Vitra Eames House Whale

Manufacturer: Vitra | Designer: Charles & Ray Eames

A Folk Art Icon from the Eames House

Charles and Ray Eames surrounded themselves in their legendary Pacific Palisades home with their own designs and an extensive collection of folk art — objects found on their travels, in nature, and in everyday life. As Ray explained: ‘We never collected anything just as collectors, but because something was inherent in the piece that made it seem like a good idea to be looking at.’

A prominent feature of that collection was a huge wooden whale over two metres in length — an anonymous work of North American folk art. The Eameses were exceptionally fond of it: it occupied a permanent place in the Eames Office and appeared in some of the first photographs of the Lounge Chair. Vitra’s smaller-scale reproduction is crafted from solid ash and hand-finished using water-based paints, staying true to the spirit of the original.

Specifications

• Dimensions — W70 × H14cm
• Materials — solid ash, hand-painted with water-based paints
• Wood origin — ash (Fraxinus excelsior) from Eastern Europe

Part of the Vitra Eames Accessories collection.