eBay: Cassina Imperial Hotel Tokyo Lounge Chair

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Mon May 07, 2018 1:03 pm

Frank Lloyd Wright Imperial Hotel Tokyo Lounge Chair CASSINA Mid Century Modern

David

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon May 07, 2018 1:47 pm

Not certain that the Hollyhock version was an exact match for the Imperial chair, but at Barnsdall, the chair, as designed and built, included wood trim on the edge of the sides, from the base up to about 4" shy of the top of the arm, across to the back of the side and down again, as shown in an early photo in Hoffmann's book, page 71, and in original drawings in Barnsdall archive. It's a minor detail, but important. The Cassina chair also is not precisely shaped overall like Barnsdall, if you compare the Hoffmann photo with the attached Cassina photos.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue May 08, 2018 10:54 am

I recall a previous discussion on the Hollyhock chair; for some reason these are the only images in my files.

1705.44

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Tue May 08, 2018 5:16 pm

That drawing is imprecise as concerns the detailing, as well as the arm slanting rather than being horizontal, as built. The photo shows a chair after being reupholstered at least twice. The 3 chairs that survive had all been redone sometime in the past, and the wood trim removed on all. When they were reupholstered in the 80s, the wood trim was not added.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue May 08, 2018 6:54 pm

I seem to recall seeing a photo - or a drawing -- of the chair with molding, but have no idea now where that would be; presumably on a previous thread now unavailable by searching.

(Someone must ask if we can expect the Search function will be fully restored. Should I contact Joel H ?)

SDR

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Wed May 09, 2018 11:55 am

There is a photograph of Hollyhock in Donald Hoffmann's book on the house, page 71, as noted above.

More than the wood trim, I think the Cassina version overall lacks the crispness of the original, it's a bit lumpen.

CEP · Post by **CEP** » Wed May 09, 2018 12:21 pm

Imperial chair w/o the trim (taken during her honeymoon with Joltin' Joe), although the chair next to Marilyn appears to have a different wood trim from the Hollyhock picture from Hoffman.

SREcklund · Post by **SREcklund** » Wed May 09, 2018 12:24 pm

Sorry about the big pic, but sometimes, details matter. On the left - the Hoffman image; on the right, the current Hollyhock chair ...

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Wed May 09, 2018 12:37 pm

Thanks for that, Stan.
I notice that the B&W image with the pendant light shows a wood trim to the concrete column I have never noticed before. That makes sense. The color photo indicates it has not been restored.
Not to nitpick, but the smoke alarm could have been tucked a couple of feet to the left, next to the column, out of sight.
Stan, are there plans to reinstate the portieres, which FLW included in his plan? While he didn't like curtains, in this case they play an important part in the architecture of the living room.
Also, that window is an addition from '46 which should have been eliminated.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed May 09, 2018 4:13 pm

We like big pictures, especially when looking at details. (I hope no one is actually troubled, technically or otherwise, by my ever-larger images ? I'd be glad to be informed, if so . . .)

It's amazing how much time, money and trouble can be expended on a restoration, and still not get it right.

Could the little ceiling trim connecting that light fixture to the adjacent column have been necessary to hide some surface-mounted wiring ? That would be
the first thing that would occur to me. But maybe it was just a Wrightian nicety. We noted in studying the picture gallery for Boston that Wright seemed
to like to connect things, visually if not physically, in trimming his interiors. Objects seem to want to be "tied" securely to the larger composition.

The chair has something about it of Lloyd.

Bowler residence

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed May 09, 2018 6:11 pm

The lumpen semi-upholstered overstuffed thing in the Hollyhock color photo should be removed. As a placeholder it is perhaps unavoidable -- but surely not on a long-term basis ?

SDR

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Thu May 10, 2018 12:46 pm

SDR, that is actually an original chair very badly reupholstered. Ginny sent one chair to be redone, and the upholsterer, who had a very good reputation, thought the chair was under-scaled, so he threw out the frame and made a new one slightly larger. Fortunately, Ginny visited his place before he got around to emptying the trash and salvaged the throwaway.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Thu May 10, 2018 8:34 pm

Could that be a motion detector on the wall ? If so, perhaps the placement is critical to its performance. I can't imagine a reason not to color it, by way of camouflage, however.

Judging by what is seen in the photos, that chair -- with its historic frame apparently hidden inside -- should be stored carefully away, and a proper reproduction of the one in the historic photo made to replace it.

Easy for me to say, of course . . .

SDR

PrairieMod · Post by **PrairieMod** » Fri May 11, 2018 10:58 am

Stafford Norris III could build a new one perfectly faithful to the original design and it would absolutely shine!

SDR, you may have to work out the drawings and measurements first though

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Fri May 11, 2018 12:23 pm

A problem with the original construction is that there is no surviving drawing of exactly what holds that exposed wood strip in place. From the looks of it, the side panel was probably wood covered with fabric, with the upper and side edges showing through. Try to figure out how to construct that.