Willem Hendrik Gispen, Set Of 3 413 Cantilever Armchairs In Art Deco/bauhaus Style, Tubular Steel Frame

A rare Art Deco living room set with modernist accents, forerunners of the Bauhaus movement, reminiscent of the work of Marcel Breuer. It consists of three armchairs and a matching round coffee table.

It includes three armchairs (Model 413) and a stamped round table (see image); the set was designed by Dutch designer Willem Hendrik Gispen and produced by Gispen in the late 1930s.

The frames are made of brushed steel; the table features a black linoleum top; and the armchairs are upholstered in their original red faux leather.

The armchairs’ “cantilever” metal frame is very flexible and therefore very comfortable.

The set is entirely authentic and stands out for its remarkable condition. However, there is a slight burn mark on the edge of the tabletop, as well as two small snags in the upholstery (see photos).

Armchair dimensions:

Width 60 cm
Depth 66 cm
Height 76 cm
Seat height 42 cm

Armrest height: 66 cm

Table dimensions:

Diameter: 96 cm

Height: 60 cm

A must-see for lovers of 20th-century design. The set can be sold separately: the table is also available for purchase individually on this site, as is the set of 3 armchairs (see our other listings).

Biography:
Willem Hendrik Gispen (1890–1981).
After training as an architect, he became more interested in the applied arts. In 1916, he founded a workshop specializing in metal art and craftsmanship. In 1927, he began producing lamps and experimenting with tubular steel furniture. The first catalog was published in 1930. He designed most of the company’s models, with the help of C.J. Hoffman. Gispen was a member of the “Opbouw” group and maintained good relations with Rotterdam’s modern architects, which led to numerous projects, such as furnishing the Van Nelle factory and the Bergpolderflat building with Gispen’s tubular steel furniture. With a few exceptions, Gispen’s designs were not particularly original, but they were of good quality. After World War II, he left the company and founded a new firm, “Kembo.”
Lit. : J. van Geest, O. Mácel, pp. 80–81, 152;
A. Koch: Industrial Designer W.H. Gispen (1890–1981): A Modern Eclectic, Rotterdam
1988; M. Mual: Gispen Tube Furniture and Lighting 1920–1940, Nijmegen 1990; A. Koch:
W.H. Gispen: Working with and for Van der Vlugt, Wiederhall 1993, no. 14, pp. 45–47; A. Koch (ed.): The Gispen Collection, Rotterdam 1996;
A. Koch: W.H. Gispen, Mass-Produced Items 1923–1960, Rotterdam 2005.