Sculptural French 'Bobbin' armchairs, 1950s

Raw, honest, and full of charm—this rare pair of 1950s French industrial armchairs brings the soul of the workshop into the refined interior. With tubular metal frames and woven synt...

Refined pair of wicker side chairs designed and manufactured in France during the 1970s. Each chair features a handwoven rattan seat with a beautiful green stained finish, elegantly ...

A lovely pair of Italian easy chairs from the 1950s, showcasing the elegance and fluidity of mid-century design. Executed in warm-toned walnut, the frames reveal beautifully sculpted...

A rare and highly sculptural set of six dining chairs designed by Pierre Gautier-Delaye in France during the 1960s. Made from solid stained beechwood, these chairs perfectly embody t...

A fine French Provincial corner chair in stained oak with a handmade cane seat. Classic bobbin turned legs and in a overall fine vintage condition. Made in the 19th century. Lovely ...

Mid-century designers were eager to break free from the aesthetics of the past and experiment with new forms, and techniques. At the same time, especially in Europe, the modernist design movement was often based on traditional styles and techniques, such as turned chairs. Turned chairs — sometimes called thrown chairs or spindle chairs — represent a style of Elizabethan or Jacobean turned furniture that had a vogue in the late 16th and early 17th century. The technique was carried on to the 20th century and was widespread in Europe as well, where craftsmen created durable pieces for various interiors and purposes. In turned furniture, the individual wooden spindles of the piece were made by shaping them with chisels and gouges while they were being spun, or turned between the centre points of a lathe. The construction of this pair is evocative of the more robust Arts and Crafts Movement, featuring subtle decorative elements such as the finials atop the backs. The sphere-shaped finials aren’t the only ornamentations on the design; the shape of the two splats on the back, the carved stretchers and carving on the feet are all decorative features that make this pair visually arresting. In later turned chairs, like this pair, rush seats were common. Here, the seats are woven around the frames with a light colour that beautifully contrasts to the dark, patinated wood. The partnership of the two natural materials is very effective as well; the wood and rush pair...

A fine French Provincial corner chair in stained oak with a handmade cane seat. Classic bobbin turned legs and in a overall fine vintage condition. Made in the 19th century. Lovely ...

French mid-century seating frequently combined elements of regional craftsmanship with the cleaner lines associated with modernist furniture. Rush weaving, long used in traditional F...