Leather and Oak "Safari" Chair | Wilhelm Kienzle, circa 1950

LEATHER AND OAK "SAFARI" CHAIR
Designed by Wilhelm Kienzle in 1928, manufactured by Wohnbedarf, Switzerland circa 1950

ref. 301PPS28Z

35 3/8" H x 22 1/4" D x 22 1/4" W x 14 1/2" H to seat
Designed in 1928 by Wilhelm Kienzle, the "Safari" chair stands as a stunning and iconic piece. An example is held in the permanent collection of the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Executed by Wohnbedarf of Zurich, Switzerland in the 1950s, the chair is made from solid oak and featuring thick-cut rawhide leather sling seating. The leather showcases a captivating patina, marked by stains and oils accumulated over years of use. With its original and untouched condition, this chair represents a remarkable blend of clever design, exceptional craftsmanship, and remarkable comfort and support.

In writing about the chair in the Vitra Design Museum, Claude Lichtenstein notes:

"This dismountable chair was created by the Swiss designer Wilhelm Kienzle. It is an adaptation of a model used in the nineteenth century by British colonial officials during their work-related travels, which Kienzle had seen in London in 1928. Its advantages are that it is lightweight and takes up little space. The chair’s legs are connected by round bars, which are inserted into the open seam of the seat cover (in copies with the original cover). Similarly, the cover is affixed to the movable backrest, which is attached to the upper ends of the back legs with a pivot pin. The leather strap armrests are fastened to the legs with brass buttons. Since the chair’s frame is not independently stable, leather straps stretched between the chair legs bear the lateral load of the seated individual.

In the interwar period, others – such as the Danish designer Kaare Klint in 1933 – created variants of this chair type. Kienzle’s design most likely was not mass-produced until after 1945 by the Swiss interior design company Wohnbedarf. In the post-war period it became the very embodiment of a non-conformist lifestyle."

We may still have a matched pair to this chair available in the gallery. Contact us if you are interested in acquiring them as a pair.

** Note, we will ship this chair disassembled unless other arrangements are made prior to purchase. The buyer will be responsible for reassembling the chair upon receipt. Assembled shipment is available upon request: it would ship via freight: contact for a quote ** Condition Report:
All original hardware and leather, the leather stained and discolored with a wonderful overall patina, remarkably comfortable and most enjoyable to sit in; light wear to the oak surface; rubbing and wear to the leather inside the back where the wing nuts attach; some dryness and cracking to the leather belting, especially the front belt. One of the belts under the seat with a rivet repair where a tear formed.