Low teak and cane lounge chairs by Pierre Jeanneret from the Chandigarh furniture program, circa 1950s–1960s. The broad woven seats, inclined rectangular backs and continuous timber arm supports give the chairs an open and relaxed architectural profile.
Jeanneret developed furniture alongside the architecture of Chandigarh, the new city created in post-independence India. Seating was an essential part of its offices, educational establishments and residential interiors. His designs brought modernist composition into direct contact with local woodworking: substantial timber members, economical joints and repeated forms gave ordinary furnishings a distinct architectural presence. The resulting furniture was made to be used, and its character emerges from the way a relatively small number of structural elements organize the body, the supporting frame and the spaces between them.
The armrests extend forward and turn downward into the front supports, creating a strong continuous outline at either side. Shorter angled rear legs support the reclining back, while the woven seat sits low within the timber structure. The fine cane grid contrasts with the thicker solid members around it.
Seen from the side, the relationship between the sloping back, the long armrest and the low seat establishes the chair’s lounge character. From behind, the rectangular caned panel remains fully visible within its timber border. The design relies on the balance of open woven surfaces and solid structural elements, with the natural variation of the teak giving each frame a distinct tone.
The rear stretchers preserve painted inventory inscriptions, “SBI/CH/BR III/164” and “SBI/CH/BR III/131”, beside small blue circular inventory marks. SBI denotes State Bank of India, while CH identifies Chandigarh; BR III forms part of the branch inventory designation. The separate numbers identify the two photographed frames. Painted onto the rear structural rails, the lettering links the chairs with the city’s banking interiors and remains visible when they are viewed from behind. These marks, together with the rubbed teak and open cane surfaces, preserve evidence of the chairs’ earlier working life.
The vintage teak retains variations in grain, color and surface wear, with softened edges and individual traces of use visible in the photographs. These details give the woodwork its material character and preserve the sense of a furnishing made for daily life in institutional or residential interiors.
Dimensions: approximately 21.25 inches wide, 28 inches deep, 28.75 inches high. Seat height: 14.75 inches. Arm height: 21.75 inches.
Provenance: private collection, Chandigarh, India, as recorded by Studio Balestra.
Accompanied by a Studio Balestra Certificate of Authenticity.
