Description
These (completely refurbished) Tessa T5 chairs SOLD for $1940 the PAIR (July, 2020). The matching 3-seater sofa SOLD separately. Pick-Up was arranged from our North Brisbane depot at Morayfield.
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Background Info and Provenance
(This description was written in July 2020- some information may be time-sensitive).
A PAIR of vintage single-seater T5 lounge chairs from the mid-1970’s by Tessa Furniture, a highly-awarded AUSTRALIAN company. (Price is for BOTH chairs.) The T5 model is particularly rare. In 18 years of trading I’ve had only 3 pairs of T5 chairs. This is another of Fred Lowen’s highly-celebrated designs which can be added to a list of hundreds. The prolific output of Lowen floors me- Lowen is the most celebrated Australian designer ever, perhaps only behind Featherston, but when you study closer you’ll notice that Lowen achieved much success in the 1950’s AND then went on to create his best designs (and most awarded) through the 1970’s too. (There’s even a design in the 1980’s I think is better than his 1970’s designs.) The T5 was designed in 1975 and takes obvious cues from the Hans Wegner plank chair. I’ll probably be shot down for saying this but I think it’s a step above Wegner’s design. I like Lowen’s addition of circles to the design (in the upright posts and in the detail at the top of the canvas backs)- these circles create a contrast to the geometric plank-like styling elsewhere in the chair.
The best thing about investing in Tessa Furniture is the assurance of its quality. Tessa Furniture is an Australian institution that stayed in business for 50 years, becoming one of the longest-running Australian-brands ever largely because of the construction quality. Tessa closed in 2019, unable to compete with cheap Chinese imports any longer. This pair of armchairs is VINTAGE (over 45 years old) and still completely solid after all these years- I don’t see any reason why they won’t last forever. They have just been professionally re-upholstered by a local Australian upholsterer in a QUALITY designer fabric by Warwick Fabrics (another Australian institution).
You can add comfort to the long list of advantages here (these are a great sitting chair- perfect for having a conversation in or watching TV- the angles have been carefully considered for comfort). The backs are also high so the comfort will appeal to everyone especially taller people (virtually all vintage lounge chairs have a lower back compared to these). Investment appeal is yet another advantage. These are RARE- they’re MUCH harder to find compared to the popular T4 model. The T5 had a short production run and has now been out of production for over 40 years. Plank Chairs by Wegner sell for about AU $6000 the pair these days. (That’s being conservative- I’ve seen them on 1st Dibs in America for over AU$10,000 the pair- see the screenshot included in this listing.) This pair is great buying- these famous Australian chairs should never lose any value (if you’re sensible with them).
Buying vintage furniture that has stood the test of time is one of the best ways to INVEST in your home and reduce landfill. (To be completely accurate it is THE best way.)
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