Description
Background Info and Provenance
SOLD TO BOB IN 2019 FOR $880 WITHIN 10 DAYS OF BEING LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE.
High-end piece worth about $4000 NEW!
A swivel chair by world-renown Australian company, Tessa (formerly FLER). (This is the Ferrara design.) This is one of Tessa’s least common designs and best. Occasionally this design is seen in 1980’s colours that have gone out of style- Salmon Pink and that heritage green colour I think looks wrong on Tessa pieces. In 17 years of trading I’ve never seen one of these Tessa chairs in full black like this. This makes it a much stronger investment. Not just because of its rarity but because it’s timeless and adaptable to any interior. This would look amazing in a modern apartment but in a place with floorboards (such as a renovated Terrace house) it’d also pop. This piece has the Tessa tags and the FULL-GRAIN LEATHER HIDE label as well. This is the biggest selling point for this chair. FULL-GRAIN LEATHER is the best quality leather money can buy and is a LOT more expensive than Top-Grain leather. Tessa has used cheaper leathers over the years (eg. the heavily processed leathers like Top-Grain leather) and they don’t last- the quality of the leather on this chair is indisputable, not only because of the FULL-GRAIN label but look at the condition after years of use!
And this is where this chair stumps me. It’s hard to pinpoint the age. Tessa still make this design today (they cost about $4000 NEW). This chair has some age to it. Initially I thought it was maybe 10 years old but then thought 1980’s/1990’s was just as likely. I’m not sure- it’s hard to work out because FULL-GRAIN LEATHER takes decades for any use to show up but even then, with similar Tessa chairs from the 1970’s the leather often still looks as good as this. This chair must have been a special order I’d say- I can’t remember ever seeing a Tessa chair with a black frame which makes pinpointing the age even harder.
Similar in design to Sigurd Ressell’s, “Falcon” chair by Norwegian company, Vatne Mobler, this chair has a canvas sling that’s supported on a curved timber frame. The timber frame on this Tessa chair is indisputably much stronger than a Falcon chair (because there’s a metal sub-structure). This chair swivels as well which I think adds to the appeal of this design too.
I’ve seen first-hand how Falcon chairs keep rising in value- they’re now fetching up to $2700 EACH in some Melbourne design shops. The investment appeal for this rare Tessa chair is a no-brainer, the comfort is sensational (this BEST-QUALITY leather luxuriously soft and the angles brilliant for comfort), which leaves looks- I think it’s a stunner! Plus there’s durability to consider- you’d be hard-pressed to find a better quality chair.
Buying quality used furniture is a great way to go. If you got Tessa to make one today you’d be set back about $4K– but seeing first-hand how something has held up to use verifies how smart your investment is (before you shell out a cent). Tessa Furniture is a household name in quality furniture that has now been around 50 years. I have no doubt this chair will be passed onto future generations, a symbol that when something has been done well, it will live on. There’s no better way to invest in your home, reduce landfill and your carbon footprint.
Catalogue 2004
