Pierre Jeanneret Fireside Sofa, Chandigarh, c.1955-59

Low fireside sofa by Pierre Jeanneret from the Chandigarh furniture program, circa 1955–1959, presented in contemporary suede. The armless upholstered body combines a long padded seat and inclined back above broad, angular teak end supports. 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 side supports spread low across the floor and rise beneath the seat, producing a compact compass-like base. A long timber stretcher links the ends below the upholstered body. The back is continuous across the width and inclines above the seat, preserving the sofa’s generous but distinctly low profile. The suede follows the clean rectangular outlines of the seat and back, with a softly varied surface and dark piping at the edges. Seen from the side, the upholstered volume contrasts with the strong diagonals of the vintage teak base. The design’s sculptural presence comes from the balance between this broad reclining plane and the low supporting framework, which remains exposed beneath it. 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 timber has been refinished. The present upholstery is a later treatment of the vintage structure. Dimensions: approximately 64 inches wide, 28.5 inches deep, 28.5 inches high. Seat height: 16 inches. Provenance: private collection, Chandigarh, India, as recorded by Studio Balestra. Accompanied by a Studio Balestra Certificate of Authenticity. Dimensions: 64"W x 28.5"D x 28.5"H, SH 16" Product Type: Sofas Place of Origin: Chandigarh, India Date of Manufacture: 1955-56