Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret

Chandigarh, India
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Eric Touchaleaume and Gerald Moreau, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, The Indian Adventure: Design-Art-Architecture, Paris, 2010, pp. 19, 169, 567-568
Galerie Patrick Seguin, ed., Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret: Chandigarh, India, Paris, 2014, pp. 136, 139, 282

One chair: Overall very good condition consistent with age and use. The wooden frames with minor scuffs and scratches throughout. Minor chips at the joints. One split to the rear left leg proper, approximately 17 cm in length which has been sensitively restored. A loss to the same area, approximately 2 cm in length below the split. The front right leg proper with an area approximately 18 cm long which has been sensitively repaired with wax. A minor loss to the same area approximately 4 cm in length. Rear right armrest with an area of veneer that has been replaced, measuring approximately 3 x 3 cm. An area of veneer has been replaced to the inside of the rear right leg proper, approximately 8 x 3 cm. Old screw holes on the inside of both stretchers which are not visible whenthe chair is upright. The other chair: Overall very good condition consistent with age and use. Scattered scuffs, scratches and dents throughout the frames. An area of veneer to the rear right leg proper measuring approximately 8 x 3 cm has been replaced with a further area to the base of the same leg, measuring 2 x 2.5 has also been replaced. An area of veneer to the rear left leg proper has been replaced, measuring 12 x 2 cm. Two hairline cracks to the same leg, near the joint of the armrest, one measures 11 cm, the other 8 cm and both appear stable. The upholstery on both chairs is newer.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Mentored by his cousin Charles Edouard Jeanneret – better known as Le Corbusier – Pierre Jeanneret was the more hands-on and slightly overshadowed architect of the pair, whose project for the design of the city of Chandigarh in India remains one of the most significant and iconic Modernist architectural designs. Collaborating for well over 20 years with Le Corbusier, he worked on developing the furniture and interiors in which the designs were iterated for use by residents and city officials alike. Pierre Jeanneret stayed in Chandigarh after its completion, appointed Head Architect by the Administration of the city.

Working with the simplicity and strength of raw materials, Pierre Jeanneret produced a range of furniture that not only accessorised and accompanied the people and their activities in the city but also grew to encapsulate the myth of the Chandigarh utopia.