ars longa * 04-011. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe MR20 armchair.

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04-011. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
MR20 armchair
Thonet
Germany, 1927
21.5 x 30 x 32"
Bent tubular steel and rush caning
Unsigned

A ground breaking cantilevered chrome design by the Bauhaus master, finished in wheat colored caning. A 1927 vintage pair of these chairs recently sold at auction for over $25,000.000, proof that thrift stores can be successful "archaeological" grounds! I consider myself quite lucky to be able to find pieces of this quality for basically nothing, even if is is of a later production that the example that just sold for so much. Patience is the key to finding great things!

This chair actually is quite symbolic for the current status of my collection. My tastes have lately been evolving from a penchant towards the mid-50's "Eames Era" that has been so popular for the past decade, to an earlier form of modernism. This piece of Bauhaus design fits well within the definition of what this earlier form of modernism about: a rejection of Art Deco in favor of high-function in design. Mies van der Rohe, with his MR20 armchair, used breakthroughs in manufacturing technology to make a beautiful and functional piece of furniture.

Found on May 07, 2004 in Saint Paul, MN.

Adam Booker said: I recently found the MR side chair in Little Canada.. according to Zinc Details Mies designed the MR Lounge Chairs for the Weissenhof housing project, which became the "first communal realization" of the International Style. Again, a later production but how can you go wrong scoring a van der Rohe for less than lunch?!
7.7.06

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