Jack Rogers Hopkins

number one from an edition of five

Sterling Associates, Palo Alto, CA
Private Collection, CA
Sotheby’s New York, March 13, 1998, lot 106

Edward S. Cooke, Jr., Gerald W.R. Ward, and Kelly H. L’Ecuyer, The Maker’s Hand: American Studio Furniture 1940-1990, Boston, 2003, p. 47
“Sterling Associates (Handcrafted Furniture),” Interior Design, May 1972, p. 60 (for a chair now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Dona Z. Meilach, Creating Modern Furniture: Trends, Techniques, Appreciation, New York, 1975, front cover (for a similar model)

Overall excellent condition, original finish. With almost no scratches to the wood surface. There is an 8 inch long separation between two of the wood planks and a 1inch long crack to the wood on the proper left where the back curves into the arm. There is a small chip on left side of the proper left front leg, as well as slight chips on the back of the left leg and right leg. A two-inch wood block missing from near the front of the proper right front leg, a condition issue that has existed at least since the prior sale at Sotheby's in 1992. Both legs are also slightly scuffed at the edges as would be expected. The front edge of the underside of the extended proper right arm (where it meets the leg) shows signs of what is likely glue or fill-in from restoration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Jack Rodgers Hopkins has been called the southern California counterpart to Wendell Castle because of his adventurous woodworking techniques and use of stack lamination. While Hopkins and other California craftsmen of the time brought a Golden State sensibility to modernism that humanized it and made it more comfortable, his pieces were also known for their high artistic and otherworldly qualities. Two of his most exuberant works were included in California Design Eleven (1971) at the Pacific Art Center in Pasedena. This "Edition" Chair exemplifies the swooping, aerodynamic feeling of much of Hopkins’s work, which is futuristic in style but at its heart still emphasizes the wood.