Gerald Summers Plywood chair

Designed in 1934 by Gerald Summers and originally manufactured by his London company, The Makers of Simple Furniture, the chair is made from a plywood sheet consisting of 13 layers of cross-grained veneer. The sheet is cut with four straight lines, then pressed in a wooden mould for eight hours.
Summers made furniture with his wife Marjorie from 1929. He embraced the new contemporary style and materials like plywood and pushed their boundaries. As the V&A Museum notes of this chair – its construction from a single piece of ply gave it a “highly distinctive visual and structural clarity” and also meant no wastage.

An original 1930s edition would set you back £90,000, as there are only 120 examples in existence. This one is an Italian re-edition of 1998, which were also made in limited numbers. It is in restored condition, a little chip to the veneer by the foot and a small scratch/indent of note.

H74 W61 D85cm. Seat H33.5cm

C173