(2 Available) Modernica Eames DAE Fibreglass Armchair in Elephant Grey, USA 1989

Pair of elephant grey Modernica Fibreglass Armchairs by Charles & Ray Eames, USA, circa 1990s

A pair of moulded fibreglass armchairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured by Modernica in Los Angeles, circa 1990s.

The Eames’ developed the shell chair at the end of the 1940s while exploring how a comfortable chair could be made from a single moulded form and then combined with a range of interchangeable bases. Their original entry for MoMA’s 1948 International Competition for Low Cost Furniture Design used a metal shell, but this proved too expensive to manufacture. Fibreglass provided the solution and the first production versions appeared in 1950.

It was an important moment in furniture design. Fibreglass was still a relatively new material, more closely associated with industrial applications than domestic furniture. The combination of resin and glass fibres allowed the Eameses to create a lightweight but strong shell whose shape followed the body without the need for traditional upholstery or joinery.

One of the things we particularly like about these chairs is how clearly you can see the material. The individual glass fibres remain visible throughout the black shells, particularly around the edges where the light catches them. The slight variations in fibre pattern and surface are characteristic of moulded fibreglass rather than imperfections.

These examples were produced by Modernica, who have manufactured fibreglass furniture in Los Angeles since 1989 using the traditional high-pressure moulding process. Modernica’s factory houses historic fibreglass presses and specialist machinery associated with the manufacture of these chairs, and the company says it has preserved the original production techniques taught to them by composites pioneer Sol Fingerhut. The shells are still pressed individually in Los Angeles.

The chairs have the distinctive black wooden DAX base. The Eames chair names are essentially a code describing the particular combination of shell and base. In DAX, the letters stand for Dining Height Armchair X-Base. The “DA” therefore identifies a dining-height armchair, while the “X” refers to the four-legged tubular wood base. Other familiar variations include DAR, or Dining Height Armchair Rod Base, and DAW, or Dining Height Armchair Wood Base.

This system was central to Charles and Ray Eames’ thinking. Rather than creating one fixed chair, they designed a family of shells and bases that could be combined for different settings and uses. It helped turn the Eames shell chair into one of the most adaptable and recognisable furniture designs of the twentieth century.

Both chairs retain clear Modernica manufacturer’s marks and are in very good vintage condition, with light signs of age.

Designer: Charles & Ray Eames

Manufacturer: Modernica

Model: DAX - Dining Height Armchair X-Base

Origin: USA

Date: Circa 1990s

Material: Moulded fibreglass, steel rods and painted wood

Quantity: Two available