A
A friend of mine has a circular Alvar Aaalto dining table with similar leg extensions, only they were done by her Father In Law in the late 40s/ early 50s (we believe)
I find them quite charming..as part of the tables history.
..plus- it seems to sit at the right height now..is the dining table low normally ?
Aak !
Somebody wanted a more upright posture -- perhaps an older person (with an ample derriere) ? Could this be a library in a retirement home ?
With my first (and only) white cast-resin chairs, which were quite comfortable, I found that if I temporarily attached a dowel to the rear leg, raising it just an inch or so, the posture was better for dining. Perhaps there's a market for an adjustable chair ?
The ebay listing explains the...
The ebay listing explains the extensions this way: "The reason being I was told was that the elders of the church were very tall and they loved the feel of the chairs but they were to short so they took them to a wood worker in town and had the leg extensions added, they almost look like they belong to them, the woodworker did very nice work and even matched the color of the stain. The extensions were slotted to accept the width of the legs."
That explanation, coupled with Robert and SDR's comments lead me to remember that form follows function. It appears these church elders thoughtfully adjusted the seats' form so that they could enjoy them. Good for the elders.
So, SDR, if there's not a market for adjustable yet beautiful chairs, there probably should be. Unless function follows form, in which case the tall church elders should be ashamed of themselves.
I think
I would have preferred a metal extension (?), as these wooden ones (despite the comment) don't really match the original wood -- an almost impossible feat, in fact. And the difference in taper between front and rear legs means that something other than the simple extension of the existing lines wanted to be found, to avoid the uncomfortable difference in the terminal dimension as seen. But it looks like a nice neat job nevertheless.
Thanks for the pics, in any event, and the interesting discussion that results.
Stilettos
There's an unintentional sexiness to these chairs much like a woman in stilettos. Not necessarily classy...awkward if anything. Folk art appeal, yes that makes sense now. With that in mind, be nice if whomever wins these leaves the stilettos intact. Although I wouldn't cry foul as I would have removed them myself...seller is local and a brief moment of optimism gushed over me. Why do these chairs currently command such high prices? They were going for 150-500 8 years ago. Depressed US Dollar the culprit? Mass produced including current production and knock-offs makes them quite prolific around the globe.
Perhaps
leaving the "high heels" in place would be preferable to the holes that would be revealed if they were removed. . .
It would be interesting to compare the "sit" of these unique chairs to that of the DCW. Certainly there would be an advantage for the overly-large sitter . . .?
Perhaps
leaving the "high heels" in place would be preferable to the holes that would be revealed if they were removed. . .
It would be interesting to compare the "sit" of these unique chairs to that of the DCW. Certainly there would be an advantage for the overly-large sitter . . .? (It may be that these are still not high enough for dining. The standard LCW is pretty low.)
This
is exactly why I no longer own one of these. While I find them beautiful, I don't see the point of having to alter a design to have your needs met. I prefer to buy designs that work for me in their original state. This has led to my increased appreciation of Saarinen. His designs realy seem to be more in tune with comfort and form as equals than most.
How old are they?
When did the church guys buy these chairs? If these are vintage chairs and the church guys bought them new back in the day then they had no way of knowing that they were altering future icons that would eventually be worth a small fortune.
In my "regular" antiques business, I see this all the time with pine farm tables. Folks in the fifties cut the legs down on their grandma's old pine scrub top kitchen tables to make coffee tables out of them. They, too, had no way of knowing that fifty years later, people would be screaming for old pine kitchen tables for their "Tuscan" style McMansions.
I did a Test drive
I could not resist and have occasionally wondered about altering the sitting angle on the DCW myself. While I love looking at it I rarely sit in it. Those low slinky lines are not compatible with creaky bones and joints and getting up unassisted can be a chore.
As an aside, I have some previous experience in altering the Eames aesthetic. I elected to tinker with the backrest on my DCM the first day they arrived. I shimmed the bottom of the shock mounts to tilt the backrest forward mimicking the DCW. The DCW backrest is angled differently and has a steeper tilt while the wooden support allows a little flex which enhances the comfort for me.
I pulled out some thick books and piled them under the legs of my LCW, simulating the stance of the chairs in the photo. The seating position is comfortable and mimics my alteration of the DCM because the LCW backrest is tilted at a greater angle by design for reclining. The larger seat and back rest surface area allows a bit more wiggle room and getting up is much less cumbersome.
So all in all, this is a reasonable and functional modification by my standards.
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