Chaise Tout Bois by Jean Prouvé | Oak | Chair

Chaise Tout Bois is the only chair by French "builder" and designer Jean Prouvé made entirely of wood. The design is very similar to Prouvé's famous Standard chair, but the metal base was replaced with wood due to the shortage of metal during World War II. The shape of the Chaise Tout Bois expresses Prouvé's intention to provide greater strength at the transition point between the seat and back, where the weight of the load of the human anatomy is greatest. The profile of the rear frame section - rear legs and backrest support - refers to this load transfer and is a typical feature of Prouvé's designs, both in his furniture and in the field of architecture.

Prouvé created several prototypes of this chair during the war in order to test its structural strength as well as the joints, the position of the legs and the connection between the seat and the backrest. The type of wood chosen depended on what was available at the time. After the war, there was again a sufficient supply of oak wood, which, because of its hardness and strength, was commonly used in France to build ships and cathedral roofs. As these properties are also ideal for a wooden chair, the Chaise Tout Bois was eventually made from oak and plywood (dark-stained versions were also made when requested by Jean Prouvé's clients).