Coveted Garth Chester 1947 Nicholson Chapel Curved Plywood Chair
Garth Chester is considered one of New Zealand's most important modernist designers. His unique and highly inspired 'Curvesse' Chair of 1944 was the first one-piece cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world. It is now included in the permanent collection of major New Zealand museums and held by serious International collectors of modern design.
Chester also designed a small number of other curved plywood chairs during the 1940s. The most well-known of these is the chair commissioned by architect LG Williams in 1947 for the Nicholson Funeral Chapel, Napier. For this design Chester again shows his mastery of curved plywood in the seat and generous arcs that form the armrests. This design also features subtle art deco references, which tie beautifully into Napier's history.
Reference: 'At Home: A Century of New Zealand Design' by Douglas Lloyd Jenkins
Each piece is checked and carefully hand restored at our Kingsland studio workshop. Our focus is preserving the character and patina of the design while ensuring it displays beautifully in a contemporary interior.
Each piece is checked and carefully restored at our Kingsland studio workshop. Our focus is preserving the character and patina of the design while ensuring it displays beautifully in a contemporary interior.
- Joints checked and reglued
- Timber cleaned and stains removed
- Veneer repairs if needed
- Surfaces polished / refinished
The items showcased in our gallery are constantly changing – not all items are on display at once.
Please enquire if there is a specific piece you would like to view and we’ll make sure it’s in the gallery.
All pieces are available for collection in person from our Ponsonby gallery. We are also happy to provide a quote for delivery throughout New Zealand.
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Coveted Garth Chester 1947 Nicholson Chapel Curved Plywood Chair
Note: We showcase a curated edit from the Mr. Bigglesworthy catalogue. Please contact us to view specific items.
Garnet Campbell (Garth) Chester is a Kiwi legend. His unique, early modernist designs have become highly collectable New Zealand icons. Chester's most memorable and coveted chair is the Curvesse chair, created from a custom mould using a single sheet of plywood.
Historian and Author Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins recounts that the Curvesse Chair, designed in 1944, was "the first one-piece cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world ...a progressive high point in local design" (At Home - A Century of New Zealand Design). It's proof that in the right hands, even a humble sheet of plywood can be elevated into something bold, memorable and timeless.
During the early days, manufacturing technology was a barrier to smooth construction for many of Chester's designs. According to Chester's cousin and business partner A.L. Williams, 1 out of every 4 Curvesse chairs produced, failed, and was thrown away. Also, the Curvesse was unfortunately not a commercial success and only around 500 were ever made. Today the few remaining chairs are closely held and highly coveted by serious collectors, or in the permanent collection of major museums.
One of Chesters employees, Jim Reid recalls working for Garth not long after he left school. He remembers that Garth used native Kaikatia timber and glue imported from Japan to make his chairs and he was very secretive about the production process. When Jim arrived at work he had to knock and wait for Garth to check him out through a peep hole in the door before he let him in.
Unfortunately a mysterious fire burnt down Chesters workshop and destroyed all the presses and production equipment in the process. This lead to a change in direction for Chester who then moved to designing steel-framed furniture. In the 1950s he created another iconic design - the Bikini chair. It was a three legged chair with a Bikini style backrest and was bound to have caused a stir with the ever conservative New Zealand public.
