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Pair of Brazilian Wood & Beige Wool Bouclè MP-163 Earth Chairs by Percival Lafer
About the Item
Born in Brazil in 1936, architect, product and furniture designer Percival Lafer managed to design pieces that were categorised as fine design for affordable prices. Lafer made an indelible contribution to Brazilian design. After graduating in architecture at the prestigious Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Sao Paulo, his father passed away unexpectedly, leaving the family furniture shop to his sons, at which point he abandoned his professional career as an architect before he it had begun, diverting instead to furniture design, a career he could pursue more easily due to the nature of his inherited business. Lafer launched the renowned “MP-1” Armchair in 1961 and it was an instant success, featuring a T-shaped steel base covered in thin pieces of solid rosewood, and a seat upholstered with layers of foam, rather than springs. This provided Lafer with the leverage he needed at the time to create his company, establishing himself as a business that won many patents, both a well-earned reputation for innovation and originality in design and the confidence to name his brand Lafer MP – the acronym MP stands for Moveis Patentados or “Patented Furniture” in furniture. Lafer consistently pursued ways to create good modernist designs at affordable prices for the middle classes, designing furniture pieces with a focus on mass production. In 1965, the MP-041 series included seats with solid wood frames and pre-shaped, hand-padded cushions. As well as other notable designs included the MP-89 armchair, designed in 1970 with cut plexiglass legs, mesh seat and leather cushions; the MP-071 armchair (1973); the S1 collection (1975) of sofas, armchairs and tables; and the MP-163 armchair (1976), better known as the “Earth Chair”. By using polished steel as the structural framework for the seating design, Lafer ensured a modern aesthetic, while using the preeminent material that features in the great majority of his designs, which are exotic woods and high quality leathers. Following the mismanaged marketing of the Mini Sala in 1966 and as a testament to Lafer’s reputation for innovation, it was immediately transformed into the well-received Mirage armchair in 1967. Brasil Contempo sold Lafer’s designs through a modern supply chain that enabled the successful Lafer MP company from the 1970s to 1985 to export to the United States and Europe.
This pair of MP-163 Earth lounge chairs is in very good condition, consistent with age and use, and it has just been reupholstered with a wool bouclè fabric by Pierre Frey.
- Creator:Percival Lafer (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970's
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Firenze, IT
- Reference Number:Seller: Pair of MP-163 Earth Chair by Percival Lafer1stDibs: LU2142337963562
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.
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