This is a rocker made of Honduran mahogany with Japanese elements: square ebony pegs, wave-shaped cutouts on the slats, a slip-in cushion for the seat. The chair’s apron is not straight but carved in a style called cloud lift, a characteristic its designers - Greene and Greene - used on other furniture, as well.

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See more objects with the tag seating, curving line, comfort, simplicity.

Object Timeline

1912	Work on this object began.
2015	We acquired this object. We photographed this object. We photographed this object. We photographed this object. We photographed this object.
2017	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Pratt House Model Rocking Chair

This is a Rocking chair. It was designed by Greene and Greene and made by Peter Hall. It is dated 1912 and we acquired it in 2015. Its medium is joined and carved honduras mahogany and ebony, leather -upholstered slip-in seat cushion. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

This refined rocking chair was designed by the architects Charles and Henry Greene for the Pratt House built in the foothills above Ojai, California. Greene and Greene’s signature use of Asian elements can be identified in the square ebony pegs, "cloud lift" apron, and wave-like voids in the slats evocative of the riverbed that wound around the property and gave the house its name of "Casa Barranca" (house of the ravine).

It is credited Museum purchase from Members’ Acquisitions Fund of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and through gift in honor of Elizabeth Ainslie from Nancy Marks, Marilyn Friedman, Enid Morse, Lisa Roberts, Judy Francis Zankel, Jacqueline Fowler, Paul and Alexandra Herzan, Joseph Holtzman, and George R. Kravis II.

Side Chair (USA)
painted wood.
Gift of Dorothy S. Teegen and Carola Teegen Walton in memory of Otto J. Teegen.
1985-13-1

A wooden rocking chair. Its arms and bottom are dark wood that looks untreated. On its sides, connecting the arms to the bottom, are curvy figure 8 shapes formed from this dark wood. The seat and back are lighter wood planks, each one thin and rectangular. Behind the back is a large circle, formed out of the worn, darker wood.

Rocking Chair
steamed, bent sawn oak slats, nailed to bent hickory wood bark-covered branches.
2014-44-1

Shaker no. 7 rocking chair Rocking Chair

Shaker no. 7 rocking chair Rocking Chair
stained cherry or maple, modern paper "rush" seat.
Gift of Mrs. Jacob M. Kaplan.
1968-102-1

Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.

0606, Tip Ton Chairs, 2011
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Chair (USA)
wood [oak], metal, fabric.
Gift of Jean and Martin Gerstell.
1986-112-1

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 101.5 × 63.5 × 82 cm (39 15/16 in. × 25 in. × 32 5/16 in.)

It is signed

unsigned

Cite this object as

Pratt House Model Rocking Chair; Designed by Greene and Greene; Made by Peter Hall (American, b. Sweden (1867-1939)); joined and carved honduras mahogany and ebony, leather -upholstered slip-in seat cushion; H x W x D: 101.5 × 63.5 × 82 cm (39 15/16 in. × 25 in. × 32 5/16 in.); Museum purchase from Members’ Acquisitions Fund of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and through gift in honor of Elizabeth Ainslie from Nancy Marks, Marilyn Friedman, Enid Morse, Lisa Roberts, Judy Francis Zankel, Jacqueline Fowler, Paul and Alexandra Herzan, Joseph Holtzman, and George R. Kravis II; 2015-9-1

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Passion for the Exotic: Japonism.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/77esF/
Accession Number 2015-9-1
Object ID 69114927