Harry Bertoia (1915 to 1978) was an Italian-born American artist, sculptor and furniture designer. He moved from Italy to the United States in 1930 and studied at Cranbrook, where he went on to teach metalwork and make jewellery.
In 1943 he went to California to work with Charles and Ray Eames. In 1952 came his wire furniture: the Diamond Chair, with a side chair and a bar stool made from the same welded wire mesh. The chairs sold well enough that he could spend the rest of his career on sculpture, including the sound sculptures he called Sonambient.
For related collections, see Florence Knoll furniture and dining chairs.
All four pieces, verified against their product pages. Prices are the current From price including the active sale.
Piece | From | W × D × H (cm) | Seat height |
|---|---|---|---|
Wire chair | GBP 204.50 | 53 × 59 × 75 | 46 cm |
Wire bar stool | GBP 234.50 | 51 × 62 × 102 | 67 cm |
Diamond Chair | GBP 404.50 | 84 × 66 × 85 | 46 cm |
Bench (small) | GBP 419.50 | 153 × 49 × 39 | 39 cm |
The two chairs share a seat height but not a job. Both sit at 46 cm, but the Diamond Chair is 84 cm wide against the wire chair's 53 cm, 31 cm more. The wire chair fits around a dining table; the Diamond Chair is a lounge chair.
The bar stool sits 21 cm higher than the chair. At 67 cm it is a counter-height seat. Check it against your worktop before ordering.
Four dining chairs come to GBP 818.00. At GBP 204.50 each, the wire chair is the most affordable way into the collection.
Delivery is 12 to 16 weeks on all four, according to their product pages.
Harry Bertoia (1915 to 1978) was an Italian-born American artist, sculptor and furniture designer. He studied and taught metalwork at Cranbrook, worked with Charles and Ray Eames in the 1940s, and designed his wire chairs in 1952. He spent his later career on sculpture, including sound sculptures he called Sonambient.
A Bertoia chair replica is a reproduction of one of his welded wire designs: the Diamond Chair, the side chair or the bar stool. It is sold as a reproduction, and every Mobelaris product page states that the item is not manufactured by or affiliated with the original designer. The Mobelaris wire chair starts from GBP 204.50.
Size and purpose. The wire chair is 53 cm wide and 75 cm high, made for a dining table, and starts from GBP 204.50. The Diamond Chair is 84 cm wide and 85 cm high, a lounge chair with a removable padded seat, from GBP 404.50. Both have a 46 cm seat height, so they sit at the same level.
The Mobelaris wire bar stool is 102 cm high overall with a seat at 67 cm, which suits counter-height worktops. It is 51 cm wide and 62 cm deep, weighs 13 kg, and has a stainless steel frame with a leather pad held on by snap buttons. It starts from GBP 234.50, and pad colours are shown on the product page.
Yes. The bench has a wood slat top on stainless steel legs. The small size is 153 cm long, 49 cm deep and 39 cm high, and starts from GBP 419.50; a large size and wood options are shown on the product page. The product page describes it as usable as a bench or a low table.
Only a little. The Diamond Chair needs its feet fitted, and the bench needs its legs fitted to the top. The wire chair and bar stool pages list assembly as not applicable, with instructions included. The pieces are light: the wire chair weighs 9.5 kg, the Diamond Chair 9 kg and the bar stool 13 kg.
All four Bertoia pieces take 12 to 16 weeks according to their product pages, and some colourways may show faster dispatch. Each product page shows its own estimate under the Add to Cart button, and timings are confirmed by email once the order is placed. Warranty terms are listed on each product page.
