Set of 6 chairs no. 124 designed by Helena and Jerzy Kurmanowicz, Radomsko, Poland, 1950s

Description

Set of 6 chairs no. 124 designed by Helena and Jerzy Kurmanowicz, Radomsko, Poland, 1950s

This set of six no. 124 bent beechwood chairs, designed by Helena and Jerzy Kurmanowicz, was produced at the Radomszczańskie Zakłady Przemysłu Drzewnego in the 1950s.
In 1959, this design won first prize in a competition organised by PAGED (Polish Timber Export Agency). The colloquial name “little hearts” comes from the backrest made of bent plywood. It is worth noting the consistency of the manufacturing technique used for no. 124. Every wooden element of the chair was bent; the wooden ring supporting the seat was also made from a single bent piece. The legs underwent the same process, creating a cohesive overall aesthetic for the “little hearts”.
The seats and backrests are upholstered in soft white looped fabric, which contrasts with the dark colour and smooth finish of the wood. Although the chairs come from a single set, the manufacturing technique means they differ slightly in the spacing between the legs or the curvature of the bends.

This set is a rarely seen version of the “little hearts”. It differs from the better-known version in having a backrest made from a single beechwood rod.