$14,000

United States
circa 1959

Prototype folding chair of tubular metal with plastic ball caps and its original yellow mesh fabric sling dating to the late 1950’s or early 1960’s. By architect and designer Henry Glass, an Austrian emigre who worked with Gilbert Rohde in New York City in the late 1930’s and then studied in Chicago with Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Glass was ahead of his time in his concerns with pre-fabrication, modularity, affordability, and ecological responsibility. He was known for his knock-down furniture designs–chairs and tables that folded, nested, or stacked for easy mobility and space-saving flexibility. Austere and visually interesting, these designs utilized inexpensive materials such as plywood, masonite, tubular steel, and canvas. The present piece, never produced, channels Gerrit Rietveld in proposing a low-cost mid-century outdoor chair with narrow proportions and a sculptural mien. Provenance: the collection of Henry Glass.

Condition
Overall wear consistent with age and use. The tubular metal is oxidized; the mesh sling has some holes. A tear along a top corner has been stitched and color-matched (see photos).

Measurements
Height: 39 in.
Width/length: 22 in.
Depth: 31.5 in.
Seat height: 18 in.

Specifications
Number of items: 1
Materials/techniques: Tubular metal, plastic, mesh fabric