Looking Into Charlotte Perriand's Drawers

Don't know why I never realized it before, but Charlotte Perriand invented the drawer.

It's not just the drawers in that storage unit Mister Jalopy posted the other day which are stamped, "MODELE CHARLOTTE PERRIAND/BREVETE S.G.D.G."; they're everywhere. Here are some in a Jean Prouve desk:



As she explained in her autobiography, Une vie de creation, in the 1940s, Perriand became obsessed with the "extreme standardization" of Japanese houses and their integrated storage, which provided order and logic without provoking uniformity. Even though a smaller-scale storage module would bring freedom and flexibility to a design program, she thought, Corbusier and other architects had ignored standardization because they "liked to put their mark on their creation."



And so, inspired by a picture in a vintage men's shirt catalogue of a storage wall filled with a grid of shirt-sized trays, she let the contents of a storage module drive the form. Et voila, "My drawers were born."


prototype drawers in plexiglass and plastic, 1952 [via]

Perriand created two depths of drawers, a deep one for holding clothes in a wardrobe, and a shallow one for papers and things in a desk. She patented them in 1948, and first exhibited them in folded aluminum in 1949 at Formes Utiles, an expo organized by the Union des Artistes Modernes, or UAM. Then she tried molded plexi, and:

finally the third try, widely distributed, economical injection-molded plastic, which required the funding of two molds. [Her and Corbu's and Prouve's dealer] Steph Simon was the backer...

My approach had proved very convenient. They could be fixed under table tops, under shelves in closets. The public could buy them and install them themselves in their armoires. Their storage needs were satisfied economically, while preserving the freedom of use and ambiance.

And for good measure, Perriand left her mark on her creation.



image up top: ensemble de 8 tiroirs de Charlotte Perriand [gazette-druout.com]
The black & white set didn't sell for EUR99 on ebay.fr a couple of weeks ago [ebay.fr]
« Breveté SGDG », abréviation de sans garantie du gouvernement [fr.wikipedia.org]

Sheetrock Delivery by Missoni

Spotted on 405. USG Sheetrock delivery, styled by Missoni.

Really? No. Not really.

Missoni, USG Sheetrock

Phillips de Pury Design Auction

Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand

Shiro Kuramata

Terunobu Fujimori "Beetle's House"

Le Corbusier

The good stuff.

Phillips de Pury Design Auction

Japanese Tanigashima Matchlock Rifle

From Affiliated Auctions:

Japanese Samurai Tanigashima matchlock bears a Samurai Mon or family crest in solid Silver of the, "AKO Samurai Castle of the famed 47 Ronin". In 1701 Lord Asano of Ako lashed out at a corrupt government court official & set in motion a chain of events that terminated in one of the bloodiest & most famous vendettas in Japan’s feudal history, known as The 47 Ronin. All of whom committed suicide after revenging the death of their Lord Asano. 

 

This piece also bears a large bronze dragon and many bronze autumn leaf or momoji designs. The weapon dates to about 1715 – 1725 and was produced before the destruction of Ako castle and the demise of Lord Asano. The Tanigashima is terrifically preserved, reflecting a secretive safe keeping by a loyalist family of Lord Asano. All weapons possessing the mon or samurai family crest of Lord Asano were ordered destroyed by the Shogun on penalty of death. 

 

This firearm is very rare in the fact it remains one of the few surviving original artifacts from Ako samurai castle. Approximately 50 cal. In very good working order. Measuring unusually long at 136cm. In overall excellent condition and of fine master craftsman quality.

Whew. At first, I though it was a bad cropping job, but it really is a totally bad ass, gangster pistol grip .50 caliber long-barrel handgun. In comparison to the Mercedes S550 $6550 20" wheel upgrade and body molding kit, it feels pretty cheap. Even at high auction estimate of $8000.

More modestly, I just bought this. 

Rare Japanese Tanigashi Matchlock at Affiliated Auctions

Jerry Hall By Ed Ruscha

I know I already posted this on greg.org, but come on, people. What am I supposed to do?

It's a profile portrait of Jerry Hall by Ed Ruscha made with a General Tools 837 Contour Duplication Gauge and selling at Sotheby's in London for an estimated 25000-35000 pounds for pete's sake.

