Peacock Chair
Design Date 1921
Designer Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959, American)
Manufacturer Matthew Brothers Furniture Company, Milwaukee, WI
Media oak with cloth upholstery
Dimensions 38 x 15 1/2 x 20 inches
This chair was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. He began designing the hotel in 1914, and construction was completed in 1922. The following year, the hotel survived the Great Kanto Earthquake, which seemed a miracle at the time and Wright was praised for his architectural genius. After completing the basic design for the exterior, Wright turned his attention to the interiors, and in February of 1921 drew up a design for this chair. The original design had woven cane panels on the back and the sides, but they were extremely fragile and were soon replaced with more sturdy, upholstered versions, like this example. This chair complements the Mayan Revival exterior of the Imperial Hotel with its hexagonal back and square seat, shapes that we see in many of Wright’s designs. These chairs were used in the hotel’s Peacock banquet room, and many other public spaces until the building was demolished in 1968.
ON VIEW in Promenade Gallery 2
Markings unmarked
Credit Line Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Accession Number CG0521
