Rietveld 'Berlin Chair and End Table' Model Toy, 1985
About the Item
- Creator:Gerrit Rietveld (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)Width: 1.38 in (3.5 cm)Depth: 2.56 in (6.5 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1985
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Barcelona, ES
- Reference Number:Seller: RB.CHAIRENDTABLEMODELTOY.1A.AR.RL.000971stDibs: LU1427228330012
Gerrit Rietveld
Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.
Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.
Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.
Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.
Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Find vintage Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Barcelona, Spain
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- How to Construct Rietveld Furniture BookBy Gerrit RietveldLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaRietveld Meubels om zelf te maken - How to construct Rietveld Furniture, 1986. First Edition. Published by Academia Bruylant. Book with facsimile reproductions of work-drawings...Category
Vintage 1980s German Mid-Century Modern Books
MaterialsPaper
- Rietveld Scale Model Kit Bouwplaat, 1987By Gerrit RietveldLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaRietveld Scale Model Kit Bouwplaat 1987 In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. Gerrit ...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Toys
MaterialsPlastic, Paper
- Gerrit Rietveld Red and Blue Chair by CassinaBy Gerrit Rietveld, CassinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaChair designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1918. Relaunched in 1973. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. A sculptural seat with a pure and rationalist form, this chair became an authenti...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Friso Kramer Hand Signed Miniature Chair Toy Sculpture Ahrend de CyrkelBy Friso KramerLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaFriso Kramer miniature chair toy sculpture Manufactured in the Netherlands by Ahrend de Cyrkel. Scaled miniature plastic Friso Kramer Revolt chair. Comes in pieces to be assemble...Category
Early 2000s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Mounted Objects
MaterialsPlastic
- Gerrit Rietveld Wood Child Armchair 'Crate' by Rietveld by Rietveld, circa 2005By Gerrit RietveldLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaLow drawer chair in natural wood with lacquer for Children by Gerrit Rietveld. Produced by Rietveld family including individual number and chip. Beautiful and fun design. This chair ...Category
Early 2000s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by CassinaBy Gerrit Rietveld, CassinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaChair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Gerrit Rietveld, designer and architectBy Gerrit RietveldLocated in Waddinxveen, ZHGerrit Rietveld (1888 - 1964) was a Dutch designer and architect. This booklet gives an interesting insight of his life and struggles he had as an architect. The text is in Dutch,...Category
Late 20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Books
MaterialsPaper
- Ado Ko Verzuu decorative toy skully for ADO ca 1950sBy Ko Verzuu, Gerrit RietveldLocated in EINDHOVEN, NLVery rare and toy designed by Ko Verzuu for Ado Holland in the 1950s. Ado means ‘Arbeid door onvolwaardigen’, translated; labor by incapacitated. Very nice colorful skully, handmade ...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch De Stijl Toys and Dolls
MaterialsIron
- 4 sets Children Toy Blocks, De Stijl, Amsterdam School, Berlage, 1920'sBy Theo van Doesburg, Ko Verzuu, De Stijl, Gerrit RietveldLocated in EINDHOVEN, NL4 Very nice and decorative toy cubes boxes in two sizes. 1920s the Netherlands. Kropholler, Berlage, de Klerk, Kramer, Gerrit Rietveld, Theo van Doesburg, De Stijl. 2 Large boxes 9,5 cm Wooden ball in every box 2 small boxes 7cm Comes with set small building blocks Very nice in combination with the 1920s Amsterdam School...Category
Vintage 1920s Dutch Art Deco Toys and Dolls
MaterialsWood
- Gerrit RietveldLocated in New York, NYThe richly illustrated and accessible monograph on the Dutch designer and world-renowned architect - now in paperback Gerrit Rietveld's simple yet dynamic style greatly influenced i...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Books
MaterialsPaper
- Vintage 1960s Souvenir Building Architectural Model Berlin Bear, Metal StatueLocated in Nuernberg, DEA classic decorative Berlin bear statue. Some wear with a nice patina, but this is old-age. Made of metal. This item was bought as a souvenir in Ber...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Architectural Models
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage 1960s Souvenir Building Architectural Model Berlin Bear, Metal StatueLocated in Nuernberg, DEA classic decorative Berlin bear statue. Some wear with a nice patina, but this is old-age. Made of metal. This item was bought as a souvenir in Berlin and was made in the mid-20th c...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Architectural Models
MaterialsMetal