Charles and Ray Eames Plywood Elephant in Cherry wood by Vitra
View Similar Items
Charles and Ray Eames Plywood Elephant in Cherry wood by Vitra
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)Width: 13.78 in (35 cm)Depth: 31.11 in (79 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2018
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1710216853722
Eames Elephant
At just over 16 inches tall, the stackable, climbable — at least for little ones — Eames Elephant is another work from Charles and Ray Eames (1907–78; 1912–88) that symbolized their democratic belief that good designs should be inexpensive and available to everyone. After all, the couple liked to say they aimed “to make the best for the most for the least."
When the Eameses took to improving upon the problematic metal splints employed during World War II, plywood was cheap but available only in sheets. In their California apartment, the newly married Cranbrook Academy of Art alumni devised the "Kazam! Machine," an innovative homemade apparatus for heat-bonding layers of plywood.
Comprising wood veneers bonded together with a resin glue, the lightweight but sturdy, molded plywood splints conformed to the human leg and offered support in a way that metal couldn’t. The Eameses applied this inexpensive approach to their furniture-making as well as to the less-heralded toys they designed. “Toys and games are the prelude to serious ideas,” said Charles.
The sculptural, two-piece plywood Eames Elephant exemplified the Eameses’ diverse influences and enterprising ethos. The pair believed in making durable and interesting products for kids, too — a mid-1940s contract with Evans Products Company yielded seating and tables for children, a precursor to their popular plywood furniture for adults. While their Elephant was whimsical and would have appealed to any child’s innate curiosity, it was difficult to make. Technical challenges in 1945 prevented mass production of the piece, but today, both Vitra and Herman Miller manufacture the Eames Elephant.
Charles Eames
The legacy of Charles Eames looms large in design. In partnership with his wife, Ray, Charles was at the forefront of pioneering innovation in the use of molded plywood for furniture making. The Eameses’ cheerful and inviting work has endured among the most important advancements in the history of 20th-century design.
Together, visionary mid-century modern duo Charles and Ray Eames introduced a wide range of renowned furniture to the postwar market, including iconic designs such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, the wildly colorful birch plywood-and-plastic-laminate Eames storage unit, the Eames compact sofa and more. The designers were trailblazers in molded plywood furniture and brought lively organic form to metal and plastic.
Charles Eames studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. He traveled to Mexico and Europe, and experienced firsthand the work of designer-architects Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1930, upon returning to Missouri, Eames opened an architecture practice with Charles M. Gray but later moved to Michigan in 1938. He received a fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art, which would become a breeding ground for the stars of mid-century design. Eames continued his architecture studies at Cranbrook and also taught in the design department.
In 1940, Eames met his future wife, artist and designer Beatrice Alexandra "Ray" Kaiser, who was studying at Cranbrook under Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. Charles teamed up with another Cranbrook instructor, Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen, to explore the possibilities of plywood for use in furniture design.
With support from Ray, Charles and Eero created chairs and case pieces and submitted them to the “Organic Design in Home Furnishings” competition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City — among them was the groundbreaking organic Side chair made of molded plywood with maple legs. It was upholstered by Heywood-Wakefield. This exhibition is considered critical by many to the popularization of what is known as mid-century modernism. Eames and Saarinen won first place for their submissions to the competition.
Charles and Ray were married in 1941 and soon after moved to Los Angeles, California, and lived in an apartment building designed by architect Richard Neutra. Charles worked on set design at MGM, and at night, in a humble workshop they established in the guest bedroom, he and Ray experimented with molded plywood on a homemade device they called the “Kazaam!” machine. In 1942, the couple won a U.S. Navy contract to create molded plywood leg splints that would be used to support wartime medical efforts. Soon, the Evans Product Company was making the splints and the Eameses opened the famed Eames Office and studio.
The Eameses’ innovative use of wire framing, molded plywood and applied fabrics caught the attention of many notable figures in interior design and architecture, including George Nelson, director of design at Herman Miller, a now-legendary modern furniture manufacturer. The company enlisted the Eameses’ talents and was eventually home to the couple’s classic pieces such as the Eames DCW chair and the DCM chair.
Find an extensive array of vintage Charles Eames seating, tables and case pieces on 1stDibs.
- Charles & Ray Eames EA117 Office Chair in Aubergine Leather and Aluminum, VitraBy Charles Eames, Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLIconic office chair EA117 belonging to the famous Aluminum Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US - EA334 Management Chair) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfort is...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsChrome, Aluminum
- Charles & Ray Eames EA219 Office Chair in Chrome and Aubergine leather, VitraBy Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLBeautiful office chair EA219 belonging to the iconic Aluminium Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfort is guaranteed with the ...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- Charles & Ray Eames EA222 Lounge Chair and EA223 Ottoman in Plume Leather, VitraBy Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLBeautiful lounge chair EA222 and matching ottoman EA223 belong to the famous Aluminum Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US) / Vitra (EU)...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- Charles & Ray Eames EA217 Office Chair in Chrome and Black leather, VitraBy Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLBeautiful office chair EA217 belonging to the iconic Aluminium Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfort is guaranteed with the ...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- Charles & Ray Eames EA217 Office Chair in Chocolate Brown Leather, VitraBy Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLBeautiful new office chair EA217 belonging to the iconic Aluminium Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfo...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Charles & Ray Eames EA208 Dining or Conference Chair in Black leather, VitraBy Vitra, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Amsterdam, NLBeautiful dining or conference chair EA208 belonging to the iconic Aluminium Series designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller (US) / Vitra (EU). Exceptional comfort is guaran...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- Charles and Ray Eames Molded Plywood Leg Splint for Evans in Original WrapperBy Charles and Ray Eames, Evans Products CompanyLocated in Chicago, ILThese leg splints were designed by Charles and Ray Eames and produced for the United States Navy by the Evans Products Company, molded plywood division. They're still in their origin...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Scientific Instruments
MaterialsPlywood
- Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller Plywood Folding Screen Ash Veneer 1950sBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Cathedral City, CAThis is an iconic piece of American design history, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1946, for Herman Miller. This example is one of the earlier versions produced between 1946-1955. The veneer is a warm ash. The connecting fabric is a cotton canvas and allows for the screen to bend in a multitude of ways producing a screen in a variant of formations and also allows the screen to fold nearly flat for storage or shipping. A true classic! We have included several detail photos so you can get a true picture of condition, As is common with these older screens...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsAsh, Plywood, Canvas
- Mario Dal Fabbro Child's Chair in PlywoodBy Mario Dal FabbroLocated in New York, NYChild's chair in Douglas Fir plywood based on a design by sculptor, craftsman, author and designer Mario Dal Fabbro and published in his 1963 book "How to Make Children's Furniture and Play Equipment...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Midcentury Beech Plywood Wood Children Rocking Toy Chair, Italy 1970sBy Peppe de GiuliLocated in Roma, ITAmazing midcentury plywood and beech wood children rocking toy chair for children. Peppe de Giuli probably designed this fantastic piece during the 1970s in ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
MaterialsWood, Plywood
- Charles and Ray Eames FSW 8 Panel ScreenBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA Birch Plywood and canvas screen Early production Original finish.Category
Vintage 1940s American Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsBirch
- Half-Size FSW-6 Screen by Charles and Ray EamesBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in New York, NYHalf-size FSW-6 screen in ash plywood and canvas. Designed by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller, Zeeland, MI, circa 1948. Unmarked.Category
Mid-20th Century German Modern Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsCanvas, Plywood
Price Upon Request
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.