“Totem” chairs (4 available) by Torstein Nilsen. C1980

“Totem” chairs by Torstein Nilsen, Norway, mid-1980s

Designed in Norway in the mid-1980s, the Totem chair illustrates the renewal of Scandinavian design during the decade, when more expressive lines began to enrich the modernist vocabulary.

Torstein Nilsen successfully reconciled a highly graphic silhouette with the practical demands of a dining chair. Their generously padded seats and curved backrests offer surprising comfort in relation to their design.

The four chairs are made of black lacquered wood and upholstered in black faux leather.

Presented as a set, they create a particularly strong ensemble around a contemporary, Brutalist or modernist table.

Light signs of use to the wood are consistent with their age. The faux leather is in very good condition; please see photographs. Please also note that one screw is missing from the back of one of the chairs (see photos). This screw simply complements the traditional joinery, and its absence does not affect the chair’s structural integrity.

Dimensions: H 88 cm × W 56 cm × D 53 cm × seat H 46 cm