Armchair
ca. 1968 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This inflatable PVC chair was designed by Quasar Khanh, a Vietnamese designer based in Paris during the 1960s. Khanh's real name was Nguyen Manh Khanh but he changed it to Quasar in his twenties to represent something 'more modern and universal'. Inflatable furniture became popular during the 1960s as it provided a more affordable, novel and futuristic alternative to traditional forms. At a time when youth culture was coming into focus designers seized the opportunity to design exclusively for the needs of the younger generation. The flexibility offered by inflatable furniture, which could be blown up for guests and then deflated and stored once they had left, was as appealing as the exciting array of colours on offer.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | PVC |
| Brief description | Purple inflatable PVC armchair; designed by Quasar Khanh, ca. 1968 |
| Physical description | Purple inflatable PVC armchair; the chair is formed from two separate inflatable parts - the base and the top ring which are attached to each other by loose loops; the base is further divided into a central cushion and surround. All three sections are inflated independently. Each section has its own air valve. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | On the underside of the seat in the middle a large printed white letter 'Q', square-shaped but with rounded corners; in the middle of the 'Q' also in white is the text 'Patent Pending / QUASAR / RGD. DESIGN / UK Manufacture'. In purple on the bottom part of the large white 'Q' a small triangle oulined in purple with a gap half way up the line of its right side and two short vertical lines drawn through its bottom edge. |
| Object history | This model of armchair originally sold in the UK for £28 but the price was later dropped to £21.15s (£21.75p) when production began under license in the UK. The chair is labelled on the underside of the seat 'Patent Pending / QUASAR RGD. DESIGN / UK Manufacture' and was probably one of the later of the licensed production run of this type of armchair. |
| Historical context | Khanh's furniture, including armchairs like this one, as well as sofas, chaise longues, 'cushion-lights' and architectural components such as wall panels and doors were imported from France by Ultralite International of 49 Conduit Street, London. |
| Summary | This inflatable PVC chair was designed by Quasar Khanh, a Vietnamese designer based in Paris during the 1960s. Khanh's real name was Nguyen Manh Khanh but he changed it to Quasar in his twenties to represent something 'more modern and universal'. Inflatable furniture became popular during the 1960s as it provided a more affordable, novel and futuristic alternative to traditional forms. At a time when youth culture was coming into focus designers seized the opportunity to design exclusively for the needs of the younger generation. The flexibility offered by inflatable furniture, which could be blown up for guests and then deflated and stored once they had left, was as appealing as the exciting array of colours on offer. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.10:1, 2-2007 |
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| Record created | March 13, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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