{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O134281"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O134281/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6012/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6012/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH6012","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EW6497","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EW6496","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EX8105","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FU6802","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O134281","accessionNumber":"CIRC.214-1970","objectType":"Chair","titles":[{"title":"Model 4801","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"At first glance the glossy surface and bright colour might make you think this chair is made of plastic, especially since both the designer and the manufacturer are well-known for their 1960s plastic furniture.  In fact, the chair is made of just three bent and pressed plywood elements simply slotted together.  Any sense of the material as wood is obliterated by the coat of polyester varnish, making it appear entirely synthetic.\r\n\r\nKartell was founded by Giulio Castelli, a chemical engineer, in 1949 and was at the forefront of plastics technology.  In 1964 Kartell first produced this chair and the first all-plastic chair, also designed by Colombo. This chair, therefore, sits at the cusp of the shift away from plywood (the material-of-choice for advanced designers since the 1930s) towards the new plastics.  In this chair, the old technology is masquerading as the new technique.","physicalDescription":"Chair formed from three bent and pressed plywood elements slotted together using rubber spacers. The whole is painted with orange polyester varnish during a highly industrialised process requiring the combined spraying of a catalyst and the pigmented polyester which mix at the nozzle. The finish is then buffed when dry. \r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Colombo, Joe Cesare","id":"A6741"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Kartell","id":"A6742"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Plywood","id":"AAT12849"},{"text":"polyester","id":"AAT14546"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"x46876"},{"text":"varnishing","id":"AAT53825"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded plywood with pigmented polyester varnish, rubber spacers","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"}],"styles":[{"text":"Pop","id":"AAT22205"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006BH6012","2011EW6497","2011EW6496","2011EX8105","2012FU6802"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"135","id":"THES49878"},"free":"","case":"BY5","shelf":"WALL","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Milan","id":"x29007"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Milan","id":"x29007"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1963","earliest":"1963-01-01","latest":"1963-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1964-70","earliest":"1964-01-01","latest":"1970-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"58.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"72","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"65.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"34","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"seat","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from register and Modern Chairs catalogue\r\nChecked Jana Scholze 28.1.10","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Chair, model 4801, designed by Joe Colombo, 1963, manufactured by Kartell, Italy, 1964-70, bent and pressed plywood, orange polyester varnish","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"<i>Modern chairs 1918-1970</i>, London, Lund Humphries, 1971","id":"AUTH356768"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"CHAIR, model 4801\r\n\r\nDesigned by Joe Colombo (Italian, 1930-1971), 1963\r\nManufactured by Kartell, Milan, Italy\r\nMoulded plywood with polyester varnish\r\n1964\r\n\r\nThe chair is comprised of three elements which slot together, requiring no fixing.\r\n\r\nCirc.214-1970","date":{"text":"1989-2006","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"2006-12-31"}},{"text":"Armchair, model 4801\r\n1963\r\nJoe Colombo (1930–71)\r\n\r\nItaly\r\nManufactured 1964–70 by Kartell, Milan\r\nMoulded plywood with pigmented polyester varnish (probably original)\r\nSpacers: rubber \r\n\r\nMuseum no. Circ.214-1970\r\n\r\nWhat appears here to be moulded plastic is in fact bent plywood with a sprayed polyester varnish. At this period, plastic was gradually replacing wood for mass-produced seating, so the chair is a witty reversal of general practice. \r\n\r\nSpray painting using a compressor was commonly used on furniture, both wood- and metal-framed, after 1945. \r\n","date":{"text":"01/12/2012","earliest":"2012-12-01","latest":"2012-12-01"}}],"partNumbers":["CIRC.214-1970"],"accessionNumberNum":"214","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1970,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN7686","2019LV2566","2019LX0596"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2007-04-27","availableToBook":false}}