Pierre Jeanneret Cane Stool, Chandigarh, c.1960s

High cane stool by Pierre Jeanneret from the Chandigarh furniture program, circa 1960s. A round woven seat rests on three slender teak legs linked by wooden stretchers, producing a tall, open silhouette with a light seating surface. 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 rectangular legs taper and spread gently toward the floor. Lower stretchers connect them in a triangular arrangement, giving the base a visible geometry beneath the circular top. The woven cane is contained by a timber rim, making the transition between the flexible seating surface and the supporting frame clear. The small scale of the seat contrasts with the height of the legs, and the open intervals keep the object visually spare. The pale cane grid allows light through the top, while the teak supplies a warmer, more substantial outline. Differences in grain, rubbed edges and surface tone preserve the character of the vintage frame beneath the woven surface. Painted inventory inscriptions run down the upper teak legs of the photographed stools. The readable markings include “ZOO. ENT. 102/C” and “ZOO. ENT. 87/C”, with the numbers painted above the letter C. Studio Balestra associates the ZOO. ENT. designation with zoology and entomology at Panjab University, Chandigarh. The university’s Department of Zoology moved to its Chandigarh campus in July 1960, placing these circa 1960s working stools within the context of the city’s developing scientific and educational interiors. The distinct inventory numbers and surviving pale lettering give the otherwise repeated design an individual institutional history. 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. Related high cane stools from Punjab University were catalogued by Wright in Design, February 2025, lot 193. Dimensions: approximately 15.25 inches in diameter and 26.5 inches high. Provenance: private collection, Chandigarh, India, as recorded by Studio Balestra. Accompanied by a Studio Balestra Certificate of Authenticity. Product Type: Stools