1968 Le Corbusier "LC4" Lounge Chair
GUEST:
I've been a remodeling contractor all of my life, and I was doing work for one of my customers who happened to own this chair, who was a psychiatrist. When I was working there at the home, I noticed this chair and I really took a liking to it, and I always commented to him that I really enjoyed this chair because I like modern furniture. I liked the architectural look about it. It looked very comfortable to sit in. It was a unique-looking piece. I've never seen anything like it before. He complimented me on my taste as well. Unfortunately, he had gone on vacation with his wife to Florida and there was a tragic accident, and he was killed. Many years later, I continued to do work for the doctor's wife. She came to me and said, "I know that the doctor would have wanted you to have this chair." So it was gifted to me from his wife.
APPRAISER:
So she just gave it to you?
GUEST:
Just gave it to me.
APPRAISER:
This chair was designed by someone named Charles Jeanneret-Gris, better known to everyone as Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier was born in 1887 and he was world-famous as a philosopher, writer, architect and painter. The work he did helped define what we call modern design and architecture. So this is one famous guy. In 1928, he collaborated with Charlotte Perriand-- also a famous architect at the time-- and his cousin, to make a group of tubular, chrome-plated furniture like this and fit them into these modern homes that he was designing. Corbusier made furniture that was user-friendly. And as he said, it was made to fit our limbs, that these pieces were really extensions of our body. And if we look at this chaise longue and how it fits the back, the curve of the back, and how it's so functional. This actually slides and adjusts so you can sit on this at different angles.
GUEST:
That's right.
APPRAISER:
It's pretty amazing that this was designed in the 1920s. It's just unbelievable. What I love about it is this great modern design of the juxtaposition of the angular ebonized frame against these tubular curves, and it's just so gorgeous. Now, he covered the top of this, stretched it with rubber braces and covered the top in pony hide. The great thing about your chaise is that if we just peel this back... Because in 1964, he collaborated with Cassina, who was an Italian company that made furniture. And he gave them the license to make his furniture.
GUEST:
Interesting.
APPRAISER:
Your chair has a label showing that this was sold in 1968. Cassina had a license to sell the furniture, so it's a pretty amazing document that you have on this chair. Now I don't know if you'd know this, but the chair is also signed in another place.
GUEST:
Oh, it is?
APPRAISER:
I'm going to lift this up and show you the top. But the great thing about this chaise is here we have inscribed here Le Corbusier.
GUEST:
Oh, yes!
APPRAISER:
LC4-- the model of the chair-- and then the manufacture number 1033. And it's such a great document to have that. I mean, it's really amazing that this survived. And many companies reproduce this chair because it's such a popular model, it's such an icon of modern design. It's just amazing. I put an auction estimate on this of $3,000 to $4,000. But it could do better because it's so iconic.
GUEST:
That's good to know. You know, it excites me so much I almost want to do a Tom Cruise and jump on the couch.
APPRAISER:
Mind if I try it out?
GUEST:
Not at all. I would want you to.
APPRAISER:
It's really comfortable.
GUEST:
Well, I'm glad you like it as well.
APPRAISER:
We'll have another session soon, okay?
GUEST:
No charge.
APPRAISER:
Of course.
GUEST:
No charge.
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