Vitra - Diamond Chair miniature
The Vitra Design Museum’s Miniatures Collection presents the most important pieces in the history of design furniture in 1:6 scale, reproducing the original historical pieces down to the smallest detail.
Exactly 1/6 the size of the historical originals, the chairs are all scaled and recreate with precision the smallest details of construction, material, color. The high standard of authenticity also extends to the natural grain of the wood, the reproduction of the vines and the elaborate artisanal techniques involved. This made miniatures popular collectibles, as well as artwork ideal for universities, design schools and architects.
Harry Bertoia
Harry (Arri) Bertoia (1915-1978) was originally from the small village of San Lorenzo, in Friuli, about 50 miles north of Venice and 70 miles south of Austria.
As a young woman, the brides of her country asked little Arri to draw their embroidery in linen for the wedding day, already known his talent. An art teacher, giving him drawing lessons, immediately noticed that Harry was too talented to teach him anything else. In 1930 Harry chose to move to Detroit, where his brother Oreste had already settled. From that moment, his nickname of Aries (Little Arri) was changed and Americanized into Harry. In 1946 he moved to California to help fellow Cranbrook student Charles Eames develop methods of laminating and bending plywood. Bertoia’s contributions to the famous Eames chairs were crucial though not well known.
By combining the technical and conceptual experience with the creativity of contemporary designers, Vitra continues to push boundaries and question the status quo. Vitra’s origins as a design company lie in the casual discovery of a chair by Charles and Ray Eames in a New York showcase.
The spirit of innovation expressed by the creations of the couple represents a movement - modern design - and still continues to be the driving force behind the development, production and sale of furniture and accessories for people around the world, for life, work and public use.
The founder of Vitra, Willi Fehlbaum, first came across the creations of Ray and Charles Eames in the early 1950s. This decisive moment marked the beginnings of Vitra as a design company. Vitra has since collaborated with international designers and architects. While the first generation laid the commercial foundations of the company and the second added a cultural dimension through the development of the Vitra Campus and the Vitra Design Museum with its collection, The third generation focuses on sustainable thinking and action.
