Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Acquired directly from the producer
Heinz and Mirka Nösselt, Berlin
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Ludwig Glaeser, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe:  Furniture and Furniture Drawings from the Design Collection and the Mies van der Rohe Archive, New York, 1977, pp. 46-47 (for the chairs) and pp. 60-61 (for the table)
Derek E. Ostergard, ed., Bent Wood and Metal Furniture: 1850 - 1946, exh. cat., The American Federation of Arts, New York, 1987, pp. 292-293
Alexander von Vegesack and Matthias Kries, Mies van der Rohe: Architecture and Design in Stuttgart, Barcelona, Brno, Geneva, 1998, pp. 69-70
Christiane Lange, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe & Lilly Reich: Möbel und Räume, Krefeld, 2006, pp. 174-175
Helmut Reuter and Birgit Schulte, Mies and Modern Living:  Interiors, Furniture. Photography, Ostfildern, Germany, 2008, pp. 145-170

Please note these chairs and table were produced by Waldemar Stiegler, Germany for Knoll International, circa 1957. The revised estimate for this lot is $10,000-15,000. Overall in very good original condition. The chromium-plated metal frames of the chairs and table retain all the original hardware. The chromium-plated surfaces on all three pieces with scattered discoloration, oxidation and pitting all of which is consistent with age and gentle use. Each frame with a few small and shallow surface scratches consistent with gentle use. The strapping on the chairs are intact and in stable condition with minor wear and rubbing to the edges, shallow surface scratches and some crazing adjacent to the frames consistent with sensitive use and handling. The cushions, as seen in the catalogue illustration with more concentrated rubbing concentrated to the corners and adjacent to the upholstery buttons, minor crazing and light surface scratches. One of the cushions with a tear measuring four inches in length to the mid portion of the cushions adjacent to one of the upholstery buttons. The glass top with a few small and shallow surface scratches commensurate with use. The edges of the glass with five minor edge chips, two of which are located at corners. The third corner with a larger shallow chip measuring approximately 3/4 inch in length and ½ inch in height. A nice example of this iconic suite in original condition showing sensitive use.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present lot and following encompass works from the collection of Bauhaus architect Heinz Nösselt, designer of the Bauhaus chess table to accompany Josef Hartwig's renowned chess set designed in 1924.  Nösselt in partnership with Hans Vogler, was also instrumental in supervising the construction of the masters' houses at the Dessau Bauhaus from 1925-1926. 

Helene Nonné Schmidt, the Bauhus artist of the floral painting (lot 70), was the wife of fellow Bauhäusler Joost Schmidt, and at first studied under Gunta Stölzl in the Weaving Workshop at the school in the mid-1920s.  Nonné Schmidt notably internalized the Bauhaus ideology of combining theory with intent while studying in Paul Klee's course on theory and formalism in painting.  This piece displays her later exploration into painting during the 1930s, of which the present lot is one of only four works.  The floral motif retains elements of the vibrant coloration and simplified forms seen in previous designs for textiles and wall hangings, however this composition departs from the geometric in favor of the biomorphic and vegetal.

The chairs and table (lot 71), also owned by Nösselt, are early production examples of Mies van der Rohe's furniture designs, from the late 1920s, at the same period he was designing works for the Barcelona Pavilion representing the Weimar Republic in 1929 for the International Exposition in Spain.  The construction of the chairs and table employs a two-screw lap-joint corner detail and flat bar construction, delineating their early production date by Bamberg Metallwerkstätten/Berliner Metallgewerbe, and both chairs retain their original leather upholstery.  Mies’ ideological focus on clarity, simplicity and honesty in the architectural space of the Barcelona Pavilion is reflected in the present lot, with a focus on truth to materials and construction, as well as elegance and functionality.

The fact that these four works were later acquired by the Nösselts for their personal collection highlights the ongoing creative relationships between Bauhaus students and teachers even after the close of the school in 1932.

Lot 70 is being sold with a written history from Mirka Nösselt dated 1993.