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Design: George Nelson, Swag Group introduced in 1958
FLEXIBLE COMFORT
Using separate pieces for the seat and back means the swag
leg chair can flex with the sitter. A slit between the seat and
back helps prevent heat buildup. Wide, flat arms provide a
comfortable place to rest forearms.
AESTHETIC CHOICES
Shells are available in white, grey, or black, with the option to
mix colors between the seat and back. Legs come in chrome,
white, or black finish.
DIMENSIONS
Chair: 28"w x 21.8"d x 31.8"h
Seat: 18"h
Arm: 26.5"h
DESIGN STORY
With his swag leg group, George Nelson didn't try to design an innovation;
the innovation resulted from his criteria for the design. He began with the
legs, insisting that they be made of metal, machine formed, and
prefinished. He also wanted them to be easy for the consumer to
assemble, so the desk and tables could ship knocked down to save on
costs.
Swaging--using pressure to taper and curve a metal tube--proved the
best way to produce the legs, which are 16-gauge steel and have
adjustable glides. Nelson added solid walnut stretchers that bolt to the
legs for a stable, durable base common to the desk and tables.
The chair presented a bigger problem: How to connect four legs. Thanks
to some ingenious engineering, the resulting base looks natural and
simple. As one early observer said, it "grows up like four tree roots and
unites into one strong upward thrust."
For the chair shell, Nelson got permission from Charles and Ray Eames to
use the patented process they developed for molding plastic. Nelson took
the process a step further and created separate seat and back shells that
he glued together. With 21st century innovations in technology and
material, today's shells are fully authentic and made of recyclable polypropylene.
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