683 Reclining Chair Frame
Charles Eames, Ray Eames
1958
This frame for the model 683 reclining chair appears almost more sculptural than functional. This is fitting considering an observation Charles once made about the casting process, which he described as so open-ended that at times, “you find yourself face to face with sculpture, and it can scare the pants off you.” Regarding the frame as a work of art can also prompt fresh consideration of its structure and form. For instance, without its pad it becomes more apparent that the reclining chair’s two side members end in a subtle curve that produces the illusion of a scroll-like terminus. These kinds of details resulted from the Eameses’ painstaking design process, which was highly responsive to user feedback. They gathered such feedback from multiple sources, including not only their clients but also their staff. As Charles once put it when discussing the EAG chairs, it was “the people that work in the factory with us day by day who would flop down in one at the end of a hard day and from whom we would really get our feedback, our clues.”
- Manufacturer: Herman Miller, Inc.
- Medium:Aluminum, steel, nylon
- Dimensions:39 1/2 x 21 3/4 x 28 1/2 in. (100.3 x 55.2 x 72.4 cm)
- Item:2023.39.1
