Zenith Rope Edge Swivel PAW Armchair by Charles and Ray Eames
View Similar Items
Zenith Rope Edge Swivel PAW Armchair by Charles and Ray Eames
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 30.75 in (78.11 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 21 in (53.34 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU106062454592
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.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- Custom Green Dyed French Armchair with Tropical Palm Tree UpholsteryBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in Houston, TXBeautiful Louis the XV style green dyed French armchair with custom pink tropical upholstery featuring a floral palm tree design.Category
20th Century French Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Fabric
$1,350 Sale Price25% Off - "Tail Feathers" Pink and Black Floral Accent ChairLocated in Houston, TXJoy, laughter, and the unexpected are at the heart of Annie Evelyn’s work. Employing a range of materials and processes (tessellating metal pieces to create soft upholstered seating or embedding fresh cut flowers to add aroma), Evelyn uses furniture...Category
2010s American Side Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$1,537 Sale Price25% Off - Stunning Custom Scandinavian Modern Small Chest by Norm StoekerBy Norm StoekerLocated in Houston, TXStunning custom Scandinavian modern small chest by norm stoeker. The three exposed Egyptian blue drawers are made with master craftsmanship surrounded by ...Category
2010s American Night Stands
MaterialsMaple
$1,650 Sale Price25% Off - Custom Post Modern Brutalist Black and Natural Pyramid Stud SideboardBy Reeves Design + ArtLocated in Houston, TXBrutalist custom designed handmade contemporary sideboard with black studded doors and a grey stained case. The legs are smoothly turned, creating a clean and sleek appearance. One o...Category
2010s American Post-Modern Credenzas
MaterialsOak
$2,880 Sale Price40% Off - Modern Bronze Sculptural Walnut Dining Table with Bronze Leg Signed Oskar KogojBy Oskar KogojLocated in Houston, TXStunning modern bronze sculptural dining table in walnut. It is made by Oskar Kogoj, and the table has aesthetic sculptural detailing on one end. The table leg is made of bronze and ...Category
Vintage 1970s Slovenian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBronze
- Stunning Custom Contemporary Modern Sideboard with Gustav Klimt Style PaintingBy Gustav Klimt, Reeves Design + ArtLocated in Houston, TXStunning custom contemporary modern sideboard with Gustav Klimt Style Painting. This handmade sideboard was custom made in Houston, Texas in collaboration ...Category
2010s American Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBirch
$5,437 Sale Price20% Off
- Early Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller Midcentury Rope Edge ArmchairBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Countryside, ILEarly Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller midcentury rope edge armchair This chair measures: 24.5 wide x 22 deep x 31 inches high, w...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Eames Elephant Hide Gray Zenith Rope Edge ArmchairBy Herman Miller, Zenith, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Brooklyn, NYSet of four early, 1st generation Zenith rope-edge armchairs, designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller. In an uncommon and highly desirable elephant hide...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
$12,000 / set - Impeccable Molded Swiveling Armchair by Charles and Ray EamesBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CAImpeccable molded swiveling armchair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Contractor base model.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Impeccable Molded Swiveling Armchair by Charles and Ray EamesBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Los Angeles, CAImpeccable molded swiveling armchair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Contractor base model.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Eames Seafoam Rope-Edge Zenith ArmchairBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Brooklyn, NY1st generation rope-edge Parchment fiberglass armchair, on original swivel maple base, designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller. Distinct thread texture that varies in sat...Category
Mid-20th Century Swivel Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- Molded Swiveling Chairs by Charles and Ray EamesBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Sagaponack, NYA vibrant group of swiveling armchairs having organically shaped seats with their expressive original red upholstery floating on lacquered stems rising from early four-pronged bases.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
$6,800 / set
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.