Prototype High Back Chair by Frits Spanjaard, 1920s

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Prototype chair by: frits spanjaard

year: ± 1920

note: restored by a master restorer from whom i learned the "trick" … Read more Prototype chair by: frits spanjaard

year: ± 1920

note: restored by a master restorer from whom i learned the "trick" of restoring (comes with the provenance with pictures of the restoring project).
seating upholstery is not original but an interpretation of how "we" felt it should be - the cloth comes from the same period as the chair.

this chair was purchased (by me) a long time ago in breda. The owner was the son of a cabinet maker who worked for lov oosterbeek. This furniture factory made furniture which were strongly influenced by the vernacular furniture from england. In first the furniture had a high arts&crafts feel. This dutch "secession" furniture was a protest against the classic approuch of the art deco / nieuwe kunst movement. Lov oosterbeek strived for "honnest" furniture that would stand the test of time and was made by real craftsmanship. In a later period in the timeline of this firm they were following the more strict lines of the de stijl movement and the haagse school.

this "prototype" highback chair more then likely was standing next to the cupboard displayed in the pictures in this advertisement.* it has the same structure and cascade decorations as the cupboard. These cascade decoration are characteristic for the early work of frits spanjaard. Also the use of sober/honnest/wooden planks, which form this chair, and the simplicity in construction are a signature of spanjaard's early work.

it's fair to say that this is one of the first pieces of furniture which can be related (or has been an inspiration) to the later made crate furniture by gerrit rietveld and therefor of great importance in the history of the dutch modernist furniture.

*this picture comes from the book: de haagse stijl - art deco in nederland by: timo de rijk. De picture is displayed on page 24 (photographer: unknown). The cabinet itself remains in de collection of the gemeente museum in the hague. I have official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs,
designer records,
or other literature sources and take full responsibility for any authenticity issues arising
from
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