Raphaël Raffel French Mid-Century Modern Fiberglass Leatherette Club Chair 1960s

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Raphaël Raffel French Mid-Century Modern Fiberglass Leatherette Club Chair 1960s

About the Item

Ivory fiberglass resin club chairs designed by Raphael Raffel (known as Raphaël), France, 1970s in tulip style. A rounded seat, original leatherette upholstery, 3 in canary yellow and 1 white. Seat and structure are in good condition with minor signs of age and use. This listing is for one Off-white chair. The yellow chairs are sold. Raphaël Raffel, best known as Raphaël, was born in Paris in 1912. Much like some of his contemporaries André Arbus, Jacques Adnet and Jules Leleu, Raphaël found inspiration in the décor of the eighteenth century. In the 1940s, his work became synonymous with the status of the “ensembliers-décorateurs,” or a true designer of an interior space in its totality. In this way, Raphaël was not only a creator of singular items of furniture, but he controlled the decoration of walls, the lighting, and every other element on display within an interior space. By the 1950s Raphaël was well-established as a collaborator with other French designers. In 1952, his work was shown alongside designs by Georges Jouve in the Salon des Arts Ménagers, and in the same year he and André Arbus were given the joint task of decorating a portion of the grand ocean liner, Le Bretagne. Beyond this Raphaël also became known in his own right for elegant combinations of lacquer, distinctive coloring, glasswork and gilt bronze. His use of refined materials and impeccable execution recall the Louis XVI period. The present sideboard epitomizes this sense of elegance through the use of “laque de Béka,” a technique that was created as an imitation of the lacquer work of China and Japan, and which reproduces the unique colors that were specific to only this type of lacquer. By the 1960s, Raphaél became inspired by Italian and American space age design, the clean lines and new materials of mid-century modern, and these chairs are wonderful examples of the contemporary styles of the time but with an academic and historical understanding of proportion, form, material. It's difficult to convey this in the photos, but these chairs have a grace and sophistication that is particular to the French tradition. They are relatively low to the ground, the blossom opens upward and quite rapidly, with the textile applied with attention to detail. Again, difficult to convey in photos, but let me put it this way: If Aarnio's designs are Barbarella and Austin Powers, Saarinen's tulips are Mad Men, Raphaël's resin Space Age chair would be Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Measures: 24" W × 29" D × 28" H.

Creator:
Raphael Raffel (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 28 in (71.12 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Faux Leather,Fiberglass
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1965
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Good to fair vintage condition. Age appropriate wear.
Seller Location:
Brooklyn, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU4190312653452