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- Vintage Eero Saarinen Womb Chair in Distressed Velvet, 1970s
Vintage Eero Saarinen Womb Chair in Distressed Velvet, 1970s
A 20th century classic, here we have a stunning womb chair with a unique patterned velvet--a la 1970s. This form is as comfortable as it is visually stunning, rendering an oft-celebrated and much-imitated design that has lasted the better part of a century as an exceptional work of applied arts.
After winning the Museum of Modern Art Organic Design Competition with Charles Eames for their experiments with bent plywood in 1941, Eero Saarinen was eager to continue exploring the possibilities of a chair that achieved comfort through the shape of its shell, not the depth of its cushioning. Initially, he began the investigation with designs for smaller fiberglass task chairs, but changed direction when Florence Knoll approached him and asked, “Why not take the bull by the horns and do the big one first? I want a chair that is like a basket full of pillows…something I can curl up in.” While that’s not exactly where Saarinen ended up, the suggestion inspired one of the most iconic, and comfortable, chairs of the modern furniture movement.
- Creator
- Knoll (Manufacturer),
- Eero Saarinen (Designer)
- Design
- Womb Chair
- Womb Series
- Dimensions
- Height: 35.5 in. (90.17 cm)
- Width: 40 in. (101.6 cm)
- Depth: 38 in. (96.52 cm)
- Seat Height: 17 in. (43.18 cm)
- Style
- Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques
- Chrome,
- Fiberglass,
- Foam,
- Steel,
- Velvet,
- Metalwork,
- Molded
- Place of Origin
- United States
- Period
- 1970-1979
- Date of Manufacture
- 1970
- Condition
- Good
- Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. structurally perfect with no stiffening to foam--upholstery is in distressed vintage condition.