Mies van der Rohe MR10 Rattan Cantilever Chairs Set of Four By Knoll Circa 1970

Mies van der Rohe MR10 Rattan Cantilever Chairs Set of Four By Knoll Original Circa 1970

MR10 Rattan & Chrome Cantilever dining chairs by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Knoll circa 1970s.

A rare opportunity to find a matching set of four iconic original Mies van der Rohe chairs by Knoll, these chairs are one owner purchased by an architect from new in the 1970s.

The MR Collection represents some of the earliest steel furniture designs by Mies van der Rohe. The material choice was inspired by fellow Bauhaus master Marcel Breuer, while the forms are thought to be modern derivatives of 19th century iron rocking chairs.

The origins of the bent-steel cantilevered chair are somewhat murky, but generally three names come up in the discussion. Marcel Breuer is widely credited with pioneering the exploration of the material, Mart Stam seems to be the first to conceive a “chair without back legs”, and Mies van der Rohe is remembered as the one who made it beautiful.It is believed that Mart Stam described his idea—a continuous loop of steel (he used a thinner gauge gas pipe in the earliest versions) with a cantilevered seat—at a meeting of the Werkbund in 1926. In attendance were Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe, both of whom were inspired to design cantilever chairs of their own in the coming months.

Mies replaced the right angles on the front legs with a graceful curve which had the advantage of increasing elasticity while preventing material fatigue. Mies first showed the MR 10 and MR20 at the Stuttgart Weissenhof Estate — a seminal Werkbund exhibition, which first brought modernist works to the public, with buildings designed by Peter Behrens, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and others.Over the next five years, Mies would develop an entire series of tubular steel designs now presented by Knoll as the MR Collection.

Creator: Mies van der Rohe

MR10 Rattan Cantilever Chairs

Set of Four

Original

Manufacturer: Knoll

Bauhaus

Mid Century Modern

One Owner

Date of Manufacture: 1970

Provenance: Architects Private Collection

Materials: Chrome & Rattan

Condition: These are genuine original chairs, all four chairs are in excellent original condition. These chairs have been looked after and do not suffer from over use or bear any stress on the steel frames or sagging of seats. The rattan seats on all four I would accurately describe as in very good condition and commensurate with age, no repairs or evidence of wear, one or two areas on the steel covered chrome bends where the rattan needs threading through. Nothing major and only pointed out for absolute accuracy.

Dimensions:

Width: 19.25” inches / 49cm

Depth: 27.25” inches / 69cm

Height: 31” inches / 79cm

Seat height: 18” inches / 46cm

Delivery:
Free delivery is offered to England & Wales