This low bench was designed by Charlotte Perriand circa 1950 and manufactured by Steph Simon (France), circa 1950. It is made from wood with a lacquered metal frame and legs. The item comes from Cansado, Mauritania (Africa). It remains in good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a patina. 

Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999) was born in Paris in 1903 and attended the École de l'Union centrale des Arts décoratifs from 1920-1925. Charlotte Perriand designed furniture made of anodized aluminium and chromium-plated steel, showing it at the 1927 "Salon d'Automne" in Paris. After meeting Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand worked with him and Pierre Jeanneret until 1937. The revolutionary tubular steel furnishings and system furniture designed by the three were presented as "Équipement de l'habitation" (home equipment) at the 1929 "Salon d'Automne," where they were widely acclaimed. In 1930 the Union Des Artistes Modernes (UAM) was founded in Paris, a group that viewed itself as a countermovement challenging such establishment organizations as the "Salon d'Automne" and also advocated Art Deco and modernism. From 1931 Charlotte Perriand showed her own solo work there. In 1937 Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret collaborated on designing a mountain chalet of sheet aluminum, which they showed at the "Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne" and later they came up with plans for prefab houses made of aluminum. In 1940 Charlotte Perriand became a design consultant to the Japanese Board of Trade. She lived in Japan until 1946 and from then on Charlotte Perriand's designs reveal overtones of the Japanese feeling for form, as shown by the 1953 Synthèse des Arts Chair. 

Designer Charlotte Perriand

MakerSteph Simon 

Design Period1950 to 1959

Country of ManufactureFrance

StyleVintage, Mid-Century, Design Classics

Detailed ConditionGood — This vintage item remains fully functional, but it shows sign of age through scuffs, dings, faded finishes, minimal upholstery defects, or visible repairs. 

Restoration and Damage DetailsLight wear consistent with age and use, Patina consistent with age and use

MaterialsMetal, Wood 

ColorBlack, brown

Width75 inch

Depth28 inch

Height6 inch