A large and highly architectural Pierre Jeanneret Pigeonhole File Rack, dating from circa 1957 and originally made for the Secretariat building in Chandigarh, India.

Constructed in teak, the rack is formed as a large grid of thirty-five individual pigeonhole compartments, arranged seven across and five high. The repetition of the vertical and horizontal divisions gives the piece a particularly architectural quality. Substantial V-shaped, or ‘compas’, supports at either end lift the main body slightly from the floor, while a smaller central V-shaped support on the user side provides additional support and helps visually ground what is a substantial piece of furniture.

The individual compartments were originally designed for the storage and organisation of legal files within the Secretariat. Today, the rack is incredibly versatile. It works very well for books, but for us it is perhaps even more interesting when used to display a collection of smaller objects. Artefacts, archaeological pieces, ceramics and other collected objects can each occupy their own compartment, turning what was originally a purely functional piece of office furniture into a very personal display. It would even work extremely well for a collection of shoes.

For us, this is one of those Jeanneret designs that works as much for its visual presence as for its original function. The thirty-five compartments create a strong rhythm across the front, while their relatively small scale gives the rack an almost cabinet-of-curiosities quality when filled with individual objects.

The rack would originally have had a thin plywood back. By the time the piece came to us, the plywood had delaminated, something we regularly encounter with original plywood from Chandigarh of this age. Rather than replacing it, we decided to leave the rack open. Visually, we felt this worked much better, allowing light to pass through the individual compartments and making the structure of the piece considerably more apparent.

The teak has developed a wonderful depth of colour and patina through decades of use. The surfaces show the marks, variations and wear we look for in original Chandigarh furniture, and remnants of an original institutional marking remain visible on one side of the rack. We have deliberately retained these signs of its working life rather than trying to make the piece appear new.

The rack has been structurally restored by our trusted conservator and is completely solid. The teak has been carefully cleaned and waxed, preserving the original surface and patina.

We like this model enormously. In fact, we have another example of exactly the same design in our own private collection. It is a piece we have always found particularly successful: functional enough to be used as a bookcase or storage rack, but with a scale, structure and repetition that give it a strong architectural presence in its own right.

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.