Pair of Midcentury Brazilian wood Percival Lafer Leather Armchairs, 1975

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Pair of Midcentury Brazilian Armchairs by Percival Lafer, 1970s

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Pair of Midcentury Brazilian wood Percival Lafer Leather Armchairs, 1975

About the Item

Wimbledon-Furniture We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning pair of Brazilian wood 1975 Percavil Lafer S1 Jacaranda brown leather sling armchairs Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, for an accurate quote please send me your postcode Please note the delivery fee is just a guide, for an accurate cost please send me your postcode and I’ll price delivery up for you If you do some research you will see this piece being credited as early as 1958 which is when Lafer was in college however I’ve found as you will see above one of the original advertising pictures quoted as 1975 Both are in stunning vintage condition throughout, the arms are one are slightly more worn than the other chair and one of the back straps has been reinforced, otherwise they are very tidy indeed. Not to be overlooked and rarely commented on I simply have to be honest, these are pretty much the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat on and if you have a look at my other items for sale you’ll see that’s no small feat. For all intensive purposes you are basically sitting in a hammock or sling and we all know how comfortable they are, on top of which sits a very soft period foam cushion. The Brazilian wood frame has a lovely understated patina, now classed as an endangered species Brazilan wood is hard wearing, pleasing on the eye and light weight considering its strength Below is an interesting article I found on the great man along with some pictures and details of his works, you can see he is an amazing talent and if you do a little research on 1stdibs you’ll see his pieces retailing for upto £7500 each for the early rare stuff, chairs like this are hard to price as they are so rare and almost never ever come up for sale, I have priced them low considering, these are a great investment piece for the future and will be a real winner in 5-10 years time Dimensions Height:- 72cm Width:- 79.5cm Depth:- 87.5cm This Brazilian Modernist You Should Know About Designed Countless Classic Chairs2 Despite a rise to prominence in the 1970s, pioneering designer Percival Lafer has remained a best-kept secret for collectors of midcentury Brazilian furniture Mention modern Brazilian furniture and names like Sergio Rodrigues, Joaquim Tenreiro, and Jorge Zalszupin come to mind. Yet the most prolific Brazilian furniture designer from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s is arguably Percival Lafer, comparatively unknown in the USA despite the examples of his work for sale today on 1stdibs and eBay. Lafer credits the availability of his work here to the 35 Brazil Contempo stores that existed stateside from 1970 to 1985. When he began making furniture in 1961, his vision was to "bring good design to everyone, not just the intellectual elite" with modern, well-made pieces that were mass-produced and affordable. That he did, with "an incomparable product for the price," says Joanne Podell, cofounder of the now-defunct retailer. "Percival’s furniture not only captured the modern aesthetic of the moment, but was exquisitely crafted using gorgeous, solid hardwoods that were novel to U.S. consumers." With burnished leather upholstery and meticulous finishing details, Lafer’s pieces were also big sellers in Western Europe and Scandinavia. Ironically, Lafer never intended to be a furniture-maker. In 1960, as a senior at the prestigious Mackenzie Presbyterian University College of Architecture in São Paulo, he’d already admired Tenreiro, Zalszupin, and the then-emerging Rodrigues, all renowned for embracing Brazil’s nascent design ethos of the midcentury. But like 2006 Pritzker Prize winner Paulo Mendes da Rocha, who graduated from Mackenzie in 1954 and began making waves with his innovative concrete buildings by the early 1960s, Lafer planned to practice architecture—until his father, a furniture dealer, died right before his graduation. While mourning, "my brothers and I decided to all work together to insure the continuity of the company," says Lafer. "But I didn’t want to do retail, and our lines were traditional." He found solace in the store’s small custom upholstery workroom, where his tinkering yielded the streamlined MP-001 armchair, produced in 1961. A T-shaped steel base covered with thin pieces of solid rosewood, it had an upholstered seat crafted out of layers of foam instead of springs. "I made it in a modern way," explains Lafer, noting that the blend of steel and wood in his designs was informed by the analogous structures of architects Oscar Niemeyer and Mendes da Rocha, whose work posed "a real departure from traditional methods." In short order, the chair was a huge hit and Lafer built his first bona fide factory. Around that time, Rodrigues, eight years Lafer’s senior, introduced his now-iconic Mole chair, which Lafer notes "influenced not only me, but a whole generation." Rodrigues paid Lafer a visit in the late ’60s, after his MP-041 collection took off. Though he was initially wary of the seeming similarities of their work, recalls Lafer, "He recognized they were true originals that only helped to expand the market for this kind of ‘Brazilian look.’ We developed a relationship of great respect for each other." By 1974, Lafer had produced a prolific and diverse range of work, including the now-vintage MP Lafer sports car, kiosks, telephone booths, and fiberglass architectural components. In 1985, when shipping costs increased exponentially, Brazil Contempo stores came to an abrupt halt in the States. By then, Lafer was immersed in making ergonomically correct recliners, which he continues to produce today for the home and healthcare markets. "I’ve always been drawn to the motion features of furniture," he says. "The engineering and design work that goes into its mechanisms is fascinating and fulfilling." Though chairs are once again his present mainstay, he still doesn’t necessarily consider himself a furniture designer: "I love to make physical objects, and I’m constantly thinking about all the ways I can improve them.” Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask This item is available for collection from our Wimbledon warehouses SW19-3BE, we can have it delivered nationwide to include Scotland Wales and Ireland. Please contact me via email or my contact information is under the business seller section of the listing with your postcode for a delivery quotation. Please be sure to include which item you would like to buy as the price is determined on size and distance, if you would like more than one piece of furniture we offer a substantial discount on the second and third item, for international shipping please view the below information CONDITION Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description around condition Please also ask any questions before you bid and not after, all of our items are sold as seen and as listed Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of cracking creasing and wear, we recommend regular waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade

