Arm chair

Maker & role
Knoll International, Maker; Eero Saarinen (b.1910, d.1961), Designer
 Production date
circa 1948
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Object detail

Title
'Womb' chair
Production place
United States of America
Collection
Rose Seidler House
Measurements
0 - Whole, H: 91 x W: 101cm (H: 910 x W: 1010mm)
Credit line
Gift, through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, by Harry Seidler AC OBE, 1987
Rose Seidler House Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Caption
'Womb' chair, design by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International, USA, c1948
Description
Harry Seidler ordered this 'Womb' Chair in the United States of America before he departed for Sydney in 1948 to be used in the yet-to-be built Rose Seidler House, commissioned by his parents. Following its completion in 1950, Rose Seidler House comprised a large number of dining chairs that could be moved around to cater for the family’s regular guests, but also comfortable chairs in the living room in a more relaxed setting. For this purpose, Seidler held the Womb chair in high regard, stating that 'the most comfortable chair going at the time that anybody had attempted was what Saarinen called the 'womb chair'.' The chair's position in the living room was deliberately planned so that Seidler's parents, Rose and Max, could enjoy their view of Kuring-Gai Chase while relaxing or entertaining. The chair was designed by Eero Saarinen and was his first foray into the use of fibreglass in furniture design. The Womb Chair was a departure from more traditional furniture, as comfort came from its form, rather than its padding. The design was, in part, Florence Knoll's idea, as head of Knoll's Planning Unit which manufactured the chairs, who wanted a 'chair that was like a basket full of pillows’ that people could comfortably curl up in.
Accession number
RSH88/6-1:3

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