuffed leather pads that flap like saddlebags across the arms, seat, and backrest. It is a chair that invites sprawling — perfect for the social milieu of the bossa nova and caipirinha cocktails; where a languorous afternoon spent chatting and joking is the apex of enjoyment.
Most of the estimated 1,200 armchairs, sofas, tables, storage cabinets and dining tables Rodrigues designed in his long career are imbued, in one way or another, with this air of robust relaxation. Sergio Rodrigues was a designer true to the temperament of his people.
- Mole Ottoman, Sergio Rodrigues, Rosewood and Grey LeatherBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Houston, TXThe design originated with a 1957 commission for the photographer Otto Stupakoff, who asked Rodrigues for a "spread-out" sofa for his studio. The design sat in Rodrigues’ company Oca...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Mole Ottoman, Sergio Rodrigues, Rosewood and Leather 50'By Sergio RodriguesLocated in Houston, TXThe design originated with a 1957 commission for the photographer Otto Stupakoff, who asked Rodrigues for a "spread-out" sofa for his studio. The design sat in Rodrigues’ company Oca...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Mole Armchair with Ottoman by Sergio Rodrigues, Mid-Century Modern-Vintage 1957By Sergio RodriguesLocated in Houston, TXPresently accessible for acquisition, this exquisite Mid-Century Modern masterpiece, the "Mole" armchair accompanied by a stool, fashioned from a harmonious blend of hardwood and bro...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood
$17,200 Sale Price20% Off - Mole Armchair with Ottoman by Sergio Rodrigues, Mid-Century Modern-Vintage 1957By Sergio RodriguesLocated in Houston, TXPresently accessible for acquisition, this exquisite Mid-Century Modern masterpiece, the "Mole" armchair accompanied by a stool, fashioned from a harmonious blend of hardwood and lig...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood
$17,200 Sale Price20% Off - Mole Ottoman - Sergio Rodrigues, Rosewood and Brown Leather 50'By Sergio RodriguesLocated in Houston, TXThe design originated with a 1957 commission for the photographer Otto Stupakoff, who asked Rodrigues for a "spread-out" sofa for his studio. The design sat in Rodrigues’ company Oca...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Footstools
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Drummond Armchairs by Sergio Rodrigues OCA, Mid-Century Modern, White BoucléBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Houston, TXBehold the illustrious Drumond Armchair, a distinguished creation birthed in 1950 under the skilled hands of Oca, a venerable atelier situated in the heart of Brazil. Reverberating w...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBouclé, Hardwood
- "Vronka" Rosewood Midcentury Armchair by Brazilian Designer Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned in 1962 by Sergio Rodrigues, the “Vronka” armchair was made of solid Rosewood structure and a floating, comfortable cushion. Like many designers of Rodrigues's generation, he dreams of commercializing well-designed furniture produced in series. In 1962 “Meia-Pataca” factory-cum-store was launch. The idea was to expand distribution and reduce production costs. The industrial thought is visible on the structural solution, applying juxtaposed wooden pieces of a square or rectangular section and straight corners. Other pieces like the “Franco” sofa, the “Tonico” armchair...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- "Kilin" Single Armchair by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1973 and produced by Oca, the Kilin armchair is composed of two sides and two crosspieces, with the back and...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
$7,500 / item - Vintage Pair of Moleca Rosewood Armchairs by Sergio Rodrigues, 1962, BrazilBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYThroughout Sergio Rodrigues' career, many of his pieces underwent adjustment, adapted to new material resources and production conditions, or even reinvented. The Moleca armchair...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Lia Armchair Design by Sergio Rodrigues, Rosewood, Mid-Century Modern, Oca 1960sBy Oca, Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYOriginal Condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsGlass, Wood, Imbuia
- “Moleca” Lounge Chair with Stool in Hardwood & Leather, Sergio Rodrigues, BrazilBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today, this Mid-Century Modern “Moleca” Armchair with Stool in Hardwood & Leather by Sergio Rodrigues designed in 1959 is absolutely gorgeous! The "Moleca'' lounge chair...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood, Wood
$26,000Free Shipping - "Kilin" Brazilian Midcentury Armchair by Sergio Rodrigues, 1973By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1973 and produced by Oca, the Kilin armchair is composed of two sides and two crosspieces, with the back and seat made from a unique piece...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood