An early Rietveld painted ''crate'' chair, with authenticity/provenance report. The chair was made between 1935 and at latest 1950, confirmed as possibly 1930s.
Designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1934, the so called ''Crate furniture'' series was among the most radical furniture concepts of its time. Made from standard pine boards, the same modest material used for packing crates, and constructed as efficiently as possible with minimal loss of material, the series employed visible screws, open joints, and no attempt whatsoever to disguise its structure. The series was conceived in a period of economic depression, but it was never merely a matter of economy. The use of simple, inexpensive pine boards, visible screws, open joints and an honest mode of construction formed part of a larger idea: furniture stripped of excess, reduced to its essentials, and defined by a deliberate austerity.
For many of his contemporaries, furniture was expected to hide its construction, privilege costly materials, and express craftsmanship through refinement of finish. Rietveld reversed that logic entirely. His crate furniture was as intelligent as it was confrontational, and it proved deeply controversial. One critic even felt compelled to denounce the designs in an architectural magazine, describing them as a degeneration of the craft.
Rietveld responded characteristically sharp. He defended the beauty of ordinary pine, the calm rhythm of repeated planks, and the frankness of a construction that did not hide its screws or seams. He also argued that the humble shipping crate embodied a wonderfully direct building method: strong, light, cheerful in colour, and free from the anxieties of overworked craftsmanship. Someone, he said, finally had to choose the crate over the “furniture.”
When Metz & Co took the series into production in 1935, it did so somewhat cautiously, presenting it as “weekend furniture” intended for holiday homes or student rooms. That hesitation is telling. Even progressive circles still needed to soften the impact of what Rietveld was proposing. Yet the new furniture soon found its way into the display windows of the renowned department store. It could be ordered in natural pine or painted in any colour desired. Production and sales continued into the 1960s.
This history is what gives an early crate chair its real importance today. It is more than just one of Rietveld’s designs: it is also a distilled statement of De Stijl thinking and of his wider vision for furniture as something democratic, experimental, anti-ornamental, and intellectually free. As such, it remains one of the most groundbreaking ideas in furniture design. Its lasting power lies precisely in the spirit that once made it so radical.
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888-1964) is widely regarded as one of the most important Dutch architects and furniture designers of the twentieth century. The son of a carpenter, he was trained by his father as a cabinetmaker before establishing his own workshop in 1917. By 1919 he had joined the De Stijl movement, which helped define his progressive visual language. Throughout his career, Rietveld pursued an avant-garde approach in which architecture and furniture were rethought in relation to modern life, always seeking a clearer harmony between structure, use, and space.
Designer
Gerrit Rietveld
Manufacturer
G.A. van de Groenekan (Rietvelds' furniture maker)
Design Period
1934
Production Period
1934 - 1939 (estimated)
Country of Manufacture
Netherlands
Identifying Marks
Authenticated on basis of expert research (more info on request)
Style
De Stijl, Modernist, Minimalist, Avant Garde, Rationalist
Detailed Condition
Good considering almost 100 years of age, original white paint has darkened evenly. Some paintlosses. Otherwise stable and sturdy, perfectly usable. Paintwork will be scientifically examined to determine the age (pre of post war)
Restoration and Damage Details
No restorations, left in its original condition. On request we can have paint touched up professionally
