Maharam Pillow, Quatrefoil by Alexander Girard
About the Item
- Creator:Alexander Girard (Designer),Maharam (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 5 in (12.7 cm)
- Style:Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2001
- Production Type:New & Custom(Current Production)
- Estimated Production Time:Available Now
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Alexander Girard
The director of design for the textiles department at Herman Miller, Inc., from 1952 to 1973, mid-century modern visionary Alexander Girard introduced bright, bouncy colors to upholstery and drapery fabrics, created jaunty graphics for marketing and advertising materials and devised motifs for everything from textiles to ceramics based on his true love: folk art from cultures around the globe.
The son of an American mother and an Italian father, Girard (known as Sandro to his friends) was born in New York City in 1907 but raised in Florence. He came from a creative family — his father was a master woodworker — and Girard began drawing and making his own playthings as a youngster. He had a fascination for nativity crèche tableaux, an enthusiasm that likely was the germ for his later interest in folk art. He went on to earn degrees in architecture at schools in both Rome and London before returning to New York in the 1930s and working in interior design.
By the 1940s, he and his wife, Susan, had moved to Detroit, where Girard was head of design for Detrola, a firm specializing in tabletop radios. The elegant bentwood housings that he developed for the devices won him acclaim, but, more importantly, at Detrola he met Charles Eames. The two became lifelong friends, and it was Eames who drew Girard toward Herman Miller, which had no dedicated textile department until Girard arrived, and most of its furniture was upholstered in mundane, “safe” hues. Girard changed all that, introducing fabrics in vivid shades of red, orange, yellow and blue. His early designs incorporated geometric motifs — stripes, circles, square, triangles and such. But toward the end of the 1950s he began to introduce folk art themes into his designs.
Girard did not collect important or expensive folk pieces. Rather he was drawn to simple objects such as handmade toys, figurines and models of animals, buildings and plants. The fabrics that emerged had whimsical, lighthearted motifs depicting, for example, angels, children, birds and flowers. Toward the end of his term with Herman Miller, in an effort to achieve what he termed “aesthetic functionalism,” Girard produced a group of what he called “Environmental Enrichment” pieces — silk-screened cotton panels emblazoned with various graphic designs, from bold geometric patterns to folk art themes. They were meant to divide spaces in offices or the home in lieu of walls while simultaneously functioning as art. Today, panels of vintage Girard upholstery textiles have become premium collectibles. The designer's furniture is less well known, primarily because most of it was created for private commissions.
Girard’s most lasting contribution may be his folk art collection. He and Susan had begun gathering pieces shortly after their marriage, in 1936. By the 1970s, they had amassed the world’s largest collection of cross-cultural folk art, composed of more than 100,000 pieces from around the world. The Girards donated their holdings to the Museum of International Folk Art, in Santa Fe (where they had moved in the ’60s), quintupling the institution’s collection, and a new wing — named for the Girards — had to be built to hold it.
Find a striking range of vintage Alexander Girard seating, tables, textiles and other furnishings on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 30 days of delivery.
- Maharam Pillow, Palio by Alexander GirardBy Alexander Girard, MaharamLocated in New York, NYMaharam Pillow Palio by Alexander Girard 002 Sky Palio by Alexander Girard, 1964 draws its motifs, colors and name from the famous bareback horse race held semi-annually in Siena, I...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws
MaterialsCotton, Nylon
- Maharam Pillow, Names by Alexander GirardBy Alexander Girard, MaharamLocated in New York, NYMaharam Pillow Names by Alexander Girard 001 Crimson on White In his design work, Alexander Girard repeatedly explored an interest in the characters and symbols that comprise langu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws
MaterialsCotton, Polyester
- Maharam Pillow, Checker by Alexander GirardBy Alexander Girard, MaharamLocated in New York, NYMaharam Pillow Checker by Alexander Girard 010 Blue Gray/Emerald Designed by Alexander Girard for the Herman Miller textile division in 1965, checker is a simple checkerboard design...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws
MaterialsCotton, Polyester
- Maharam Pillow, Checker by Alexander GirardBy Alexander Girard, MaharamLocated in New York, NYMaharam Pillow Checker by Alexander Girard 009 Ultramarine/Turquoise Designed by Alexander Girard for the Herman Miller textile division in 1965, checker is a simple checkerboard de...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws
MaterialsCotton, Polyester
- Maharam Pillow, Checker Split by Alexander GirardBy Alexander Girard, MaharamLocated in New York, NYMaharam Pillow Checker Split by Alexander Girard 001 Black/White Checker Split exemplifies Alexander Girard’s lifelong exploration of geometric motifs. Designed for the Herman Mill...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws
MaterialsCotton, Polyester
- Maharam Pillow, Lanalux by Alexander Girard, 1970By Maharam, Alexander GirardLocated in New York, NYMaharam pillow Lanalux by Alexander Girard, 1970 002 Umber Exploring texture, fiber variation, and color, Lanalux is a timeless and versatile textile that was originally designed b...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws
MaterialsWool
- Rare Alexander Girard Detrola Radio, circa 1946, ModernistBy Alexander GirardLocated in Buffalo, NYNice original working condition,, replaced back.. Signed with stamped manufacturer’s mark to underside: [12132]. USA Medium Design/Decorative Art Manufacturer Detrola Radio...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Musical Instruments
MaterialsBrass
- Chumbes Pillow 2 by Mae EngelgeerLocated in Geneve, CHChumbes pillow 2 by Mae Engelgeer. Materials: 100% Cotton. Technique: Hand-woven in Colombia. Dimensions: W 80 x H 80 cm Available in colors: Lila/ brick/ gold/ terra. Also a...Category
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
MaterialsCotton
- Chumbes Pillow 2 by Mae EngelgeerLocated in Geneve, CHChumbes pillow 2 by Mae Engelgeer. Materials: 100% Cotton. Technique: Hand-woven in Colombia. Dimensions: W 80 x H 80 cm Available in colors: Lila/ brick/ gold/ terra. Also a...Category
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
MaterialsCotton
- Maraca Pillow 1 by Sebastian HerknerLocated in Geneve, CHMaraca pillow 1 by Sebastian Herkner Materials: 100% Cotton. Technique: Hand-woven in Colombia. Dimensions: W 50 x H 50 cm Available in colors: verde/ purpura/ rojo, naranja/ ...Category
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
MaterialsWool
- Maraca Pillow 2 by Sebastian HerknerLocated in Geneve, CHMaraca pillow 2 by Sebastian Herkner Materials: 100% cotton. Technique: Hand-woven in Colombia. Dimensions: W 60 x H 40 cm Available in colors: green / purple / red, orange / ...Category
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
MaterialsWool
- Maraca Pillow 3 by Sebastian HerknerLocated in Geneve, CHMaraca Pillow 3 by Sebastian Herkner Materials: 100% Cotton. Technique: Hand-woven in Colombia. Dimensions: W 80 x H 80 cm Available in colors: verde/ purpura/ rojo, naranja/ dora...Category
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
MaterialsWool