{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1359610"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1359610/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JJ6460/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JJ6460/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JJ6460","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6461","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6462","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6463","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6464","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6468","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6469","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6470","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JJ6471","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1359610/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1359610","accessionNumber":"W.25-2016","objectType":"Chair","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This chair was designed for the Sumi Memorial Hall, Ichinomiya City, Japan, by one of the most important architects of the 20th century, Kenzo Tange (1913-2005). The building was designed in 1955 and completed in 1957 and was one of a number of Tange’s buildings for which furniture was specifically designed. It was built as headquarters of the Tsuyakin Kogyo Company – a local textiles manufacturer. It was intended to be used as both a head office for the company, and as a meeting place for textile manufacturers from across Japan. \n\r\nThis chair was designed for the Hall’s auditorium and manufactured by the Japanese company Tendo Mokko. The stackable plywood design allowed the chairs to be moved around or stored, depending on how the space was being used. A moulded plywood armchair was also designed for the building’s offices, and a plywood stool to be used in the cafeteria. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Chair of moulded 11-ply birch plywood with aluminium feet and yellow and black seat cushion. The chair is made of two separate moulded plywood sections; one section forming the back and the other the seat and legs. The back is attached to the underside of the chair by four metal screws. There are two holes in the seat that are used to tie the seat cushion to the chair.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Tendo Mokko","id":"AUTH342085"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"birch plywood","id":"x33282"},{"text":"aluminium","id":"AAT11015"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"textile","id":"x41581"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"AAT53134"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded 11-ply birch plywood, metal screws, aluminium feet, seat cushion","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2016JJ6460","2016JJ6461","2016JJ6462","2016JJ6463","2016JJ6464","2016JJ6468","2016JJ6469","2016JJ6470","2016JJ6471"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES342657"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"chair","id":"AAT37772"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1955","earliest":"1950-01-01","latest":"1959-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"77","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"27/07/2016","earliest":"2016-07-27","latest":"2016-07-27"},"part":"","note":"full height"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"52","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"54","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Manufacturer's metal label screwed to underside of chair"}],"objectHistory":"Although this chair has been sold in the past as designed by Tange himself, that now seems unlikely. In the 1950s Tange’s practice often worked in close collaboration with furniture designers and artists to design the interiors of his buildings. More research is underway to establish exactly how the Sumi furniture was commissioned, but it would have been standard practice at the time to identify the furniture’s design with the building’s architect.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Chair, designed for Kenzō Tange’s Sumi Memorial Hall, Ichinomiya City, Japan, manufactured by Tendo Mokko, moulded birch plywood with aluminium feet and seat cushion, Tendo, Japan, about 1955\r","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Wilk, Christopher.<u> Plywood: A Material Story.</u> London: Thames & Hudson / V&A, 2017","id":"AUTH345215"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"small batch","id":"THES252237"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Kenzo Tange","id":"AUTH342028"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Text from <i>Plywood: Material of the Modern World</i> (15 July-12 November 2017)\n\nCHAIR\r\nAbout 1955\n\r\nThis chair was designed for a building\r\nby the Japanese architect Kenzō Tange.\r\nBy manufacturing furniture for Tange’s\r\nbuildings, post-war companies such as\r\nTendo Mokko were able to experiment\r\nwith new techniques and equipment.\r\nThis chair’s design boldly expresses\r\nits moulded plywood construction.\r\nMade for the headquarters of a textile\r\nmanufacturer, its cushion uses textiles\r\nwoven by the company.\n\r\nDesigned for Kenzo Tange’s (1913–2005)\r\nSumi Memorial Hall, Ichinomiya, Japan\r\nManufactured by Tendo Mokko\r\nTendo, Japan\r\nMoulded 11-ply birch plywood, metal screws,\r\naluminium feet, seat cushion\n\r\nV&amp;A: W.25–2016","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["W.25-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"25","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2016-06-14","availableToBook":true}}