Set of 4 Kodawood Oyster High-Back Dining Chairs

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Very clean set of four really rare Kodawood high-back "clam shell" or Oyster dining chairs from the 1960s. Chair frames … Read more Very clean set of four really rare Kodawood high-back "clam shell" or Oyster dining chairs from the 1960s. Chair frames look like they have been recently restored to near new. The original vinyl seats and backs are in great shape as well.

Kodawood Designer James Wiener. Although his name was officially Seymour J. Wiener, the Kodawood President & Designer actually went by his middle name James, as seen in newspaper articles and patents. Born in Detroit, MI, James graduated in Business Administration from Queens University. He later went on to spend a term studying sculpture at Cranbrook, where the period's star designers Charles Eames, Florence Knoll and Eero Saarinen had studied.

James not only came up with Kodawood's designs, but researched, developed and patented several fabrication processes for applying an upholstered pad to one side of a bentwood shape and walnut veneer to the other. When others began copying his technique he vigorously defended his patent rights through lawsuits, but he eventually chose to ignore the copycats as their presence seemed to help his own brand in the marketplace.

The design for the oyster chair drew heavily on Hans Wegner's Shell chair from 1948 and Hans Olsen's Appelsinen (Orange) Model 55 chair. However, there are some structural differences (to simplify it) and Kodawood used strictly walnut not teak. See less