Late 20th Century Blacker House Mahogany Side Chairs in the Style of Greene and Greene Arts & Crafts, a Pair

Details

Description

This is a late 20th century interpretation of the famous and oft copied living room chairs from the Robert R. … Read more This is a late 20th century interpretation of the famous and oft copied living room chairs from the Robert R. Blacker House in Pasadena, CA. See below for more historic details about the iconic arts and crafts chairs and their original designers Greene and Greene.

These Blacker House inspired side chairs are made of kiln-dried mahogany, joined with black pegs and splines. The chairs have padded seats, corner brackets on the front legs, and recessed carvings on the feet. Unmarked.

The late 20th century chairs are in good vintage condition. The chairs might be the most solid I’ve ever encountered. Absolutely no wiggle on any of the joints. Wear on the finish, especially on the backs and corners. Seat upholstery is very clean but not original. Please see photos for more details about the condition of the chairs.

Each chair measures 39” tall, 21” wide, and 21” deep with a 19.5” seat height.

Local pick up in Rockville, MD 20853. Help loading available. Delivery offered for a fee.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Charles Sumner Greene (1868-1957) and Henry Mather Greene (1870-1954) are American Arts and Crafts designers known for the “ultimate bungalows” they built and furnished with obsessive detail for wealthy clients in Pasadena, CA.

For Robert R. Blacker, the Greenes designed a 12,000 square foot home and its furnishings, which were heavily influenced by Japanese motifs, such as strong horizontal lines, stepped arms, and brackets.

The Greene-designed furnishings, constructed by Peter Hall Manufacturing Company in 1907, were also some of the first true examples of Scandinavian modern furniture designs, which combined expedient machine construction with a fine handworked finish. For example, Greenes’ furnishings often featured decorative ebony plugs and ebony beading to lend a finished look to countersunk screws and machined joinery.

The Greenes’ furnishings were distinguished by their quiet refinement and subtle rounded edges and corners, unlike the sharp lines and strong thrust that was characteristic of designs by Gustav Stickley and Frank Lloyd Wright.

The living room chairs in the Blacker House have been endlessly studied, copied, x-rayed (!), reinterpreted, and reimagined by skilled craftsmen since 1907. The design of the chair is a complex interplay of subtly curved and tapered elements that continues to fascinate and inspire.

One of the original Blacker House living room armchairs is featured in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law while sitting in a replica of the Blacker House living room armchair. See less