Pair Otto Wagner Model 721 Bentwood Armchairs C. 1902

Details

Description

An exceptional, rare pair of early modernist Model No. 721 bentwood armchairs, originally envisioned by the pioneering Austrian architect and … Read more An exceptional, rare pair of early modernist Model No. 721 bentwood armchairs, originally envisioned by the pioneering Austrian architect and designer Otto Wagner. This historic design was created in 1902 specifically to furnish the ground floor telegraph hall of the Depeschenbüro of Die Zeit (the dispatch office of the Vienna newspaper Die Zeit).

The chairs showcase a brilliant intersection of traditional industrial steam-bending and early 20th-century technical innovation. The sweeping horseshoe-shaped armrest curves down seamlessly to form the structural back legs from a continuous piece of solid beech.

Notably, these chairs are among the earliest commercial examples utilizing Jacob & Josef Kohn’s patented plywood processing technique. This innovation allowed for the concave-curved plywood backrest to feature a beautifully geometric, reduced ornamentation of pierced circular holes and vertical slots, mirroring the proto-modernist visual language of the Vienna Secession.

The chairs feature spacious saddle-shaped plywood seats and have been preserved in a warm, stained finish highlighting the natural grain of the timber. Examples of this model are highly coveted by collectors and are held in permanent museum collections, including the Leopold Museum in Vienna. See less