Marcel Breuer Model B34 1930

A nickel plated steel cantilever armchair produced by Mücke-Melder (Frystat, Czechoslovakia) in 1930 based on the original Marcel Breauer B34 design of 1929. In order to bypass legal patent restrictions at the time on the single piece cantilever chair design this early version utilises both telescopic joints and side-by-side joints with hexagonal nuts. The chair has ebonised wooden arms and heavy canvas blue upholstery in excellent condition. The nickel finish is highly desirable on these early versions and has a lovely soft sheen with a warm tone. The chair has an interesting history as it was a wedding gift to the last owners in 1930 when they were living in Helsinki before moving to London in the 1950’s. Helsinki in 1930 was one of the design capitals of the world and a centre for the adoption of early modernism. This cantilever chair represents the fashion at the time for the cutting edge functional design aesthetic that was emerging.