David Rowland - Chair (8) - Howe 40/4 - Steel, Chrome, Fabric Square - Draft 1964

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18
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Current bid
€ 350
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Alexander Fahl
Expert
Selected by Alexander Fahl

Art historian with over 10 years' experience and expertise in Italian design.

Estimate  € 1,100 - € 1,300
IT
€350
IT
€250
IT
€150

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Eight Howe 40/4 stackable armchairs by David Rowland, with chrome-plated steel frames and dark blue Kvadrat fabric, made in the USA in the 1990s (design 1964), dimensions 60.5 cm wide, 53 cm deep, 77 cm high, seat height 45.5 cm, armrest height 66 cm.

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Description from the seller

Awesome 8er Set Howe 40/4 stackable armchairs in premium Kvadrat fabric in dark blue – David Rowland, USA, 1990s (designed 1964)

As conference or dining chairs.

With stacking trolley on request.

New price per chair in this execution and fabric variant is just under €900.

There are additional chairs available upon request.

The 40/4 is among the most significant chair designs of the 20th century and remains an icon of functional industrial design. With its exceptionally slender silhouette and the cleverly engineered tubular steel construction, David Rowland created a design that merged elegance, stability, and functionality in a way that had not been seen before.

Notably, David Rowland originally worked as an interior designer and was not part of the classical furniture designers of his time. Yet with this very design, he created one of the most successful and influential chairs in design history – a piece that is still used worldwide today in conference centers, universities, museums, libraries, and public buildings.

The chair became famous for its revolutionary stackability – the original version could be stacked up to 40 high on a base of only four feet (about 1.22 m). This technical innovation gave the model its name, 40/4, and set new benchmarks in the object furniture sector. The armchair version offered here follows the same elegant design language and construction, but due to the armrests it is stackable up to 25 units high.

The offered version with armrests, chrome-plated steel frame, and high-quality fabric upholstery belongs to the especially comfortable and well-equipped variants of the series. Despite its delicate appearance, the chair convinces with high stability, excellent seating comfort, and a timeless design that harmonizes with both modern and classic interiors.

A design classic whose form has remained almost unchanged for over six decades – a striking testament to the exceptional quality and timelessness of this design.

Designer: David Rowland
Manufacturer: Howe
Country: USA
Year: 1990s (designed 1964)
Material: Chrome-plated steel, fabric (Kvadrat)
Width: 60.5 cm
Height: 77 cm
Seat height: 45.5 cm
Armrest height: 66 cm
Depth: 53 cm

Since we deal in vintage furniture, signs of use are inevitable and part of the nature of used items. We therefore point out only major flaws and damages with separate pictures. We are nevertheless always striving, to the best of our ability, to capture the condition of the objects as accurately as possible.

The goods are subject to the margin tax under § 25a UStG; a VAT disclosure on the invoice will not be provided.

Seller's Story

Since we can remember we felt attracted to beauty and exceptional things. Aesthetic has always been more than something superficial for us. It was something magic going much deeper than the surface, creating positive feelings and energies. Harmonies, sacred proportions, colors and materials combined with time, create their very special energies and are mostly things that hardly can be described but always can be felt. To define beauty would be far to philosophical, but we think, if something touches you by the way it looks and gives you good energy at the same time, then it would define our personal definition of beauty. And if beauty is something that has no other purpose than making you feel good just by the way it looks, then beauty is something we surely do not want to miss in our lives. We thank existence for giving us all those unique materials and designs and all the talented designers and craftsmen for bringing their visions and abilities to life and sharing it, to bring us purpose combined with joy. We are glad to have the platform Catawiki where we can share our passion for extraordinary and beautiful things with like-minded people. Bülent Usta & Sarah-Larissa Kolmeder
Translated by Google Translate

Awesome 8er Set Howe 40/4 stackable armchairs in premium Kvadrat fabric in dark blue – David Rowland, USA, 1990s (designed 1964)

As conference or dining chairs.

With stacking trolley on request.

New price per chair in this execution and fabric variant is just under €900.

There are additional chairs available upon request.

The 40/4 is among the most significant chair designs of the 20th century and remains an icon of functional industrial design. With its exceptionally slender silhouette and the cleverly engineered tubular steel construction, David Rowland created a design that merged elegance, stability, and functionality in a way that had not been seen before.

Notably, David Rowland originally worked as an interior designer and was not part of the classical furniture designers of his time. Yet with this very design, he created one of the most successful and influential chairs in design history – a piece that is still used worldwide today in conference centers, universities, museums, libraries, and public buildings.

The chair became famous for its revolutionary stackability – the original version could be stacked up to 40 high on a base of only four feet (about 1.22 m). This technical innovation gave the model its name, 40/4, and set new benchmarks in the object furniture sector. The armchair version offered here follows the same elegant design language and construction, but due to the armrests it is stackable up to 25 units high.

The offered version with armrests, chrome-plated steel frame, and high-quality fabric upholstery belongs to the especially comfortable and well-equipped variants of the series. Despite its delicate appearance, the chair convinces with high stability, excellent seating comfort, and a timeless design that harmonizes with both modern and classic interiors.

A design classic whose form has remained almost unchanged for over six decades – a striking testament to the exceptional quality and timelessness of this design.

Designer: David Rowland
Manufacturer: Howe
Country: USA
Year: 1990s (designed 1964)
Material: Chrome-plated steel, fabric (Kvadrat)
Width: 60.5 cm
Height: 77 cm
Seat height: 45.5 cm
Armrest height: 66 cm
Depth: 53 cm

Since we deal in vintage furniture, signs of use are inevitable and part of the nature of used items. We therefore point out only major flaws and damages with separate pictures. We are nevertheless always striving, to the best of our ability, to capture the condition of the objects as accurately as possible.

The goods are subject to the margin tax under § 25a UStG; a VAT disclosure on the invoice will not be provided.

Seller's Story

Since we can remember we felt attracted to beauty and exceptional things. Aesthetic has always been more than something superficial for us. It was something magic going much deeper than the surface, creating positive feelings and energies. Harmonies, sacred proportions, colors and materials combined with time, create their very special energies and are mostly things that hardly can be described but always can be felt. To define beauty would be far to philosophical, but we think, if something touches you by the way it looks and gives you good energy at the same time, then it would define our personal definition of beauty. And if beauty is something that has no other purpose than making you feel good just by the way it looks, then beauty is something we surely do not want to miss in our lives. We thank existence for giving us all those unique materials and designs and all the talented designers and craftsmen for bringing their visions and abilities to life and sharing it, to bring us purpose combined with joy. We are glad to have the platform Catawiki where we can share our passion for extraordinary and beautiful things with like-minded people. Bülent Usta & Sarah-Larissa Kolmeder
Translated by Google Translate

Details

Era
1900-2000
Title additional information
Draft 1964
Number of objects
8
Country of origin
United States
Model
Howe 40/4
Designer/artist/maker
David Rowland
Material
Fabric Square, Chrome, Steel
Colour
Blue
Condition
Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear
Height
77 cm
Width
60.5 cm
Depth
53 cm
Estimated period
1990-2000
Seating height
45.5 cm
GermanyVerified
1070
Objects sold
100%
pro

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