Vintage PEL Ltd Birmingham Cantilever Armchair 1930s | Art Deco | Bauhaus

A superb and rare piece of British modernist furniture — a cantilever tubular steel armchair by PEL Ltd of Birmingham, dating to the 1930s, in the Bauhaus tradition of Breuer and Mies van der Rohe. The frame is constructed from continuous bent chrome-plated tubular steel — the signature material of the Bauhaus moment — forming a fluid, cantilevered structure that gives the chair its characteristic sprung, flexible seat. The upholstery is a vivid original red leatherette, generously padded across the seat, back and armrests, the bold colour making this chair a statement piece rather than mere functional furniture. PEL — Practical Equipment Limited — was founded in Birmingham in 1931 and became the leading British manufacturer of tubular steel furniture during the Art Deco period, supplying hospitals, offices, cinemas and progressive private homes across the country. Their chairs were directly influenced by the Bauhaus masters and represent the finest British contribution to the International Modern style. A chair of this age and provenance in complete, original condition — with original upholstery and chrome — is genuinely rare. The patina of the leatherette and the chrome gives it exactly the character that reproduction pieces can never achieve. Width: 67.5 cm. Depth: 89 cm. Height: 84 cm.