SEIZŌ SUGAWARA
'THE ARDENT ARMCHAIR', c. 1915
Armchair with pierced backrest in the shape of a gondola, whose structure draws inspiration from traditional Chinese rootwood chairs, such as the example held in the collections of the Musée des Arts Asiatiques in Nice. Lacquer technique known as maki-e with silver powder. Original horsehair cushion preserved.
The virtuoso joinery of the asymmetrical backrest, with its sculpted and moulded openwork, evokes the hand of Kichizo Inagaki. As revealed in a letter from Mrs. Inagaki to Eileen Gray—preserved in the archives of the Victoria & Albert Museum—Inagaki worked exclusively with solid wood.
As in the Sirène armchair, the base—independent from the backrest frame—demonstrates a stylistic approach shaped by talent, thought, and analytical precision. The stop carved into the irregularly shaped seat to accommodate the cushion reflects the confidence of a design free from chance, unlike any known works by Sugawara. It is precisely this understanding of a deeply personal and sculptural language that supports a possible attribution to Eileen Gray.
The virtuoso joinery of the asymmetrical backrest, with its sculpted and moulded openwork, evokes the hand of Kichizo Inagaki. As revealed in a letter from Mrs. Inagaki to Eileen Gray—preserved in the archives of the Victoria & Albert Museum—Inagaki worked exclusively with solid wood.
As in the Sirène armchair, the base—independent from the backrest frame—demonstrates a stylistic approach shaped by talent, thought, and analytical precision. The stop carved into the irregularly shaped seat to accommodate the cushion reflects the confidence of a design free from chance, unlike any known works by Sugawara. It is precisely this understanding of a deeply personal and sculptural language that supports a possible attribution to Eileen Gray.
H 93 - W 73 - L 62 cm.
H 36 5/8 - W 28 3/4 - L 24 3/8 in.
H 36 5/8 - W 28 3/4 - L 24 3/8 in.
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"Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Tokyo, Seizô Sugawara arrived in Paris in 1905 to teach the art of lacquer to jeweller Lucien Gaillard and became one of these Japanese expatriates in France. He later collaborated with and worked for Eileen Gray. Thanks to a small Japanese diaspora and his connections in artistic circles, he forged friendships with carpenter Kichizô Inagaki and other compatriots. They would come to anonymously share their expertise in the creations that emerged from the workshop on Rue Guénégaud, a small collective where East met West. At the 1913 Salon of Decorative Artists, the collaboration between Sugawara, sculptor-lacquerer, and Eileen Gray achieved remarkable success that exceeded their expectations. ''Twenty-three new clients have placed orders with us'', he enthusiastically wrote in a letter to his father. He would also express concern about a lacquer order that had not yet arrived, potentially hindering the workshop's creations and deliveries. The amounts at stake were significant, and Sugawara was determined not to tarnish his reputation, which would earn him recognition much later as the 'true initiator of Japanese lacquer in Paris'. The few works he left behind all fall into a category of unplaceable art, far removed from Western aesthetic canons. With forms never before seen and never again revisited, the masterful artistic legacy of Seizô Sugawara is infused in this magnificent armchair. " By Alexandra Jaffré, Art Historian, Author of the biography Seizô Sugawara, Master Lacquerer of Eileen Gray, Brussels, 2018
Exhibitions
Musée Zadkine, Paris, 'Zadkine Art Déco' exhibition, November 2025-April 2026Literature
Musée Zadkine, Paris, 'Zadkine Art Déco' exhibition, November 2025-April 2026, our armchair described and represented on pp. 114-115, ref. cat. 8.WELCOME TO GALERIE MARCILHAC NEWSLETTER
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