Description
I’VE FOUND ANOTHER OF THESE SUITES AFTER 3 YEARS OF TRYING TO FIND ANOTHER! THESE WERE ONLY PRODUCED BY TESSA FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR (in 1981). I’VE HAD PLENTY OF POTENTIAL BUYERS EXPRESS INTEREST IN INVESTING IN ONE OF THESE SUITES. IF YOU HAVE INTEREST IN THIS DESIGN GET IN CONTACT WITH US. The photos in this listing are of the suite we sold in 2017. I will post photos of the next suite we have after I’ve had a chance to clean it up all the pieces and photograph it. The colour of the leather and the design of the suite that has just come in is the same as what’s shown in these photos.
Background Info and Provenance
(This pair of armchairs sold through iNVISeDGE for $1750 in 2017.)
A PAIR of single-seater Tessa Sling lounge chairs in original condition and in top-quality vintage FULL-GRAIN leather. (THIS LISTING IS FOR THE 2 SINGLES- THE MATCHING SOFA IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY.) This is the rarest design ever done by Tessa. The Tessa T4s, T8s and T21s are regularly seen as well as some of the newer designs but this design done in 1981 is elusive. I tried to do some additional research on the Sling design but there’s no information available. These are certainly Tessa originals- the cushions have original Tessa factory labels used in the late-1970’s into the early 80’s. The frame of the matching sofa also has an ink Tessa stamp on it. The early 80’s was a turbulent time for furniture manufacturers- cheap overseas imports were entering the market and it’s my belief that in 1981 this design couldn’t compete with other furniture being sold. Very few were released and it would have been because of the high cost of manufacture. Creating curves in solid timber is not easy but creating a curve that runs from the top of the chair to the bottom of the armrest is harder. Furniture like this is rarely seen because (price-wise) it can’t compete with what else is out there.
The big advantage of this is the quality of what’s on offer. These are solid, heavy chairs- they’ve been built to last and already have. As much as I like the look of the award-winning T4 design, the quality and comfort is not as good- the netting is problematic and the frame is laminated timber. This means the veneer on the frames can lift, bubble and chip off etc. The design on offer here is SOLID timber- it’s basically indestructible and with normal use will last well after you and I are gone. Another pointer of the quality is the use of FULL-GRAIN leather to cover the back as well. In virtually all other Tessa furniture canvas is used which fades, marks, frays and stains- leather is the better (and more costly) option.
This design is also very comfortable- it mixes sitting comfort (good support, great angles) with lounge chair comfort (high back and plush comfort where you feel relaxed and comfy).
Fred Lowen’s designs are award-winning. He achieved much respect in the 1950’s (various Lowen designs are held in museums throughout Australia including the Powerhouse Museum) but it’s his designs from the 1970’s that won even more acclaim. I believe this design done in 1981 is his best (it’s certainly there with the SC55 and the T5). I love the sweeping lines like a flowing ribbon (but in SOLID timber!) and the superior quality. It has the quality of the everlasting T21 design (there are derivatives of the T21 still being made by Tessa today) but it doesn’t have the bulkiness of the T21.
To top it off the Tessa T4 chairs sell NEW today for around $9500 THE PAIR and I rate these much higher than the T4. This is an outstanding investment that should at least hold its value over the years- you’ll never get that buying new.
The advantage of investing in vintage furniture is simple- when a suite looks like this after 35 years of use you have irrefutable proof of the quality you’re buying. There’s no better way I can think of to invest in your home and reducing landfill.
