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A rare set of six Pierre Jeanneret chairs, model Pj-Si-54-A, C.…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
14-Jun-2020
Lot No.
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Description:
A rare set of six Pierre Jeanneret chairs, model Pj-Si-54-A, C. 1960, all designed for the Administration training Institute in Chandigarh, India. Comprising of a solid Burma teak structure and a braided cane work seat. The rectangular backrest is slanted and slightly curved. The trapezoidal double-leg assemblies are connected by three crosspieces making it structurally sound and stable. All chairs have painted marks: Ati (H) 108, Ati (H) 195, Ati (H) 145, Ati (H) -8, Ati (H) 152, Ati (H) -48, height 77.5 cm, width 40.5 cm, diameter 46.5 cm. These chairs were designed by Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier's younger cousin and collaborator. The two relatives started a collaboration from the early-1920s and wrote together a manifesto entitled 'Five points towards a new Architecture', which rationalized architecture, following right-angled geometrical forms, emphasizing practicality and comfort, refining the decor to simple abstract lines and adopting new materials such as concrete, steel and glass. Pierre Jeanneret spent fifteen years in India as Architect-in-Chief in the newly-created Punjab capital city and designed a whole typology of furniture to equip the buildings. His pieces are clean, functional and could be mass-produced using local materials and labour. They show the influence of the local tradition as Pierre Jeanneret selected local timber such as teak, and caning for chair seats and backs. By fusing the use of traditional Indian materials and craft with his modern design of furnishings, he introduced a new concept of Art de vivre in this newborn city. Chandigarh became a reference in terms of mid-century modernity and was inscribed on the list of Unesco world Heritage Sites in 2016. Unfortunately, many furnishings designed for Chandigarh did not survive intact into the new millennium, as they were dumped in favour of more contemporary designs or scrapped for their valuable wood. In that context, these chairs are not only elegant and ergonomic but also rare for being offered as a set, all originating from the same building, with perfectly clear inventory marks. Literature: Eric Touchaleaume and Gerald Moreau, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, the Indian adventure: Design-Art-Architecture, Paris, 2010, p. 570. Galerie Patrick Seguin, ed, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret: Chandigarh, India, Paris, 2014, pp. 208, 285.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified