Brazilian Modern Cane Three Seat Sofa by Joaquim Tenreiro, Early 1960s
View Similar Items
Brazilian Modern Cane Three Seat Sofa by Joaquim Tenreiro, Early 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Joaquim Tenreiro (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 74.81 in (190 cm)Depth: 26.78 in (68 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Rewoven. Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. We have basically just cleaned the wood and removed all old finishes. The pieces have just received a few coats of imported natural Shellac to keep the patina showing. But we can do further polishing and refinishing. The cane is new.
- Seller Location:Sao Paulo, BR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3163322292972
Joaquim Tenreiro
The Portugese-born furniture designer Joaquim Tenreiro was a pioneer of modernism in Brazil, where his work paved the way for the successes of such mid-20th-century design greats as Sergio Rodrigues, Jorge Zalszupin, and Lina Bo Bardi, an Italian-Brazilian architect whose futuristic São Paulo buildings are only part of her legacy.
Tenreiro’s vintage tables, chairs and storage cabinets are known for their simplicity of line and an elegance that is enhanced by the use of richly grained South American hardwoods such as jacaranda and imbuia.
Tenreiro’s father and grandfather were both master woodworkers, under whom he trained in the craft. He had artistic leanings and in the late 1920s enrolled as a university student at the School of Arts and Crafts in Rio de Janeiro, where he joined a group of upstart modernists protesting the staid, retrograde curriculum at the college. At the time, Brazil was culturally mired in a 19th-century mindset that was reflected in an upper-class preference for academic painting and reproduction furnishings in antique European styles. But the progressive spirit that Tenreiro and his colleagues fostered slowly gained force.
With the terms “lightness” and “functionality” as his bywords, Tenreiro opened a furniture-design business in 1943, where one of his first clients was the legendary architect Oscar Niemeyer. The arrival of Brazil’s first democratically elected government, in 1945, lent modernism official sanction, which culminated in the construction of the new capital, Brasília. Tenreiro eventually stepped away from design in the late 1960s to devote his time to sculpture and painting.
To appreciate how revolutionary Tenreiro’s work seemed, one must imagine the heavy, ornately carved, deeply varnished furniture that was the standard for top-end Brazilian interior design in the 1930s. Tenreiro’s chairs and sofas employed slender, softly angular frames that were only lightly stained to highlight the grains of the local woods. He preferred chairs and chaises with caned seats and backrests that “breathe” in the tropical climate, and as a carpenter and joiner he wanted to show off the beauty of Brazilian wood.
Two versions of a three-legged side chair introduced in 1947 serve as a veritable manifesto for a new age in Brazilian design: Using the stack-lamination technique, Tenreiro bonded together a gently contoured seat made of alternating layers of different-colored native woods to produce a magnificent stripe effect. These chairs, like all Tenreiro works, demonstrate the enduring power of simple design and superb construction — with a teaspoon of flair.
Find vintage Joaquim Tenreiro furniture on 1stDibs.
- Jean Gillon "Tijuca" Sofa in Hardwood and Nylon Hammock, Brazil, 1970By Jean GillonLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThe 'Tijuca' sofa, by Romanian-Brazilian designer Jean Gillon, is probably one of the most iconic pieces to come out of his drawing boards. Using the sa...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Sofas
MaterialsNylon, Faux Leather, Hardwood
- Dining Table in Caviuna and Cane Weaving by Martin Eisler, Brazil Modern, 1950sBy Forma, Martin EislerLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThis is the rare and extremely sought after dining table with cane top, by Austrian-Brazilian designer Martin Eisler in the early to mid 1950s. Eisler was seduced by the simplicity and results of using cane weaves...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsCane, Glass, Hardwood
- 1960s Pair of Armchairs in Iron and Reed, Brazilian Mid Century ModernLocated in Sao Paulo, SPPerfect for the summer, these chairs are super lightweight, and extra comfortable for those long days in the balcony or the garden. Original reed still in great conditions, iron h...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsIron
- Carlo Hauner Wingback Wrought Iron Lounge Chair, Brazilian Modern, Early 1950sBy Forma, Carlo HaunerLocated in Sao Paulo, SPRare and beautiful lounge chair, designed by Carlo Hauner for Móveis Artesanal in the early 1950s. Sharing some particularities with other prototypical designs from his early day...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass, Wrought Iron
- Brazilian Modern Armchair in Iron & Hardwood, Designed by Carlo HaunerBy Carlo HaunerLocated in Sao Paulo, SPBrazilian Mid-Century Modern Iron and Caviúna hardwood armchair, designed by Carlo Hauner for Móveis Artesanal, circa 1952. This light armchair has b...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWrought Iron
- 1950s "Sleepwalker" Armchair in Iron and Silk by Carlo Hauner, Brazilian ModernBy Carlo HaunerLocated in Sao Paulo, SPRare and exquisite "sleepwalker" armchair by Carlo Hauner for Móveis Artesanal. Freshly reupholstered in rustic silk for the most soft touch possible....Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsWrought Iron
- Joaquim Tenreiro Three-Seat Sofa, Brazil, 1954By Joaquim TenreiroLocated in Barcelona, ESJoaquim Tenreiro Three seats sofa Manufactured by Tenreiro Moveis e Decoraçaos Brazil, 1954 Jacaranda, upholstery From the archives of Side Gallery, Barcelona Measurements: ...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Jacaranda
- Curved Sofa by Joaquim Tenreiro, 1960s, Midcentury, BrazilBy Joaquim TenreiroLocated in New York, NYJoaquim Tenreiro (1906-1992) designed and produced the Curved Sofa in circa 1960, commercializing it in his company Tenreiro Móveis e Decorações – with stores in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A wooden frame comprises a shell-shaped piece with soft nubuck leather upholstered padding and cushions. Tenreiro's design choice for the feet contrasts with the curved upholstery, bringing four rectangular legs made of solid Brazilian...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Joaquim Tenreiro Three-Seat Sofa, Brasil, 1954By Joaquim TenreiroLocated in Barcelona, ESJoaquim Tenreiro Three seats sofa Manufactured by Tenreiro Moveis e Decoraçaos Brasil, 1954 Jacaranda, upholstery From the archives of Side Gallery, Barcelona Measurements: ...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Jacaranda
- Midcentury Brazilian Sofa Design by Joaquim Tenreiro, Rosewood and Marble, 1960sBy Joaquim TenreiroLocated in New York, NYWood and Upholstery Restored. Marble in original condition Solid Rosewood structure, Rosewood veneers, Marble and Bossa Fabrics Upholstery.Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMarble
- 1960's Brazilian Modern Sofa “Concha” in Hardwood & Fabric, by Joaquim TenreiroBy Joaquim TenreiroLocated in New York, NYAvailable right now, this beautiful Brazilian modern sofa, designed by Joaquim Tenreiro in the sixties, is absolutely stunning. The model is cal...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Canapé Sofa by Joaquim Tenreiro, Amoreira Wood, Cane, Mid-Century Modern, C.1960By Joaquim TenreiroLocated in New York, NYJoaquim Tenreiro (1906-1992) is known as the “father” of Brazilian modernism, being one of the pioneers, with a work that reflects a refined coexistence of traditional values and mod...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsCane, Wood