Switzerland, 1920s
Beech wood and Viennese cane, 54.5 × 33.5 × 47 cm
Excellent condition, with minor signs of wear consistent with age.
A remarkably spare piece of early Swiss modernism, Max Ernst Haefeli’s Model 294 stool reduces seating to an economical arrangement of line, curve and material. Produced by Horgenglarus in warm blonde beech, it exemplifies Haefeli’s mastery of bentwood craftsmanship and timeless modernist form.
The slender frame’s gently curved seat introduces softness to the otherwise rigorous geometry, while the original woven Viennese cane provides a light, tactile counterpoint to the timber. Nothing is concealed or superfluous: construction, proportion and function are expressed with unusual clarity.
Associated with the functionalist principles of Swiss Neues Bauen, the stool feels strikingly contemporary a century after its conception. Its modernity comes not from stylistic gesture, but from the economy and precision with which material, structure and purpose are brought together.
Switzerland, 1920s
Beech wood and Viennese cane, 54.5 × 33.5 × 47 cm
Excellent condition, with minor signs of wear consistent with age.
A remarkably spare piece of early Swiss modernism, Max Ernst Haefeli’s Model 294 stool reduces seating to an economical arrangement of line, curve and material. Produced by Horgenglarus in warm blonde beech, it exemplifies Haefeli’s mastery of bentwood craftsmanship and timeless modernist form.
The slender frame’s gently curved seat introduces softness to the otherwise rigorous geometry, while the original woven Viennese cane provides a light, tactile counterpoint to the timber. Nothing is concealed or superfluous: construction, proportion and function are expressed with unusual clarity.
Associated with the functionalist principles of Swiss Neues Bauen, the stool feels strikingly contemporary a century after its conception. Its modernity comes not from stylistic gesture, but from the economy and precision with which material, structure and purpose are brought together.
