T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Saridis Klismos Chairs in Walnut with Leather Thongs

This chair was part of the collection he designed for Saridis of Athens in 1961, inspired by the drawings he saw on ancient Greek vases. The Klismos chairs features a graceful curving back and sable curved legs. The woven seat is made of leather straps / thongs which are tight around the walnut frame. The design beholds Robsjohn-Gibbings’ philosophy of furniture design that is independent of time.

Manufacturer’s metal label DESIGNED BY T.H.ROBSJOHN-GIBBINGS / Manufactured by saridis of athens. Serial # 9544 &.

Please note that the item has been lightly restored by restoration atelier. Some signs of age and use are still visible.

This chair model is notably documented on the cover of “Furniture of Classical Greece,” written by Robsjohn-Gibbings and Carlton W. Pullin in 1963.

We love what Pilar Viladas said about this iconic design in the New York Times in 2010:
“T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings’s Klismos chair looks ancient and modern at the same time — because it is. Based on ancient Greek models, which had been widely copied in the 18th and 19th century, Robsjohn-Gibbings’s version made the klismos shape famous again in the 20th century. Obsessed with its elegant lines, he designed versions of the chair throughout his career, but the most recent examples have been made by Saridis in Athens since the early 1960s, when the designer met the company’s owners and settled in the Greek capital. Its simple but opulent curves hint at sleek penthouses with butlers who serve cocktails on the terrace at sunset. (Indeed, Robsjohn-Gibbings’s Saridis pieces have been collected by practitioners of the luxe life from Aristotle Onassis to Karl Lagerfeld.) It is also equally at home in both traditional and modern rooms. Which makes it neo and classical at the same time”.