Description
Background Info and Provenance
A PAIR of vintage occasional chairs designed and HAND-CRAFTED in Mexico. These nearly ended up on my lounge-room floor but in order to keep the momentum of my on-line store going I had to list them here. I love them. There’s something about the mix of rustic and designer that always draws me in. I think it’s because design is not as sophisticated as we like to make it out to be- design- creation comes from a very simple place that’s within all of us and when we combine retain the rudimentary we are reminded of this. These chairs are very tribal- we just don’t make anything like this in Western culture. They’re rustic, earthy, organic- perhaps rough can also be used here- but they’re complex as well! Just look at the design. It ignites- it’s as if there are the four elements intermingling here- earth (raw timber), fire (the base section looks like fire flames to me), water (the flowing movement of the back reminds me of a meandering stream) and air (the space between the timber slats). These chairs remind me of how we are more alike than we are different, how the simple act of making something can unite us- these chairs came from the hands of tribes-people on the other side of the world! This is a traditional Mexican design handed down through the ages. From what I read on-line, during the Conquest, Cortes provided this design of chairs for visiting VIPs to sit on- this was the early 1500’s! That’s timeless! Not a design college in sight. No design magazines- just people and raw materials and the need to make some special chairs.
I’m going to try and wrap up now- I could go on all day about these chairs. I come across a dam-lot of design in this job but these chairs stand out. Be advised- they’re tribal though. They’re rustic and rough looking but only when you look closely. This is a big part of the appeal for me. They are of course perfectly functional, comfortable and durable. I’d say these are an earlier version (maybe 1960’s??)- it’s obvious when you look closer they have age to them. These chairs are still being made today- they had a big “discovery” after the Mr & Mrs Smith movie came out (10 years ago) as they were featured in some of the scenes shot in Mexico.
They’ve been built to last the long-haul, the comfort is very good (they’re occasional chairs not lounge chairs though), the design is timeless, the construction- incredible. Even if they tried to replicate them in China they’d still cost at least what I have on them. I’ve priced them at the cost of shipping a pair to Australia from Mexico- including taxes and fumigation etc- not including anything for the chairs themselves. (This pair was found in Australia.)
These chairs have stood the test of time in more ways than one- I believe they’re about 50 years old and they’re still going strong. I can’t think of any better way to invest in your home and reduce your carbon footprint.
