3 Sculptural Form 'Oro' Dining Chairs By Raoul Guys, 1951, Airborne, France
£4,635 per set of 3
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Item details
Height
86.0 cm
Width
58.0 cm
Depth
56.0 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
Exquisite and extremely rare set of three 'oro' dining chairs designed by sculptor and designer Raoul Guys in 1951 for 'Airborne',France.
These chairs were commissioned by Air France ,through the guidance of master French Sculptor Andre Bloc , for use in their 48 airports across the African continent, they were famously used in the 'Brazzaville' complex of hotels and the Hotel N'Gor in Dakar alongside furniture designed by Jean Prouve and Charlotte Perriand also recommended by Andre Bloc.
A very rare opportunity to acquire these rare and historically important chairs.
This set of three includes one super rare, matching 'oro' chair with armrests and two chairs without armrests
They are in all original condition with their original paint that has aged and patinated beautifully
Also the wickerwork is old and original and is in a very good condition with just a few small defects consistent with age and use
These chairs have a wonderful flowing sculptural form constructed from enameled steel and with decoratively woven wicker leading to a chair which is both beautiful yet sturdy ,light and stackable. You can see why famous French sculptor Andre Bloc was a big fan of Raoul Guys' work.
Dimensions: Please note the dimensions listed are for the standard dining chairs without armrests,
The chairs with armrests measure as follows:-
22.04 inches deep ; 25.78 inches wide ; height 33.85 inches ; seating height 17.71 inches OR
56 cm deep ; 65.5 cm wide ; height 86cm ; seating height 45 cm
Background History:
In 1951 Charles Bernard founded his company Airborne in order to bring modern design to the population of France. Bernard asked his close friend and famous sculptor Andre Bloc to seek out talented young designers who could produce furniture with an artistic or sculptural quality. Bloc was already working in this field with the “group espace” who saw art and sculpture as a social phenomena and aimed to bring art into the everyday living experience . For example it was Bloc who commissioned Charlotte Perriand to produce the famous 'Mexico' and 'Tunisie' bookcases for the Cité Internationale Universitaire , Paris for which Bloc also produced the colour scheme and he also worked closely with the Steph Simon gallery in Paris famous for showcasing the work of Prouve,Perriand and Noguchi among others. . Bloc had at this time recently come across a young designer Raoul Guys who’s work he greatly admired and which offered a sculptural quality to furniture design and asked him if he would like to collaborate with Airborne . In the book “les decorateurs des Annees 50” by Patrick Favardin it mentions that Andre Bloc presented Raoul Guys as a very interesting creator. Guy’s chairs had a suprising and sculptural quality in the free spirit of the after war period.
Literature :
'ART ET DECORATION' number20, pg 32, 1951
'LE DECOR D'AUJOURD HUI' , number 85, 1954 (please see last black and white image)
'AIRBORNE', page 37, Pierre Deligny, published by les modernistes ,2012 , Paris (please see image number 2).
Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
Condition report:
Good. Wear consistent with age and use. These chairs have their original wicker in good original condition with a few small defects that are hardly visible, the paint on the metal frames is original and has nicely patinated through time.
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Free collection available
Yes
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Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
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