Maurice Martiné Lounge Chair
Maurice Martiné Designs. 1950.
Cotton Cord. Tubular Steel. and Maple.
27” H x 24” W x 21 ½” D.
$25,000
This example has developed a rich patina, with some darkening of the wood and natural yellowing of the cord due to age. The enamel finish on the steel has been updated. Examples of this design are extremely rare.
Maurice Martiné (1918–2006) spent over five decades designing in Laguna Beach, CA, earning international acclaim in the 1940s and ’50s. Despite working with top architects like A. Quincy Jones and William Cody, he remains relatively unknown, and his work is scarce.
Born in Utah, Martiné studied at USC under Paul Frankl and Glen Lukens, earning a BFA in 1940. He designed for Barker Bros., Lockheed, and Newton S. Leichter before WWII interrupted his career. Post-war, he gained recognition for his bent steel rod and wood chair, celebrated by George Nelson and featured in major exhibitions, including MoMA’s Good Design shows. He later collaborated with A. Quincy Jones and William Cody, manufactured his own designs, and operated a retail shop in South Laguna, selling modern furniture and accessories.