The History of the Tub Chair
Like Parsons Chairs, Tub Chairs design lineage incorporates elements of Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Tub Chairs, ( sometimes known as Barrel Chairs or Captains' Chairs ), are much more firmly rooted in the Art Deco tradition than the more traditional Parson Chair.
Hoffman Tub Chair
One of the leading designer of Tub Chairs was Josef Hoffman. Hoffman was an influential 19th century architect and furniture designer who taught at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts for over 30 years. Although more closely associated with Arts and Crafts, the later chair designs of Hoffman began to reflect the influence of Art Deco.
In particular, Hoffmann's famous Koller Chair of 1911, is a strong Art Deco piece that shares a very similar form to today's Tub Chair. With its long, straight upright curves, and sumptuous fabric, the Koller chair is an exaggerated form of the Tub Chair. The Tub Chair shown here is a more refined version of the Koller design.
Even without a Koller style camel back, the clean and arched lines of the Tub Chair reflect the modern aesthetic emphasized by Art Deco. In some ways, however, the Tub Chair incorporates elements of Traditional English Furniture. The Windsor chair design is one the forefathers of the Tub Chair that stands out in this regard. The most prominent links between Windsor Chairs and Tub Chairs are the rounded back and the use of traditional materials. The rounded spindle back of the Windsor Chair has a nautical overtone and suggests the origin of the term Captain's Chair.
The Hoffmann Tub Chair offered by Hometonic has an Art Deco form, but uses traditional materials such as Italian Leather and Oak. It is made by the same manufacturer of our Parsons Chairs and therefore its leather and stain will match exactly with the Parsons Chairs. Also, like the Parsons Chairs, our Tub Chairs, feature quality stitching and use high density foam for cushioning.
