A particularly good original group of ten Pierre Jeanneret Conference Armchairs, dating from circa 1953–54 and originally made for the administrative buildings of Chandigarh, India.

The ten chairs were purchased together as a group and are constructed from solid Indian rosewood, or sisso, with cane seats and backs. The chairs have the strong architectural structure associated with Jeanneret’s early Chandigarh seating, with long horizontal armrests supported by substantial angled side frames and gently curved cane backs.

One of the things we particularly like about this set is the consistency across the group. The chairs share the same construction, were built in the same workshop and have very similar dimensions, although there are slight variations from chair to chair. There are also natural differences in the colour and patination of the sisso. These small variations are exactly what we would expect from furniture produced in this way and become especially apparent when ten examples of the same design are seen together.

Despite these individual differences, the group is remarkably coherent. All ten chairs have developed good, strong institutional patina through decades of use, with the greatest wear occurring naturally across the arms, corners and other areas that were repeatedly handled. The resulting surfaces vary subtly from chair to chair, while retaining the depth of colour and wear that we look for in original Chandigarh furniture.

The chairs also retain their original institutional markings. On some examples, the names of the people who used the chairs have also survived on the furniture. We particularly like these details. Rather than detracting from the chairs, they provide a direct record of their previous working life and reinforce the fact that this was functional furniture made to be used within Chandigarh’s government buildings.

The chairs have been carefully conserved by our trusted conservator and made structurally solid while retaining as much of their original timber, surface and patina as possible. The sisso has been cleaned and waxed rather than unnecessarily refinished, allowing the accumulated wear and differences between the individual chairs to remain visible.

The original cane had reached the end of its usable life and has been replaced to the seats and backs. The new cane has been carefully toned to sit naturally alongside the aged sisso rather than having the very pale appearance of newly woven cane.

For us, seeing ten Conference Armchairs together gives a much better understanding of how this furniture was originally produced and used than an individual chair can provide. The consistency of their construction, together with the slight differences in dimensions, varying patination, institutional markings and surviving names, are all part of the history of the group. We have deliberately retained these differences rather than attempting to make the chairs appear more uniform.

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.