Zigzag Chair, 1973 Original Manufacturer: Cassina > Designer: Gerrit Thomas Rietveld > Country: Italy

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of a cantilevered seat, and is composed of four wood boards articulated end-to-end to form an extremely eye-catching example of an unstable structure.‎ Eschewing the traditional legs-seat-back sequence, Rietveld created a ribbon of wood forming a Z-shape.‎ The crafts mastery of Cassina’s carpenters is seen in the execution of the dove-tail joints, which add to the beauty of the piece.‎ The aesthetic uniqueness of this piece can be seen particularly well in the coloured version, its open-pore finish highlighting the veins of the wood on the front and sides.‎ This finish reflects a number of variations on the theme made by Rietveld, designed to highlight the relationship between the vertical, oblique and horizontal lines.‎