A rare pair of museum stools designed by city architect H.H. van Zeggeren for the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, conceived for the opening of the museum in 1935 and used continuously within the institution. The stools belong to a restrained tradition of Dutch modernist furniture. These stools are commonly referred to as “Berlage stools,” a designation derived from the fact that the museum building for which they were designed was conceived by H.P. Berlage.
The design of the stools is characterized by a clear architectural logic. The four legs are executed as rectangular oak slats, oriented to appear slender in one elevation and more substantial in the other. This directional profile creates a subtle play of mass and light. The construction is legible and uncompromising, emphasizing proportion and structural clarity over ornament.
The seats are formed from bent beechwood, finished in black lacquer, providing a graphic contrast to the warm oak base. The seat plane is slightly inclined, introducing comfort through geometry rather than upholstery. The combination of oak and black-lacquered bentwood reflects a sober, functional material palette typical of institutional modernism.
Originally produced for museum use in 1935, the stools were reissued in small numbers on a limited basis in later years, always closely adhering to the original design and materials. They were never mass-produced and remain relatively scarce.
Suitable for both domestic interiors but also in an exhibition setting - particularly suitable for use in a gallery or museum context, where they can be sat on while viewing artworks, without visually competing with the space or the presentation.
The last picture shows how they are still being used iin the interior of the Kunstmuseum in Den Haag. interior
