Iconic modernist designs by the ‘visionaries of Chandigarh’ Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, along with creations by George Nakashima—all of these will feature at the Design Sale to be organised by Saffronart on 18-19 April 2017. Also featuring Art Deco furniture sets and pieces, the sale objects are open for viewing before the auction, from 7-19th April. The Chandigarh furniture highlights the care Le Corbusier and Pierre took, when in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad, to train local carpenters and furniture makers to achieve a finesse that was essential to their design. Their chairs, tables, and desks complemented the modernist and egalitarian tenets of their architecture. Featuring mostly teak and cane, the four-seater cinema bench, cane-backed office armchair, and the iconic student chair are distinctly modernist in style. But the real treasure is the Chandigarh Demountable Desk, much like the ones that graced the halls of the Chandigarh High Court. The impeccable and intricate workmanship is hidden in plain sight, visible only to those really looking for it. American architect George Nakashima saw furniture as an extension of the life of a tree and used the most innate characteristics of natural wood, including the burls, knots and grain, to inform his design. Nakashima’s chairs that were made in India are exquisitely crafted from locally available materials. They embody his spiritual aesthetic and the unique beauty of the wood he so admired.
