Peacock Chair from the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
Frank Lloyd Wright
American (1867-1959)
Peacock Chair from the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo (1921)
Oak, oil cloth, covering metal
Bequest of Wilma B. Keyes, 1995.8.4
Wright’s architecture can be described as a gesamtkunstwerk or total work of art; the architect designed buildings as well as furnishings to create an organic whole in terms of materials as well as form. His Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (1915-22, dismantled 1967) is a good example. This chair’s hexagonal back and square seat echo the Mayan Revival architecture of the hotel, while the oak wood compliments the brick and Ōya stone, a rock created from lava and ash, that were used throughout the building. Wright was deeply influenced by Japanese culture, amassing a large personal collection of Japanese art.