Lot 62
Gerald Summers (British 1899-1967) for Makers of Simple Furniture
Rare Type P Chair, circa 1934
£22,680
Auction: 28 October 2022 from 10:00 BST
Description
birch plywood
Dimensions
Provenance
Provenance:
Private Collection, London;
Decorative Arts, Christie's, London, 16 February 1994, lot 74;
The Fine Art Society, London;
Private British Collection;
Private Collection, London.
Footnote
The legs of this chair have been formed from single strips of bent plywood, which rise to form the back supports. The great Italian architect and designer Carlo Mollino created a pair of plywood chairs for the Casa Cattaneo (now held in the Vitra Design Museum), which have highly comparable leg arrangements but he did this 20 years after Summers had designed his Type P chair. This is believed to be the only example of this chair to exist, though it is known that two were originally produced. It was described in the Makers of Simple Furniture advertising as: "Suitable for occasional or dining use. Constructed of selected birch and finished in clear polish".
