Solid Teak Slatted Bench by Pierre Jeanneret, India, 1950s

Pierre Jeanneret slatted bench in solid teak, designed in the 1950s for the civic buildings of Chandigarh, India. The teak top is supported by a pair of sharply angled V-shaped legs joined by a stretcher, exemplifying the structural clarity and simplicity characteristic of Chandigarh creations. Its minimalist beauty lies in the honest use of material and proportion, with visible patina and marks that speak to decades of history and use. Crafted in richly aged teak, the bench carries a warm, tactile quality that perfectly captures Jeanneret’s belief in functional purity expressed through handcrafted detail. A timeless piece, it embodies both the modernist spirit and the craftsmanship of mid-century India. Though overshadowed by his cousin Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret was a visionary of modernist architecture and design. Together, the two shaped a new design language that privileged structure and purpose over ornament, with Jeanneret introducing warmth and tactility through materials like cane and wood. A tireless innovator, he collaborated with Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé, exploring new forms and construction techniques. In the early 1950s, Jeanneret joined Le Corbusier in Chandigarh, India, where he devoted fifteen years to shaping the city’s civic architecture and its furniture - an extraordinary synthesis of modern ideals and traditional craftsmanship that remains one of the most profound achievements of 20th-century design.