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Armchair for the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris
Erik Gunnar Asplund1925
Nordiska Museet
Stockholm, Sweden
Armchair made from mahogany and leather. The armrests are finished with ivory medallions.
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Details
- Title: Armchair for the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris
- Creator: Erik Gunnar Asplund
- Creator Lifespan: 1885/1940
- Date Created: 1925
- Location Created: Stockholm, Sweden
- Subject: Armchair
- Physical Dimensions: w60 x h112 x d68 cm
- More Information: The armchair was designed by architect Erik Gunnar Asplund for the Paris Expo 'Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes' in 1925. Along with a desk, two chairs and a bookcase, it was part of a soberly furnished library interior in the exhibition. Gunnar Asplund was particularly interested in armchair design. To find the correct seat curve, he experimented with different seat shapes and varied the design of the armrests and legs. The final design was a smooth unbroken S-line with frame in mahogany and upholstery made from natural coloured leather. The leather is covered with a hand-printed pattern consisting of rows of five-pointed stars and three-leaf flower-like ornaments. The slightly curved armrests are finished with a round ivory medallion in a classical style, a man's and woman's face. Asplund may have taken inspiration for the shape of the chair from the furniture treasures found in Tutankhamen's tomb in the early 1920s. The excavations created a media frenzy, and one of the most startling finds was the so-called golden throne, Tutankhamen's throne. Asplund's contribution to the exhibition was one of the most popular features of the Paris Expo, but it also aroused debate. Among other things, it was claimed that the armchair was impossible to sit in. You simply slip out of it, said one critic. The furniture was exclusive and very expensive. The manufacturer, David Blomberg, got to keep the pieces until they were acquired by Nordiska museet.
- Materials and Techniques: Mahogany and leather. The armrests are finished with ivory medallions.
- Type: Furniture
- Rights: Photo: Mats Landin, © Nordiska museet
- External Link: http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/karmstol/S-NM/NM.0280237
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