Rare Knoll MR30/5 Lounge Chairs in Caramel Leather by Mies van der Rohe, Pair

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the celebrated German architect and pivotal figure of the Bauhaus movement, helped redefine 20th-century design through his exploration of form, material, and structure. Inspired by the possibilities of tubular steel and the work of contemporaries including Marcel Breuer and Mart Stam, Mies developed the cantilevered designs of his now-iconic MR Collection for the 1927 Weissenhof exhibition in Stuttgart. Knoll acquired exclusive production rights to Mies’ furniture in 1948, beginning an association that continues today.

Among the more elusive designs within the MR family is this rarely seen lounge chair, generally catalogued as the MR30/5. Unlike the familiar MR20 dining chairs and upholstered MR lounge designs, surviving examples are remarkably scarce and little documentation of its Knoll production appears to exist. Believed to date to approximately the 1960s, the MR30/5 distills Mies’ cantilever concept to its essentials: a continuous tubular-steel frame supporting suspended panels of heavy saddle leather, secured by matching leather laces. This pair retains its original leather in a beautiful caramel color with decades of natural patina. Viewed from the side, the chair nearly disappears, becoming a single uninterrupted line drawn from its backrest to the floor.

While this pair no longer retains its Knoll labels, we have had the unusual opportunity to examine them alongside a labeled and authenticated pair of MR40 Lounge Chairs currently in our collection. Their proportions, tubular-steel gauge and finish, concealed fasteners, construction, and materials correspond closely, giving us strong confidence in their authenticity as period Knoll production. Both chairs retain their original leather with expected wear and patina; one seat has a historic split that was professionally repaired and extensively reinforced from beneath, leaving the original leather intact and secure for use. The pair has been priced with this repair in mind, while recognizing the originality and scarcity of this seldom-seen Mies van der Rohe design.