Set of 4 Chairs in Wood, Caning & Leather, Carlo Hauner, 1960s - Lot 117

Description

Carlo Hauner, Brazil, c. 1960s. This quartet distills Hauner’s restraint and formal clarity into a compact dining type: pared proportions, a taut seat rail, and a rectilinear back that is softened by the tactile openness of caning. The composition is economical and sculptural — slim uprights and subtly splayed legs provide a poised verticality while the caned back creates a light, graphic field that balances the mass of the leather-upholstered seat.

Formally, the chairs articulate a considered interplay of line and surface. The seat rail is crisply resolved, the front corners gently chamfered to mediate the transition between frame and cushion, and the rear posts rise with a quiet cadence that unifies back and leg. The caning functions as both ventilation and a disciplined decorative device, its tight weave calibrated to the scale of the frame so that texture is always in service of proportion.

Crafted in solid hardwood, the frames have been sympathetically refinished to a warm, satin-matte field that privileges grain and figure without gloss. The caned panels are well executed and securely fitted; the seats have been reupholstered in a sober leather that reads as a desaturated, tactile counterpoint to the wood. Construction favors honest joinery and efficient detail — Hauner’s work here is defined by material integrity rather than ornament.

Function is integrated with form: the geometry yields upright, supportive seating where comfort is described as considered support and repose. Condition: in excellent vintage condition. The wood has been professionally refinished, and the leather renewed; age-appropriate marks are confined to feet and edges. Restoration has been conservative and transparent, preserving original proportions and construction.