Cognac Leather FK 6728 4G Armchairs & Matteo Grassi Dining Table by Preben Fabricius & Jørgen Kastholm for Walter Knoll/Willhelm Knoll, 1990s, Set of 11

An exceptional set of 10 Limited Edition Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm cognac leather FK6728 armchairs matched to a large an impressive Matteo Grassi cream leather and glass dining table. The price shown is for all 10 chairs and the table including the glass top.

Originally designed by powerhouse 1960s design team Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm in 1964, their ‘Tulip’ chair has become an icon of Mid Century Danish design. The actual original name for this chair that was produced by Kill International is ‘The Bucket Chair’ and it is still produced today by Walter Knoll under that name. Needless to say the name comes nowhere near close to portraying the beautiful and curvaceous lines it exhibits which is why over the years it’s often been referred to as the ‘Tulip’ or ‘Bird’ Chair.

The original production name was the FK 6725 which relates to the chair with the fixed base and seat. Other production variants number from 6725-6729 and also have been produced in a 3 leg (3G), 4 leg (4G) or 5 star (5R) base and with or without castors. The original chair was produced with a fixed seat and base, but later versions had a rotating seat – and later still a 4 star and 5 star base with both a tilting and rotating seat. All production models had circular slides or castors fitted to the base of the feet so if you ever see a listing without one or the other they are missing in action.

The FK high back armchair version, as shown here, has a leather pad and a gloss white shell and a 4 star rotating base. This was a special edition, as confirmed by email via Walter Knoll, and was therefore only produced in very limited numbers. The fine lines and contours found on the FK chair are still as compelling today as they were when the chair was first introduced. The sculptured arm rests elegantly curve up and away from the chair base and provide both comfort and support.

It’s a stylish, easy going chair that works well both in a domestic environment as a dining, side or desk chair, or in a business environment as a meeting room or conference room chair.
All the chairs in this set are in good used condition with just minor signs of wear here and there as expected. There really is nothing much to choose between any of the 10 as there are no major marks or damages. The polished 4 star base on all the chairs are also in good condition with just a few scuff marks and scratches on the tops of the profiles, again just as you would expect.

The chairs are matched to a beautifully designed and constructed Matteo Grassi cream leather and glass dining table. This large and impressive table has a steel core base that has been upholstered in cream leather and that features a thick glass, floating table top.
Matteo Grassi had a long history of producing high quality and finely crafted saddlery going as far back as 1880, and this shines through in the quality of the construction and stitching on all of their products. Like many of their designs the point of identification is that the metal framework is an analogy for the human skeleton with the leather acting as the ‘skin’ that shrouds the frame.

The Matteo Grassi family company first came to the notice of interior designers and retailers when the Korium series of chairs were first introduced in 1978. This was the first design they produced under their own name after they moved into mainstream furniture production. This change was based on their increasing involvement in furniture prototyping in the previous 10 years that saw them create and develop bespoke designs for many leading architects and designers. They have ever since been known for producing quality pieces of furniture including the MG5 cantilever chair.

This table is the Gazelle model and was produced from the late 1990s through to around 2010 and features their trademark stitching and thick leather; it really is a rare and beautiful table and one that is almost impossible to find on the resale market. It’s constructed of a heavy metal frame with adjustable pads that support a thick glass, racetrack oval shaped top that simply floats above the frame. Whilst it is a very well made and solid piece, it can still be moved by two strong people. This particular table dates from the late 90s and is in excellent condition with only very light marks to the frame and glass – there are no chips in the glass edge. The table has the Matteo Grassi imprint on leather plaques on the underneath of the main frame.

Dimensions
Table : H81 x W47 x D85cm
Glass Thickness: 14mm
Chairs: H90 x W72 x D60cm
Seat Height: 47cm
Arm Height: 69cm