Image source: Cassina — Willow 1 Armchair
© Cassina and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
Willow 1 Armchair
Willow 1: Charles Rennie Mackintosh's 1904 semi-circular-back armchair in ash, made by Cassina.
1904
Approx. $7,800 (reference price; varies by region and retailer)
Official product information
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Go to the official product pageDescription
Overview
The Willow 1 is an armchair with a tall semi-circular back designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904. Cassina re-edited it from the model he donated to the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow.
Construction
- Backrest: solid ash.
- Base: beech plywood with ash veneer.
- Finishing: black paint and matt, transparent, open pore finishing.
- Frame: elegant, light-weight and latticed, according to the sheet.
- Cushion: polyurethane foam with exclusive fabric in green or beige.
Specifications
- Model: 312 01-02 (sheet code), shown on the Cassina iMaestri sheet.
Story
From the Willow Tea Rooms
Cassina's page says the armchair starts from the model that the Scottish architect donated in 1904 to the Willow Tea Room in his native city, Glasgow. The sheet adds that the tall semi-circular back separated the entrance area from the tea-room behind it.
A latticed frame
The sheet describes the frame as elegant, light-weight and latticed, and says the carpentry skill shows in the precision needed to assemble its components.
