Vintage S11 solid elmwood & leather dining chair by Pierre Chapo, France 1960s

Pierre Chapo S11 solid elm and leather dining chairs were designed in the 1960s in France. These chairs have a cubic design of solid elmwood with a natural leather back and seating. They show absolutely stunning wood joints and were created as a result of the pioneering 48 x 72 assembly ratio. The thick saddle leather is lightly patinated during use and age and shows interesting stitching. We have a set of six chairs available, they are priced per piece. Pierre Chapo (1927-1987) was born in a family of craftsmen and trained as an architect at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Already from a young age, he felt the need to roam the world. He was only 21 when he left France in order to spend the next few years traveling through England and Scandinavia. In December of 1951, he was living back in Paris, where he met his future wife, Nicole. Their meeting was the beginning of a lifelong union. Together, the lovebirds traveled through South and North America is captivated by the architectural diversity. Back in France, he and his partner Nicole set up Société Chapo in 1957. Société Chapo was a design workshop and gallery in one where he showed his own creations. However, Nicole also presented her ceramics, textiles here and they even exhibited other great designers of that period. In 1958, they opened their famous gallery at 14 Boulevard de l’Hopital. Chapo’s work originated by means of special commissions that could later be adapted to universal needs. Throughout his career, Chapo combined his interest in contemporary design with his love for traditional craftsmanship. In his designs, he was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s balanced lines, Corbusier’s research on proportions, and the ideas of Bauhaus. The three principles that motivated Pierre Chapo were ’material, form, and function.’ He measured his furniture by means of the golden ratio and used elmwood as his preferred material. Unfortunately, Chapo fell ill, and he died in 1987, however, until his last day, he kept on designing and working.