Description

This item is exclusive for The Vault by Robb Report: Pritzker Prize–winning architect Gordon Bunshaft, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was a driving force behind the International Style—the aesthetic influencing commercial buildings such as New York City’s Lever House—and a stern, swaggering presence nicknamed the architectural John Wayne. He even occasionally dabbled in residential design, as with his own home, dubbed the Travertine House, on East Hampton’s Georgica Pond: a thin-skinned, low-slung marble box of a building that embodied the essence of midcentury style. Sadly, that masterpiece was demolished 20 years ago, but a few remnants of its superb interior are still in existence, including this unique pair, which our research shows belonged in that home.

The house was completed in 1963, and this Charles and Ray Eames–designed chair and ottoman—a custom order from Bunshaft of ebonized-wooden panels—date back to that same year. The married design duo stipulated that their signature pieces should be offered exclusively in rosewood, so this exceptional finish was produced only for as prized a client as Bunshaft; the color of the wood behind the original paper labels, still affixed, is black, indicating that the finish was applied in the factory rather than by a rogue buyer.

These pieces were featured in images of the Travertine House taken by renowned architectural photographer Ezra Stoller, who was much sought-after by luminaries such as Bunshaft, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe, to immortalize their interiors—a process that earned the moniker Stollerization. In Stoller’s documentation of that Georgica Pond home, this limited edition from Herman Miller is readily visible, adding an extra frisson of prestige to already spectacular pieces.

The lounge chair measures 33 inches long, 33 inches wide, and is 31.5 inches high. It has a seat height of 15 inches and an arm height of 19 inches. The ottoman measures 21.5 inches long, 26 inches wide, and is 17.25 inches high. There are some scuffs and scratches on the bases, and some wear to the edges of the veneer. The wood panels show many decades of patina, and there are nicks and scratches on both. The leather shows some wear around the edges of the piping and has creases throughout. Overall, this important set is in very good vintage condition with age appropriate wear. Please see photos.