Eames PKW Dowel Leg Swivel Bikini Chair for Herman Miller
View Similar Items
Eames PKW Dowel Leg Swivel Bikini Chair for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:Charles and Ray Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1952
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Oklahoma City, OK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU167323595812
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.
- Early Eames LCW with Evans LabelBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Oklahoma City, OKAn early iconic design. The LCW designed by Charles and Ray Eames manufactured by Evans for Herman Miller. This piece is being sold in found condition with original Evans labeling...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Round Side Table by George Nelson for Herman MillerBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Oklahoma City, OKThe George Nelson-designed round pedestal side table for Herman Miller features a timeless and sleek design. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, it boasts a circular table s...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Childs Chair by David Rowland for ThonetBy David Rowland, ThonetLocated in Oklahoma City, OKPresenting a truly rare and exceptional piece of design history - the Child's Softech Chair, designed by the renowned David Rowland for Thonet...Category
Vintage 1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Herman Miller Typewriter Desk Return by George NelsonBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Oklahoma City, OKIntroducing the iconic Herman Miller typewriter desk return, a testament to the visionary design of George Nelson. This exceptional piece seamlessly combin...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsMetal
- Prototype Wood Chair Resembling a Flower StamenLocated in Oklahoma City, OKThe chair is crafted of all wood, its slender legs and back support extending gracefully like the filaments of a stamen. Its backrest, reminiscent of an anther, curves gently to prov...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Barwa Lounge Chair by Edgar BartolucciBy Edgar BartolucciLocated in Oklahoma City, OKBarwa' lounge chair by Edgar Bartolucci for Barwa Associates. Sold with thought to be original sling. (New slings available online in a variety of colors).Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- 1950 Eames PAW Herman Miller Zenith Dowel Leg Chair Rope Edge Lemon YellowBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Hyattsville, MDCharles and Ray Eames paw walnut dowel leg fiberglass swivel armchair for Zenith Plastics / Herman Miller Inc. A 1st generation/production rope edge fiberglass armchair example. Fr...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$2,640 Sale Price20% Off - Eames for Herman Miller DKR Bikini Low ChairBy Herman MillerLocated in New York, NYCharles Eames (American, 1907-1978) for Herman Miller DKR Bikini black wire chairs with low cat's cradle base, with original orange vinyl covering. 2...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Charles & Ray Eames, Herman Miller Set of 4 Dowel Leg DAW Armchairs OrangeBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Philadelphia, PADesigned by Eames, of recent manufacture by Herman Miller, these signed chairs are in like new condition. Each still retaining hang tags, shells are made of white plastic with an off...Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of Three Vintage Swiveling Chairs by Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of 3 Vintage Swiveling chairs by Eames for Herman Miller. One black, one gray and one dark yellow.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of Three Vintage Swiveling Chairs by Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of 3 Vintage Swiveling Chairs by Eames for Herman Miller. One black, one gray and one dark yellow.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pkw-2 Pivoting K-Wire Wood Base Side Chair, Eames Herman Miller, Bikini, SengBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Frankfurt am Main, DEeames‘ chairs are so common and widespread today that you’ve actually seen them far too often. but there are some versions that are a bit more special – making them collector’s items. for example, these ray & charles eames side chairs ‚pkw-2‘, meaning a pivoting, k-wire chair on a wooden base. version 1 would be a fully covered seat, version 2 is the cut-out „bikini“ cover, where you can see the wire mesh construction. this is also known as a ‚bikini swivel wire chair‘. here we have a black and a white one. we understood they were imported from the united states as a pair to Europe – but then sold on to different customers. years ago we bought the white one as the first piece in our eames-1st-generations-collection. by chance or serendipity, we were now able to find and buy the black one also and thus reunite the pair. together they make impressive and scarce art objects to grace any collection of early midcentury design. interestingly the dowel-leg-version was discontinued after 1954: the open ball-bearing connection and the elegant thin wooden legs weren’t very practical. weight and power, when swivelling, sometimes resulted in cracks or breakage. (that’s why we wouldn’t recommend them to use as a kitchen chair, maybe.) they are functional, showing a wonderful patina and are great pieces to admire and to understand the thinking behind the design. set of 2 side chair, model pkw-2, swivel dowel-base 1 white powder coated wire-shell, cognac-coloured leather bikini...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
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.