Eames Zenith Shell Armchair
View Similar Items
Eames Zenith Shell Armchair
About the Item
- Creator:Charles and Ray Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Depth: 31.25 in (79.38 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. vintage condition, free of chips, some age related wear to fiberglass.
- Seller Location:St. Louis, MO
- Reference Number:Seller: s17831stDibs: U1111218202930
Charles and Ray Eames
Charles Eames and Ray Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century.
As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, the Eameses were a visionary and effective force for the notion that design should be an agent of positive change. They are the happy, ever-curious, ever-adventurous faces of modernism.
Charles (1907–78) studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser, 1912–88) was an artist, who studied under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (the legendary institution where Charles also met his frequent collaborator Eero Saarinen and the artist and designer Harry Bertoia) and married the next year.
His technical skills and her artistic flair were wonderfully complementary. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941, where Charles worked on set design for MGM. In the evenings at their apartment, they experimented with molded plywood using a handmade heat-and-pressurization device they called the “Kazam!” machine. The next year, they won a contract from the U.S. Navy for lightweight plywood leg splints for wounded servicemen — they are coveted collectibles today; more so those that Ray used to make sculptures.
The Navy contract allowed Charles to open a professional studio, and the attention-grabbing plywood furniture the firm produced prompted George Nelson, the director of design of the furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., to enlist Charles and (by association, if not by contract) Ray in 1946. Some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel.
The Eameses eagerly embraced new technology and materials, and one of their peculiar talents was to imbue their supremely modern design with references to folk traditions. Their Wire chair group of the 1950s, for example, was inspired by basket weaving techniques. The populist notion of “good design for all” drove their molded fiberglass chair series that same decade, and also produced the organic-form, ever-delightful La Chaise. In 1956 the Eames lounge chair and ottoman appeared — the supremely comfortable plywood-base-and-leather-upholstery creation that will likely live in homes as long as there are people with good taste and sense.
Charles Eames once said, “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” For very good collectors and thoughtful interior designers, a piece of design by the Eameses, the closer produced to original conception the better, is almost de rigueur — for its beauty and comfort, and not least as a tribute to the creative legacy and enduring influence of Charles and Ray Eames.
The collection of original Eames furniture on 1stDibs includes chairs, tables, case pieces and other items.
- Charles Eames for Herman Miller Low DAX Shell ArmchairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in St. Louis, MOCharles and Ray Eames second generation Zenith shell armchair, black enameled metal legs in X-pattern, large shock mounts, pale yellow fibergla...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Elegant Erwin Lambeth Tall Back ArmchairBy Erwin-LambethLocated in St. Louis, MOTufted back and seat tall back chair with ebony saber legs, label. Measures: Arm height 25", seat height 18".Category
Vintage 1960s American Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Jacob Kjaer United Nations FN ArmchairBy Jacob KjaerLocated in St. Louis, MOHard to find Jacob Kjaer United Nations "FN" chair with original finish and leather. Originally designed in 1948 for the UN headquarters, New York. Original leather, does show age an...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBeech
- Swaim Modern Neoclassical Form Desk or ArmchairBy SwaimLocated in St. Louis, MO1980s Swaim contemporary neoclassical style X-back chair. Can be used as a desk or occasional chair. Constructed of lacquered steel and brass with new green leather cushion. Excellen...Category
Vintage 1980s American Neoclassical Armchairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Pair of Dramatic 1940s High Back ArmchairsLocated in St. Louis, MOPair of Hollywood Regency Grosfeld House style vintage high back armchairs reupholstered in shangtung ivory fabric, dark brown finish on leg...Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Set of Eight Edward Wormley for Dunbar Dining ArmchairsBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in St. Louis, MOEdward Wormley for Dunbar Model number 842, set of eight armchairs in mahogany with red velvet seats. All original, minor touch up prior to shipping. These chairs were used around a ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany
- Vintage Eames / Zenith PAW Swivel Base Armchair, 1940sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Renens, CHFirst generation Eames rope-edge swivel base armchair. Manufactured only for a very short period in the late 1940s by Zenith. This chair is a true collector’s item with less than ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFiberglass, Wood
- Set of Four Eames Zenith Dar Armchairs by Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Highland, INThe earliest fiberglass Eames chairs were produced by Zenith Plastics and came in a limited palate of five colors including lemon yellow. The Zenith produced shells are distinctive f...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Eames Herman Miller LAX Fiberglass Arm Shell Chair X Base Zenith Rope EdgeBy Charles and Ray Eames, Zenith, Herman MillerLocated in Topeka, KSAwesome example of the Charles and Ray Eames LAX molded fiberglass arm shell chair for Herman Miller in one of the original colors, lemon yellow. This is an early chair made by Zenit...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
$2,796 Sale Price20% Off - Early Zenith Parchment DAX Fiberglass Shell Armchair for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Zenith, Herman MillerLocated in San Jose, CAIconic design (DAX) dining armchair x-base by Ray and Charles Eames, circa early 1950's. This second generation parchment colored armchair retains a high gloss finish supported by th...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Charles and Ray Eames "DAR" Armchair by Zenith for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, ZenithLocated in Highland, INThe earliest fiberglass Eames chairs were produced by Zenith Plastics and came in a limited palate of five colors including parchment. The Zenith produced shells are distinctive for ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Early Rope-Edge Fiberglass Armchair by Charles Eames for Zenith/Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Dorchester, MADesigned by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured between 1951 and 1952 by Zenith Plastics for Herman Miller, this is an early example of their classic fiberglass shell chair with a...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
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.