Vintage Eleh Bench by Sergio Rodrigues, Rosewood, 1960s, Brazilian Midcentury
About the Item
- Creator:OCA Brazil (Manufacturer),Sergio Rodrigues (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 13.98 in (35.5 cm)Width: 59.06 in (150 cm)Depth: 26.97 in (68.5 cm)Seat Height: 13.98 in (35.5 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Wood refinishing is included.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Sergio Rodrigues
The prolific architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues is often called the "father of modern Brazilian design," but it is the second adjective in that phrase that deserves emphasis: Rodrigues’s great achievement was to create furniture in a style that captured the spirit, character and personality of his country.
Modernity came slowly to 20th-century Brazil, politically and culturally. The nation finally realized genuine constitutional democracy in 1945, ushering in a new, progressive era in the arts. Until that time, heavy furniture based on historical European models had been the norm. In the late 1940s, designer Joaquim Tenreiro introduced sleek, minimalist chairs and cabinets; José Zanine Caldas, now best known for his later artisanal work, created plywood furnishings for mass-production; the Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi, a former editor for the Gio Ponti-founded magazine Domus, set up shop in São Paulo, designing elegant, flexible chairs set on slim metal frames.
This was the heady scene into which Rodrigues, the son of an artistically prominent Rio de Janeiro family, arrived after graduating in 1952 from the national university. He established Oca Industries in 1955, a company that would become the preeminent maker of modernist furniture in Brazil. When architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer were tasked in 1956 with the whirlwind project to plan, design and build the new capital, Brasília, in five years, they used Rodrigues’s early chairs, with their softly-contoured lines and caned seats and backrests, to furnish many of the buildings.
Rodrigues would realize the true expression of his talents in — and garner international awards and acclaim with — his Mole chair of 1957. The word mole means "soft" in Portuguese, but can be interpreted as "easygoing" or even "listless." Rodrigues's chair features a sturdy, generously proportioned frame of the native South American hardwood jacaranda, upholstered with overstuffed leather pads that flap like saddlebags across the arms, seat, and backrest. It is a chair that invites sprawling — perfect for the social milieu of the bossa nova and caipirinha cocktails; where a languorous afternoon spent chatting and joking is the apex of enjoyment.
Most of the estimated 1,200 armchairs, sofas, tables, storage cabinets and dining tables Rodrigues designed in his long career are imbued, in one way or another, with this air of robust relaxation. Sergio Rodrigues was a designer true to the temperament of his people.
Bossa Furniture
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: sao paulo , Brazil
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Vintage Mucki Bench in Rosewood by Sergio Rodrigues, 1958, Brazilian MidcenturyBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned in 1958 by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) and manufactured by Oca, the Mucki bench is an incredible and versatile piece – ideal for different kinds ...Category
Antique 1650s Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsHardwood
- Vintage "Kiko" Rosewood Armchair by Sergio Rodrigues, 1960s, Midcentury BrazilBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYMade in Jacarandá rosewood, this Sergio Rodrigues piece has originally upholstered in yellow leather, circular chrome accents, and chrome casters. This chair was created to furnish t...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Midcentury Brazilian Rosewood Luxor Daybed by Sergio Rodrigues, 1962By OCA Brazil, Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1962, Daybed Luxor was formerly part of Hotel Luxor's bedroom in São Paulo, which had its interior design signed by the designer. The furniture gained countless variations of use by the hands of Sergio Rodrigues himself. Sophisticated and versatile, the Daybed Luxor can be used as a single bed or as a charming compact sofa. Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) was responsible for establishing a new paradigm in design, setting himself apart with his own language in his investigation of a recognizable Brazilian identity. Rodrigues became notorious for using thick woods pieces of Rosewood, Peroba, and Imbuia to create quintessential icons. His exceptional Mole armchair...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsRosewood
- Rosewood Two-Seat Millor Sofa, Sergio Rodrigues Modern Design, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio Rodrigues, OCA BrazilLocated in New York, NYOriginal condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Rosewood Three-Seat Millor Sofa, Sergio Rodrigues Modern Design, Brazil, 1960sBy OCA Brazil, Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYOriginal condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage 'Mole' Sofa by Sergio Rodrigues, 1960s, Midcentury BrazilianBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYThe iconic Mole sofa is Sergio Rodrigues' signature piece designed between 1956 and 1957, giving rise to the famous and award-winning Mole armchair. In Portu...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Sergio Rodrigues Eleh Jacaronda Coffee Table or Bench, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Brooklyn, NYSergio Rodrigues Eleh Jacaronda coffee table or bench, Brazil, 1965. "Eleh" model from the "Arcos" series, Made by Oca, Brazil, 1965. Jacaranda (Brazilian Rosewood) veneered wood, ch...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsJacaranda
- Eleh Side Table / Bench by Sérgio Rodrigues, Circa 1965By Sergio RodriguesLocated in São Paulo, SPOriginally designed for Bloch Company in 1965 this exquisite bench, that also play as a side board has time patina waiting for the customers definition on how the restoration work should be done. Hardwood veneer rectangular box with shaped corners, solid hardwood legs, chrome-plated brass trim. The pice is made in jacarandá wood. Literature: Soraia Cals, Sérgio Rodrigues, ed. Icatu, 2000 Aric Chen, Brazilian Modern, ed. The Monacelli Press, 2016. Sergio Roberto Santos...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsMetal
- Midcentury Brazilian Wood Bench with Suede Upholstery by Sérgio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Sao Paulo, SPWe work with artisans who masterfully restore typical pieces from each period of our history, valuing their different preservation techniques. Teamwork has built this pioneering comp...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsSuede, Wood
- Mid-Century Modern "Mocho" Stool by Sergio Rodrigues for OCA, Brazil, 1950sBy OCA Brazil, Sergio RodriguesLocated in Deerfield Beach, FLMid-Century Modern "Mocho" Stool by Sergio Rodrigues for OCA, Brazil, 1950s Inspired by the traditional cow-milking stools used in Brazil, the three-legged Mocho is a 1954 creation...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Sofa by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil 1960sBy Sergio Rodrigues, OCA BrazilLocated in Deerfield Beach, FLMid-Century Modern sofa by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s The two-seater sofa designed by Sergio Rodrigues and manufactured by OCA in Brazil in the 1960s is a timeless piece of fur...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Plywood
- Mucki Bench by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in London, GBIconic "Mucki" bench designed by Sergio Rodrigues. Provence: private collection in the South of Brazil.Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsHardwood