{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O48605"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O48605/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AF3713/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AF3713/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AF3713","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O48605","accessionNumber":"W.21-1990","objectType":"Chair","titles":[{"title":"Chippendale Chair with Grandmother pattern","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"This chair, designed by the architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, has been celebrated for re-introducing decoration and historic form into contemporary furniture. The Chippendale Chair is one of a series of nine chairs in historical styles created for Knoll International in the mid-1980s. Venturi Scott Brown served as a “manifesto of postmodern historicism,” their witty and humorous plywood forms referencing historical shapes and ornament.\n\nThe name of the chair refers to the designs of Thomas Chippendale, the most famous British furniture designer of the 18th century. Venturi used Chippendale's designs for chairbacks as an inspiration for this model but the materials, techniques and design of the chair differ radically from that of the 18th century designer.  \r\n\r\nThe chair is constructed of plywood, with a simple cut-out detailing on the back rest of the chair. The laminate used to coat the plywood is decorated with floral emblems and what has been described by the design team as, an 'ant pattern' - a pattern of dashes. Called 'Grandmother', the pattern was created by Venturi Scott Brown in 1983. The inspiration for the pattern came from a table cloth belonging to a Venturi Scott Brown associate and was also produced as a cotton sateen fabric for the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia. ","physicalDescription":"A laminated plywood chair that is a simplification of an ornate eighteenth-century side chair, with back cut outs and a plastic floral patterned laminate surface.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Venturi Scott Brown","id":"A15236"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Knoll International","id":"A11607"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plywood","id":"AAT12849"},{"text":"plastic laminate","id":"AAT14579"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Cut-out","id":"x34776"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Laminated plywood","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"}],"styles":[{"text":"Post-Modern","id":"AAT22208"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AF3713"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CA006","id":"THES413417"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"chair","id":"AAT37772"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"New York","id":"x29030"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1984","earliest":"1984-01-01","latest":"1984-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the manufacturer","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"98","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"69","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"63.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Chair, 'Chippendale chair with Grandmother pattern', designed by Venturi Scott Brown and manufactured by Knoll International, 1984.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"},{"text":"chair","id":"AAT37772"},{"text":"pastiche","id":"x38424"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"\"CHIPPENDALE\"  CHAIR with \"Grandmother\" pattern decoration\r\nDesigned by Robert Venturi (American, b. 1925) and Denise Scott Brown (American, b. 1931)\r\nLaminated plywood with plastic laminate surface\r\nManufactured by Knoll International, New York, USA\r\n1984\r\n\r\nThis chair was much celebrated for reintroducing decoration and historic form in to the mainstream of contemporary furniture.  It was collected due to its notoriety and of that of the designers, celebrated American architects and theorists and designers of the Sainsbury extension to the National Gallery.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"CHAIR: CHIPPENDALE WITH 'GRANDMOTHER' PATTERN\r\nDesigned by Robert Venturi ( North American, born 1925)\r\nMade by Knoll International, New York, USA, 1984\r\nLaminated plywood with plastic laminate surface\r\n\r\nGiven by the manufacturer\r\nW.21-1990\r\n\r\nDesigned by the architect (designer of the recent extension to the National Gallery), it is one of a series of chairs based in literally superficial interpretations of historic styles.  Although cut-out plywood is normally an inexpensive manufacturing technology, this series proved too expensive for the market place and is no longer produced.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["W.21-1990"],"accessionNumberNum":"21","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1990,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-29","recordCreationDate":"2000-09-25","availableToBook":false}}