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chair

human history
  • Other Name

    First

  • Description

    Memphis 'first' chair, lacquer black circular seat on silver painted metal tubular frame, with lacquer blue back-rest, which is attached by a rubber piece and screws, the arm-rests are comprised of two lacquer black wooden balls, the headrest and armrests are both connected to one central piece, which extends from one front leg to the other,

    there are four legs with plastic stoppers on the feet, the legs are straight and extend down from the seat base.

  • Place
    Meda/Italy
  • Accession Number
    2005.41.1
  • Accession Date
    27 May 2005
  • Other Id

    7971 (Asset Register)

  • Department

    Applied Arts and Design

Images and documents

Artefact

  • Credit Line
    purchased, 2005, collection of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, 2005.41.1
  • Public Access Text

    Michele de Lucchi trained as an architect during a period of radical and experimental architecture. He became a prominent figure in movements like Cavart, Alchymia and Memphis. His First chair is exemplifies the Memphis groups’ sense of fun and reaction to the austerity of modernism.

  • Cultural Origin

    unknown

  • Primary Maker

     Michele de Lucchi (Designer)

     Memphis (Retailer)

  • Place
    Meda/Italy
  • Date
    1981
  • Period

    Elizabeth II (1952 - 2022)/House of Windsor/English reign

    Memphis

  • Signature/marks

    none

  • Media

    [wood]/plant material

    metal/inorganic material

    lacquer/coating (material)

    plastic/organic material

  • Measurement Description
    height 898 x width 640 x depth 450 mm / diameter of backrest 236 mm / diameter of seat 370 mm / height, feet to seat 465 mm
  • Measurement Reading

    898mm

    640mm

    450mm

    236mm (diameter of back-rest)

    370mm (diameter of seat)

    465mm (feet to top of seat)

  • Classification

    Chair

    Seating Furniture

    Furniture

    02 Furnishings

  • Media/Materials Notes

    MDF, backrest and seat

    frame. possibly brass - you can see 'golden' metal under the painted surface (abrasion on the back RHS leg)

    plastic feet on legs and holding the back-rest in place

  • Last Update
    02 Feb 2023
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