Oct. 16, Lot 286: PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF JERRY HALL, Jerry Hall, Oct. 23, 2003 [sothebys.com]

Moby Dick

Whittled, then cast in bronze.

Moby/Brass at Ready for the House

Wrapped Snoopy House By Christo & Jeanne Claude

So the Schulzes were great friends with the Christo-Jeanne Claudes. And in 1978 Charles Schulz drew a hilariously unfunny comic strip which ended in Christo's next project--back then, they were only Christo's projects--was Wrapped Snoopy's House. Which finally got turned into a maquette and a fundraising print for the Schulz Museum in 2003-4. Even their prints take decades to realize?

Wrapped Snoopy House [schulzmuseum.org via @KnightLAT]
Wrapped Snoopy House lithograph, collage, ed. 250, $6500 [landfallpress.com]
or $4200 used. ahem [liveauctioneers.com]

Ben Thresher Makes A Sled

In operation since the mid-19th century, Ben Thresher's mill in Barnet is the last water-powered woodworking mill in Vermont. This 1981 public television documentary shows him making a horse-drawn sled for one of his neighbors.

For the runners, they look for trees that grow crooked out of the stump, and then straighten out. The grain's much stronger that way. They discussed it, and decided on full moccasin runners instead of half, so Ben beveled a couple of inches off each side, so it'd sit lighter in the snow.



Mr. Thresher died in 1995, and though it's being restored as a non-profit educational operation, the waterpower at Ben's Mill is currently disabled. It's enough to make you wonder how Vermont's horsedrawn sled industry is able to survive.

Ben's Mill: Making a Sled, streaming version [folkstreams.net]
Ben's Mill [bensmill.com]

ROLU Furniture

The folks at Rosenlof/Lucas have introduced a small collection of handmade ply or OSB furniture inspired by "70s DIY books, the ideas proposed in Enzo Mari's Autoprogettazione project, Judd, Reitveld, Burton and Schindler." Yes, I'm listening:

We decided we wanted to describe these pieces as “field recordings” made of wood. While discussing what that might mean, we became interested in a term: “found design." We all know what “found art” is (or isn't?) What could “found design” be?

Very nice. These are just about as angular as they get, by the way.

ROLU Studio - About the furniture [rolustudio.com via you have been here sometime]

NASA Hasselblad on eBay

NASA Hasselblad on eBay (Thanks, Randy!)

Terra Nova Toast Rack

So you know how there's that auction coming up of artifacts that viscerally embody the unfathomable hardships of Scott's British Antarctic Expedition?

Well, tomorrow there's also this. I mean, just. Electroplated. Can you even imagine?

Lot No: 4
An electroplated silver six slice toast rack from the British Antarctic Expedition Terra Nova RYS (1910-1913), est. £1,500 - 2,000 [bonhams.com]
Unexpectedly related: 100-year-old pat of butter found at Scott's Antarctic base [dailymail.co.uk]

Brooks Brothers + Kidney + Miller + Cocteau

D+R reader Jason pointed out the terrific alignment serendipity of recent blog posts alongside profile pictures. That is funny! Sorry fellas! I would never have been able to plan this.

Jean Cocteau Auction

This will either inspire or depress you. Depends on which side of the bed you got out of and how full your water glass was. Amazing work. Worth looking at every lot.

Works by Jean Cocteau from the Collection of Severin Wunderman at Bonhams

Brooks Brothers Flamingo/Argyle Disaster

I tweeted this last week, but since then I have revisited the link again and again. Nothing really to say about the outfit. You see it, I see it, what can you say?

But the look on his face! What a sourpuss! You can imagine the conversation between the photographer and model.

Photog: "You look like an idiot!"

Model: "Yeah, yeah. Very funny. Just take the picture, dingdong."

Brooks Brothers Argyle V-neck Sweater with Flamingo Pink Chinos

Insanely Over the Top Japanese Bicycles

Another current fascination over at my store blog, Japan's pedalmafia links to a treasure trove of amazingly accessorized bicycles for the 1970's Japanese domestic market.

Archive of Japanese Bike Ads

19th Century Narwhal Tusk

Rare Narwahl Ivory Tusk, 19th Century at Auction

Photo: Wikipedia

I have to admit, I did not know that Narwhals existed. I thought it was some sort of cryptozoology David Pescovitz sort of thing. The horned whale dives to 4500 feet!  The narwhal takes no guff!