Creator:
Percival Lafer (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 31.3 in (79.5 cm)Depth: 34.45 in (87.5 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Hardwood,Leather,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
Brazil
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1975
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
Seller Location:
GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU282338528903

Shop All Percival Lafer

Percival Lafer

When it comes to mid-century furniture, the innovative work of the Brazilian Modernists has often been overlooked, including the designs of prolific maker Percival Lafer. Lafer studied architecture at São Paulo’s Universidade Mackenzie. After he graduated, his father passed away suddenly, leaving a furniture business that Lafer took over with his brothers.

Taking up the mantle, Lafer made the jump from architecture to furniture design in 1961, putting a focus on thoughtfully designed pieces available at affordable prices. That year, Lafer introduced his supremely popular MP-1 chair, a plush piece of furniture made with iron and wood that he has riffed on throughout his entire career.

The silhouettes of Lafer lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating were distinct from streamlined American and European mid-century modernism, taking on casual, puffed forms thanks to his use of polyurethane layers as padding. He combined such contemporary industrial materials with local natural ones, namely Brazilian hardwoods, which delighted customers around the world as Lafer became one of the country’s leading exporters of furniture.

Lafer has continued to design furniture throughout his career, branching into sofas, tables and lighting. He was at the forefront of mechanical furniture movements, debuting the MP-7 sofa, which could turn into a twin bed, in 1965, the first such piece on the market. One of his most intriguing projects was the MP Lafer, a two-seat fiberglass roadster designed to emulate British sports cars. Some 4,300 units were produced over its 16-year manufacturing run in the ’70s and ’80s, with several ending up in the collections of major car museums.

Still, Lafer’s biggest claim to fame is his seating, which he continues to design, drawing inspiration from modern shapes and local materials. In 2017, a retrospective of his work was organized as part of the São Paulo Design Weekend.

Find vintage Percival Lafer furniture for sale on 1stDibs.