A Pierre Jeanneret Public Bench / Sofa, dating from circa 1954–55 and originally made for the High Court in Chandigarh, India.

Designed as public seating for one of Chandigarh’s principal government buildings, the bench has a simple and strongly architectural form. The long upholstered seat and back are supported on a solid timber structure with slender Burmese teak legs and a rear stretcher, giving what is a substantial piece of seating a surprisingly light appearance.

The piece retains its original institutional markings to the rear stretcher, identifying it as having come from the High Court in Chandigarh. For us, these surviving markings are an important part of the piece, providing a direct connection between the furniture and the building for which it was originally produced.

All of the wooden components are original. The Burmese teak legs have developed a rich patina through decades of use, with considerable variation in colour and surface. They have been carefully cleaned and waxed rather than stripped or refinished, preserving the wear and ageing that have accumulated over time.

When we acquired the sofa, it retained the black Skai covering traditionally associated with this type of institutional seating. As part of the restoration, the upholstery was completely rebuilt, including new strapping, springs and foam, while retaining the original timber structure. We chose a luxurious alpaca velvet from Rose Uniacke for the new upholstery. The softness and depth of the fabric provide a strong contrast to the aged Burmese teak legs and give the sofa a considerably more luxurious appearance while retaining the simplicity of Jeanneret’s original form.

The sofa has been fully conserved and is structurally solid. Our approach to the restoration was to retain the original timber and its accumulated patina while completely renewing the upholstery where necessary, allowing the piece to be comfortably used again without removing the evidence of its previous life in Chandigarh.

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.