UPDATE
Anne Marie points us to this outrageous narwahl dressing table by Tiffany & Co.
More Maymont. More on the dressing table.  Thanks, Anne Marie!

Hans Ohrt, Beverly Hills

By way of a green Gitane mixte, I have become temporarily obsessed with the Beverly Hills bicycle shop of Hans Ohrt.

Hans Ohrt on Coco's Variety

Mike and Doug Starn's Big Bambú

Paris Starn visits her father and uncle's giant bamboo sculpture for the Opening Ceremony blog. It is very sweet.

Climbing Big Bambú with Mike and Doug Starn

Guido Geelen X Piet Hein Eek Christmas Tree

Artist Guido Geelen first asked furniture designer Piet Hein Eek to manufacture crate/pedestals for his glass sculptures. Which naturally led to their collaboration on a limited edition Christmas Tree made of silvered glass, candles, puzzle crates & angel statues, and upcycled Festivus trees.

Kerst Boom Stal, 2009 (23 fotos) [guidogeelen.com via pietheineek.com]

The, Ahem, Anglo-Confederate Society Necktie, &c.

Growing up in North Carolina, I knew we didn't celebrate Lincoln's birthday in school, and my first and second madras jackets were from the Charleston, SC haberdasher Ben Silver. But I largely left the South before reaching the age where I might have heard of the Anglo-Confederate Society regimental stripe tie.

According to the Ben Silver website, "During the War Between the States, British MPs wore a similar cravat in Parliament to express their sympathy for the Southern Cause." Though there is not a single mention of an Anglo-Confederate Society that doesn't involve Ben Silver ties--and the occasional political controversies involving them, from Virginia Democratic senator Chuck Robb in 1994 to Glenn Beck in 2010--this might be somewhat true. Or at least truthy.

Though if there were an historical basis for it, one might think noted WBtS historian John D. Bennett might have made a single mention of such cravat-wearing solidarity among the so-called "Southern Lobby" in Parliament in his 2008 book, The London Confederates.

There is the story of Capt. Lewis Guy Phillips of H.M. Grenadier Guards Regiment giving his regimental colors to Major John Pelham of Alabama to wear into battle, but that's Alabama, and anyway, the Grenadiers' colors are a simple red and blue stripe.

So I have to think this Anglo-whatever is just Ben Silver's genteel triangulation to provision his troops with Confederate regalia that's plausibly deniable enough to wear outside the country club. Unlike the gold-plated brass blazer buttons featuring the Great Seal of the Confederacy which, well, just are what they are.

Anglo-Confederate Society regimental tie, $95 [bensilver.com via theawl]

TV Buddha

Maybe I'm getting hints of Nirvana, or maybe I just need some sleep. But as I've been staring here at my computer screen, the image of my favorite Nam June Paik sculpture TV Buddha floated into my head.

TV Buddha (1974) [paikstudios.com]

Selections from Bonhams Marine Auction

Bonhams The Marine Sale

High Points at Goodwood Revival

Those of 'mere mortal' pocketbooks will have to poke out your eyes. Staggeringly beautiful, life changing cars. Not only do I save these cars under a 'racecar' tag, but also capture as 'yellow' or 'blue' as I want to remember these colors when selecting everything from t-shirts to spacecraft color schemes.

Bonhams Goodwood Revival Auction

Prince Charles' Trusted Shoes

From Put This On:

HRH Prince Charles’ shoes, having been patched over several decades of service.

Put This On

Sinking Ship in Machine Project

Doesn't get a whole bunch better than a sinking ship at Machine Project. Tomorrow, there will be a line down the street but don't fret. There will be five weeks of maritime festivities to follow.

Josh Beckman's Sea Nymph

Foo Fighters Yfrog Stream

I dig these guys. If they aren't having fun, they sure are faking it well.

Foo Fighters Photostream

House Industries Update

Longtime Hooptyrides, Coco's and D+R readers know that we dig House Industries. They do great work and their Photolettering helps us be awesome. And, they are brothers in the fight.

Keep doing what you do.

House Industries keep busy