Red Aniline CTW (Coffee Table Wood)

This coffee table design originates from the Eameses’ first group of plywood furniture that debuted in late 1945. Upon introduction, the designs were produced by industrial manufacturer Evans Products Company’s Molded Plywood Division, which the Eameses ran at the time, and distributed by Herman Miller (the latter took over production in 1949). This design has a round top made of five layers of plywood, which are molded together and shaped into a surface with a low, wide rim. The wood is colored with red aniline, an organic chemical compound commonly used in industrial production and chosen by the Eameses for its ability to dye wood without obscuring the appearance of its grain and to maintain its integrity in the event of dings or chips. This aligns well with the modernist tenet of “truth to materials,” which holds that the materials an object is made of should be self-evident, and that those materials should be worked in ways that make sense for their inherent properties. Additionally, the use of dye supports the idea of providing greater quality for a greater period of time.