Chairs in Beech and Moulded Plywood, Central Europe, 1960, Set of 3

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A set of three antique dining chairs in beech and moulded plywood, with a three-rail shaped back and a press-formed … Read more A set of three antique dining chairs in beech and moulded plywood, with a three-rail shaped back and a press-formed saddle seat. Originates from Central Europe, from post-war production, where timber was glued in laminates and bent in a mould under pressure.Glued lamination replaced steam bending in European chair manufacture from the 1930s, when Alvar Aalto industrialised the process in Finland. After the war it spread across the continent: it allowed lighter sections, freer shapes and far better use of the timber.Each side is a single length of laminated beech running from the rear leg, along the seat rail and down to the front leg in one continuous radius. The glue lines of the laminates read along the edge of that curve. The seat is press-formed plywood with a double curvature, and the back carries three shaped rails tenoned into the uprights.The beech has taken a pale honey tone under its clear varnish. The seats show raised grain darkened by use, with fine scratches spread across. The laminated curves keep their tension and no plies have parted.Light, stackable dining chairs, comfortable around an everyday table. Their spare line and pale timber suit Nordic and contemporary interiors, and contrast well with a darker wooden table. See less