Brazilian Modern "Tião" Dining Chairs in Hardwood, Sergio Rodrigues, 1959
About the Item
- Creator:Sergio Rodrigues (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.1 in (79 cm)Width: 17.3 in (43.95 cm)Depth: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1959
- Condition:Refinished. Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Wood has been polished and the upholstery is new.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Sergio Rodrigues
The prolific architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues is often called the "father of modern Brazilian design," but it is the second adjective in that phrase that deserves emphasis: Rodrigues’s great achievement was to create furniture in a style that captured the spirit, character and personality of his country.
Modernity came slowly to 20th-century Brazil, politically and culturally. The nation finally realized genuine constitutional democracy in 1945, ushering in a new, progressive era in the arts. Until that time, heavy furniture based on historical European models had been the norm. In the late 1940s, designer Joaquim Tenreiro introduced sleek, minimalist chairs and cabinets; José Zanine Caldas, now best known for his later artisanal work, created plywood furnishings for mass-production; the Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi, a former editor for the Gio Ponti-founded magazine Domus, set up shop in São Paulo, designing elegant, flexible chairs set on slim metal frames.
This was the heady scene into which Rodrigues, the son of an artistically prominent Rio de Janeiro family, arrived after graduating in 1952 from the national university. He established Oca Industries in 1955, a company that would become the preeminent maker of modernist furniture in Brazil. When architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer were tasked in 1956 with the whirlwind project to plan, design and build the new capital, Brasília, in five years, they used Rodrigues’s early chairs, with their softly-contoured lines and caned seats and backrests, to furnish many of the buildings.
Rodrigues would realize the true expression of his talents in — and garner international awards and acclaim with — his Mole chair of 1957. The word mole means "soft" in Portuguese, but can be interpreted as "easygoing" or even "listless." Rodrigues's chair features a sturdy, generously proportioned frame of the native South American hardwood jacaranda, upholstered with overstuffed leather pads that flap like saddlebags across the arms, seat, and backrest. It is a chair that invites sprawling — perfect for the social milieu of the bossa nova and caipirinha cocktails; where a languorous afternoon spent chatting and joking is the apex of enjoyment.
Most of the estimated 1,200 armchairs, sofas, tables, storage cabinets and dining tables Rodrigues designed in his long career are imbued, in one way or another, with this air of robust relaxation. Sergio Rodrigues was a designer true to the temperament of his people.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Brazilian Modern Dining or Conference Table in Hardwood, Metal, Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today, this Brazilian Modern Dining or Conference Table in Hardwood and Metal by Sergio Rodrigues is THE find of the year! This large dining/ conference room table (can fi...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Brazilian Modern Bar Cart in Hardwood by Sergio Rodrigues, 1962, BrazilBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today, this midcentury bar cart made in solid hardwood is stunning! The bar cart is composed of one big door, two shelves with a bottle holder and four (original) wheels th...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsSteel
- Mid-Century Modern Dining Table in Hardwood by Sergio Rodrigues, 1960, BrazilBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today, this Brazilian Modern Mid-Century Modern dining table entirely made in Hardwood by Sergio Rodrigues, 1960s is not only extremely rare but spectacular! The name of this model is “Alex” and is made entirely in Brazilian Rosewood & Rosewood veneer featuring a wood structure with “X” shape and a tabletop also in rosewood. The table has been refinished and the tabletop has been beautifully foliated with old rosewood veneer too. The table is showcased in our gallery next to four delicate Giuseppe Scapinelli dining chairs also in Rosewood contrasting nicely and highlighting the jacaranda in a beautiful way. This midcentury gem would look great in any Mid-Century Modern, or postmodern type environment and the iconic design and Size will make this desk an absolute must in everyone’s Mid-Modern Century collection. For the history buffs here, it goes…Sergio Rodrigues started working in the 1950s when the foundations of modern Brazilian architecture were already laid out, yet furniture design was still nascent. Rodrigues set himself the task of designing furniture that was both truly Brazilian and modernist at the same time. Over the course of his career, he accomplished this task by defining a robust, modern, and pure language reflected in his work. Literature: Copy of Oca’s manufacture manual showcasing the actual Alex model Sergio Rodrigues book...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsHardwood
- “Cuiaba” Set of of 4 Chairs in Hardwood and Fabric by Sergio Rodrigues, 1970’sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today in NYC with FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING included, this “Cuiaba” Set of of 4 Chairs in Hardwood and Fabric by Sergio Rodrigues, 1970’s is nothing less than the find of the ...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
- Brazilian Modern Sofa in Pink Linen & Hardwood, Sergio Rodrigues, 1960By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today, this Mid-Century Modern three seat sofa is made of a solid hardwood frame with linen upholstery in salmon. The base is made of Brazilian Rosewood, known as Jacaranda...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsHardwood
- Brazilian Modern “Arimelo” Side Tables in Hardwood, Sergio Rodrigues, 1958By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYAvailable today in NYC with free shipping included, these SUPER rare Brazilian Modern “Arimelo” Side Tables in Hardwood, Sergio Rodrigues, 1958 are nothing less than the find of the ...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsHardwood
- Sergio Rodrigues for Oca Jacaranda & Leather Cantu Chairs, c 1959 Brazil, SignedBy Sergio Rodrigues, OCA BrazilLocated in Los Angeles, CAAn important set of six (6) Jacaranda Rosewood 'Cantu' dining chairs by Sergio Rodrigues for Oca Arquitetura e Interiores in original leather, signed with labels and Brazilian tax st...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsGranite
- Sergio Rodrigues Six Dining Chairs in Wood and Tan Cowhide, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYSergio Rodrigues (1927–2014) A striking set of six modernist dining chairs by Carioca design pioneer Sérgio Rodrigues, in hardwood upholstered in unshaved caramel-colored cowhide. T...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsCowhide, Hardwood
- Rare Sergio Rodrigues Cantu Dining ChairsBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Oosterbeek, NLSet of 4 Brazilian rosewood dining chairs design 1959 by Sergio Rodrigues The chairs are in good vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Sergio Rodrigues: Set of 4 Cuiaba Dining Chairs in Caviona and Hide, Brazil 1985By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYSergio Rodrigues (1927–2014) A set of four Cuiaba dining chairs by Brazilian design pioneer Sergio Rodrigues, in caviona wood upholstered in cream-colored cowhide. The chairs' geome...Category
Vintage 1980s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsCowhide, Hardwood
- Bloch Chairs by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Midcentury Design, 1964By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYA particular characteristic in Brazilian mid-century furniture making was the practice of furnishing houses and commercial buildings in exchange for a special commission. This chair ...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRosewood, Leather
- Set of Six Chairs by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1970sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYSet of six chairs. Designed by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1970s. Measures: Seat: 18" H.Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Side Chairs