A set of 6 MR10 chairs, Mies van der Rohe

Mies van der Rohe was issued the patent for his tubular steel cantilevered design in August, 1927. This was closely followed by another patent for the addition of wicker to the seat and back, which was issued in August, 1928. Sergius Ruegenberg, who worked in Mies van der Rohe’s office from 1925 to 1934, recalled the design process which led to the creation of the MR10. According to Ruegenberg, Mies began with a simple sketch of a cantilevered chair by Mart Stam, who was hailed as the first to design a chair without back legs. Mart Stam’s original design was a simple construction of lines and joints, it was a chair of right angles. Mies drew a single sweeping curve over the joints of Stam’s cantilevered chair to produce the foundation of what would become the MR10 and other associated designs in tubular steel.

The MR10 was showcased at several notable events during 1927, which included the Exposition de la Mode in Paris and the Weissenhof Exhibition in Stuttgart. The latter was an exhibition of 21 buildings curated by Mies in order to promote modernist design and the, albeit idealistic, solutions it sought to create or working-class housing.

The M10 chairs were originally produced by Joseph Müller in Berlin and, after 1930, were produced by Thonet. This set of 6 dining chairs were produced by Thonet during the 1970s and have retained their original wicker seats and backs, the colour of which has deepened over time into a rich honey-like colour.