"Box Chair" by Pierre Jeanneret, circa 1960

About the Item

Authentic Chandigarh 'Box' chair in teak, circa 1960. PJ-SI-54-A. Made in richly coloured teak, lightly restored and re-caned to retain as much of the chair’s original patina as possible. Old knocks, marks and splits have been secured and maintained to keep the authentic character of these chairs, used for half a century in the Punjab university. One of three available, each with its own distinct markings. Pierre Jeanneret (22 March 1896 - 4 December 1967) was a Swiss architect who collaborated with his cousin, Le Corbusier, designing furniture for Le Corbusier's vast modernist complex at Chandigarh. Jeanneret remained for over 15 years as the project’s chief architect and the city remains a masterpiece of the modern vision. The pair pioneered a new aesthetic that placed function and order over embellishment—Jeanneret’s work imbuing the strict geometry of modernism with lighter materials like cane and wood. Jeanneret also collaborated with other modern masters, Charlotte Perriand on experiments in aluminium and wood, and Jean Prouve developing prefabricated housing. Literature: Catalogue Raisonné du Mobilier: Jeanneret Chandigarh, 2019. Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, The Indian Adventure, Touchaleaume, Moreau, p. 563. Certificate of authenticity and pre-restoration images supplied with order.

Creator:
Pierre Jeanneret (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 30.71 in (78 cm)Width: 16.15 in (41 cm)Depth: 18.12 in (46 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Cane,Teak
Place of Origin:
India
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1960
Condition:
Rewoven. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: OSK-014-31stDibs: LU7644233092332

Shop All Pierre Jeanneret

Pierre Jeanneret

If his famed cousin and longtime colleague Charles-Édouard Jeanneret — better known as Le Corbusier — was the visionary, then Pierre Jeanneret was the member of the architecture and design team who got things done. In recent years, Jeanneret has emerged from Le Corbusier’s shadow, as collectors have discovered his simple and striking chairs, benches, coffee tables and other furniture creations.

Jeanneret studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva and after he graduated in 1921 he became a partner in Le Corbusier’s office in Paris. The pair collaborated on numerous residential projects, most notably the Villa Savoye, the iconic modernist house in suburban Paris completed in 1931.

Jeanneret also worked with the great Charlotte Perriand on the Grand Modele line of tubular metal furnishings that was a sensation at the annual Salon d’Automne design expo in 1929. A rift developed between Jeanneret and his cousin during World War II, as the former joined the French resistance, while Le Corbusier cooperated with the occupying authorities in Vichy. The two did not work together again until 1950, when Le Corbusier persuaded Jeanneret to help execute the master plan for the new city of Chandigarh in Punjab, India. Jeanneret lived and worked there until the final years of his life.

A hallmark of Jeanneret’s furniture designs is his great sensitivity to materials. In contrast to the tubular-steel chairs produced by Marcel Breuer and other members of the Bauhaus, the chromed metal pieces designed by Jeanneret and Perriand — including such as the now-classic LC4 chaise longue and the Grand Confort lounge chair — have a sensuous, relaxed and welcoming look. Conversely, while Jeanneret uses essentially geometric forms for his wooden seating pieces, they exude warmth by nature of the material.

One of Jeanneret’s first manufactured designs in wood is the Model 92 Scissors chair, licensed by Hans and Florence Knoll when they were touring postwar France. But Jeanneret’s finest work in furniture was done in Chandigarh, and these are the pieces that have earned him recent renown.

Crafted of teak, the Chandigarh designs range from low-slung lounge chairs and armchairs with cane seats to desks and tables, most with Jeanneret’s signature drafting compass-shaped legs. Many such pieces on the market today are refurbished, having been found by dealers languishing in scrapyards in India in the late 1990s. Chandigarh is now taking better care of its modernist heritage, making available Jeanneret works all the rarer.

Find authentic vintage Pierre Jeanneret chairs, case pieces, tables and other furniture today on 1stDibs.