Auction of unique furniture by Adolf Loos

24th Auction of the Sýpka Auction House presents unique designs by A. Loose – a table, a corner chair, and two armchairs, which will be exhibited at the pre-auction exhibition in Brno from May 14-20, 2010 at Gallery na Poštovské 4 and in Prague from May 22-29, 2010 at Gallery u Betlémské kaple.
The auction will take place in Prague on May 30, 2010 at Palác Žofín, Prague at 1:30 PM.
It is not often that significant original design masterpieces, created by a genius artist and architect, come together after many decades, especially when they were produced in only a few original pieces. By an extraordinarily fortunate coincidence, a table, chair, and two armchairs by Adolf Loose have been included in the offering of the 24th auction of the Sýpka Auction House.

Adolf Loos (1870–1933) was an exceptionally significant architect, theorist, and critic, active in Vienna and in the Czech Republic, who leaned towards a rationalist approach with an absence of ornamentation in his works. The author of the commercial and residential building Goldman & Salatch in Vienna (1910), the Moller Villa in Vienna, and Müller Villa in Prague (1928–1930) foreshadowed functionalism in his work through his emphasis on the functionality and construction of buildings. It is known that Loos preferred existing furniture in his interiors, which is why several of his furniture designs are considered extremely rare and valued collectible pieces, rarely seen.

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Chair
Czech Republic, Plzeň, early 20th century, rosewood, rosewood veneer, stained rattan mesh, high back, armrests, and side panels made of double weaving, fully upholstered seat (non-original upholstery), side pull-out side table, dimensions 102 x 64 x 76 cm.
Provenance: apartment of Dr. Hirsch in Plzeň, furnished by Adolf Loos.
Accompanied by a testimonial from Ms. Irma Benešová, niece of Ms. Marta Hirschová.

The chair comes from the apartment of prominent merchant Vilém Hirsch in Plzeň (Plachého Street 6), whose interior was redesigned and furnished by Adolf Loos in 1907–1908 (site manager F. Kotek). Subsequently, a modification of the ladies' room (1927) was made by Karel Lhota, and the winter garden and veranda (1929) by Adolf Loos. The design and modification of Hirsch's apartment are among Loos's early projects, unique as they first applied the idea of spatial merging, absent in his work until then. The apartment, unfortunately destroyed in 1970, had a five-room layout.

Table
Vienna, 1915, design by A. Loose for the Duschnitz villa, probably manufactured by Wiener Möbelfabrik Schmidt, mahogany veneer, glass, fabric, round tabletop with a textile insert and a covering glass top, professionally restored, renewed finish, height 63 cm, ø 70 cm.
Lit.: Rukschcio, Schachel, Adolf Loos, Leben Undwerk, Salzburg, 1982, pp. 512, 532, 588; Adolf Loos – Villen Album Verlag, 2001, p. 47, Haus Duschnitz.

Chair
Vienna, c. 1900, design by A. Loos, manufactured by F.O. Schmidt, turned oak wood stained and lacquered, removable hair cushion with original cover and fringes, backrest with padded edge,
height 75 cm, width 51.5 cm, depth 45.5 cm, the lower part of the cover is missing, preserved original condition.
Lit.: Kristian, M., Das Interier, III. 1901, Adolf Loos – Wohnungen, Album Verlag, 2001, p. 21.

Table Lamp, type 5839
pressed marked ANÝŽ, Czech Republic, produced from 1929 to 1948, manufactured by Anýž, polished general metal, Bakelite, frosted clear glass undercut with milky, austere form with a simple glass shade, height 41 cm.
Type 5839 lamp was used by A. Loos when furnishing the interior of the Müller Villa in Prague.
Lit.: Franta Anýž 1876–1934, Obecní dům, Prague, 2004.