A wonderful pair of Pierre Jeanneret Pigeonhole Racks, dating from circa 1957–58 and originally made for a government building in Chandigarh.

Constructed in solid sissoo, or Indian rosewood, each rack is divided into five vertical sections. The central three sections are further divided horizontally, creating eight individual compartments of differing proportions. It is a very simple piece of furniture, but the asymmetry of the arrangement gives the design far more visual interest than a conventional storage rack.

These two examples came together and have remained as a pair. Their colour and patina are very closely related, and remnants of their original institutional markings remain visible to the sides. The sissoo has aged wonderfully, developing the deep, warm colour and surface that we specifically look for when buying Jeanneret furniture.

The racks show all the signs of having been heavily used during their working lives in Chandigarh, exactly as we would hope. The tops have dipped slightly towards the centre, the solid wood panels have naturally shrunk over time and there are age-related cracks and movement within the timber. The tops are also far from uniform in colour, with darker areas created through decades of handling and use.

For us, these are not faults that need to be disguised. They are good indications of age and are amongst the things we look for when choosing examples of this model. With Chandigarh furniture, we would much rather see this kind of natural movement, wear and variation than a piece that has been over-restored and made to look unnecessarily new.

The racks have been structurally restored by our trusted conservator and are now completely solid. The sissoo has been carefully cleaned and waxed, retaining the institutional wear, markings, variations in colour and depth of patina that make these particular examples so appealing.

The racks are available individually or as a pair. We love the asymmetry of a single rack and think it works extremely well as a freestanding storage piece or low bookcase. Together, however, the closely related colour and patina make them a really nice pair, and they can either be positioned alongside one another or used separately within the same room.

We have specialised in Pierre Jeanneret furniture for nearly nineteen years and have extensive experience in identifying, sourcing, restoring and selling his work. Given the number of later reproductions and incorrectly attributed pieces now on the market, we understand the importance of provenance, construction, materials and restoration when assessing Chandigarh furniture. We are always happy to discuss these aspects in detail and answer any questions regarding the attribution, provenance or restoration of our Chandigarh pieces.

Viewing is warmly welcomed at our West London showroom.

High-resolution photographs, detailed condition reports and video inspections are available upon request.

We offer local, national and international shipping.

Please contact us for further information or to arrange a private viewing.