Pierre Jeanneret High Round Stool, Chandigarh, c.1960s

High round stool by Pierre Jeanneret from the Chandigarh furniture program, circa 1960s, presented with a contemporary dark shearling seat. Its circular upholstered top stands above a spare vintage teak base with three tapered legs and a metal ring stretcher. Jeanneret’s furniture for Chandigarh included modest working stools as well as the city’s better-known armchairs, desks and cabinets. These compact forms belonged to the same architectural project in post-independence India, bringing a disciplined approach to construction into everyday institutional interiors. A small seat, a few supporting members and a system of stretchers could produce an unusually expressive object. The designs reveal Jeanneret’s interest in proportion and practical woodworking, allowing the geometry of the support to remain visible rather than concealing it behind decoration. The legs spread gently toward the floor, establishing a stable triangular stance beneath the round seat. A circular metal ring links the supports at a lower level, introducing a second horizontal circle into the composition. The combination of timber, metal and upholstery makes the successive layers of the object easy to read. The dark shearling brings a dense, tactile surface to the top while leaving the warm teak legs visible. Its softness contrasts with the straight taper of the supports and the thin line of the ring. Viewed in profile, the uninterrupted legs emphasize the stool’s height, while the small circular seat keeps its proportions compact. The timber retains the irregular grain and surface character of a vintage institutional furnishing. Surviving pale painted inventory lettering is visible on the circular timber seat rim beneath the shearling. It includes “P.G.I.” and the letters “ST”, together with an inventory-number sequence. PGI identifies the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, founded in 1962. The stencil therefore records the stool’s institutional service within the city’s medical and educational infrastructure. The smaller administrative letters and worn numerals remain part of the individual frame’s history. Their softened paint, set against the darker teak, gives this modest working stool a direct connection to its earlier use. 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. The present upholstery is a later treatment of the vintage structure. Dimensions: approximately 14 inches in diameter and 24 inches high. Provenance: private collection, Chandigarh, India, as recorded by Studio Balestra. Accompanied by a Studio Balestra Certificate of Authenticity. Product Type: Stools