Vitra offers a collection of miniatures which represent the most important classics of modern furniture history. These miniatures are correct to the most minute detail of construction, materials and colors. They are not only valuable to collectors, but they are also useful educational tools for universities, schools of design and architects. There are currently almost 100 miniatures in the collection.
The company has a license agreement for each miniature with the designer or his estate. In many instances, the designers themselves have collaborated with Vitra to develop the miniatures. In return, Vitra honors the designer's copyright by paying royalties. Sale of the chairs provides financial support to the Vitra Design Museum.
Vitra came up with the chairs because universities frequently asked to borrow chairs from the Design Museum for design classes, and they realized that these scale models were much easier to ship and saved wear and tear on the fragile full-size models.
From design-museum.de
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| B3 Wassily/ Breuer, 1925 |
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| MR 20, Leder/ Mies van der Rohe, 1927 |
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| LCW/ Eames, 1945 |
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| Panton Chairs/ Panton, 1959/60 |
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| Art. 41 Paimio/ Aalto, 1930/31 |
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| Diamond Chair/ Bertoia, 1952 |
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| Ball Chair/ Aarnio, 1965 |
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| Lounge Chair & Ottoman/ Eames, 1956 |
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| Coconut Chair/ Nelson, 1955 |
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| CH24 Wishbone Chair/Wegner, 1949 |
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| La Chaise/ Eames, 1948 |
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| MR 90 Barcelona, Mies van der Rohe, 1929 |
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| Tulip Chair/ Saarinen, 1956 |
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| Chair No. 654 W/ Risom, 1941/1942 |
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Chaise longue à réglage continu
Le Corbusier / Jeanneret / Perriand, 1928 |
Don't tempt me! I have a dollhouse, but Mom and I filled it with Colonial Revival and stuff that was popular to decorate "fine" doll houses back in the day.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some of these miniatures sell for healthy prices!
@1950sarh: Oh,yeah...I forgot to mention that each one costs in the neighborhood of $200. But, like everything else in the world of design, there are knock-offs. A Japanese company makes a whole set for around $150.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the mini LCW/ Eames chair in many home tours on Apartment Therapy. I didn't even know about the other minis. They are just too cute. What a great idea, too, because people tend to swoon over little things (ie. baby clothes). $200 though? I bought my full size teak chair for that . . .
ReplyDelete@Tanya: At $200 a pop, it will be a reeeeeeeeeally long time before I start buying the miniatures. But they sure are fun to look at, huh? The attention to detail is amazing. You almost forget you're looking at miniatures and think they're the full-size object.
ReplyDeleteThey are fun to look at! Time to start buying lottery tickets :)
ReplyDeleteAh, I love these minis so much!! I just can't bring myself to spend that for tinee tinys though.
ReplyDelete@Tanya: It would take more than a lottery win to get me to part with $200 for one of them...but a lottery win AND a momentary lapse of reason might be enough. :)
ReplyDelete@Rhan Vintage: I'm with you. They represent a luxury I will probably never have...although I have been talking to my SIL about mounting a glass case on the wall behind our desk at the store and buying the less expensive sets to use as art. I can live vicariously, can't I? :)
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