Vitra Eames Elephant Chair

Design: Charles and Ray Eames, 1945

Recycled Plastic RE

The high-quality recycled material is based on Germany’s household recycling collection system “Der Gelbe Sack” and is made primarily from used packaging. Compared to virgin plastic derived from petroleum, this material generates fewer climate-damaging emissions and reduces primary energy consumption.
Due to the material composition, the different color variants may feature fine speckles.

Vitra Elephant

The friendly-looking Eames Elephant delights children and parents alike. In a child’s room it is a real eye-catcher and also perfectly suited as a toy. Outdoors, the weather-resistant elephant also makes a great impression for playing and admiring. The robust material is weatherproof and supports weights of up to 70 kg. The children’s chair is 41.5 cm high, 41 cm wide and 78.5 cm long. It is available in white, pale rose, ice grey, classic red, dark lime and black, and features a matte surface.

The Creation of the Vitra Eames Elephant

In 1945, the designer couple Eames turned their attention to creating these dignified giants and designed a toy elephant made of plywood. However, this design never went into series production. Today, it is produced by Vitra. The material now used is polypropylene – the same material used for the legendary Plastic Chairs. As a result, the elephant is now available for its originally intended target group: children.

Designer

They designed furniture, curated exhibitions, photographed and made films. The Eames couple is undoubtedly among the most influential figures in 20th-century design. Charles, born in 1907, and Ray, born in 1912, met at the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan. Charles Eames worked together with Eero Saarinen on designs made from molded plywood. For their work, they received first prize in the competition “Organic Design in Home Furnishings,” organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which six years later also hosted an exhibition featuring molded plywood designs by Charles and Ray. One year after their competition success, Charles married Ray, born Bernice Alexandra Kaiser. Together they designed furniture made of molded wood and began producing these designs in 1946 at Herman Miller in Zeeland, Michigan. In 1949, they built the famous “Eames House.” After Charles received an honorary doctorate from the Pratt Institute in New York in 1964, Charles and Ray were responsible for the design of the IBM Pavilion at the 1964/65 World’s Fair.

The Elephant – An Amazing Animal

The elephant is the largest living land animal, and fascination with these great pachyderms remains undiminished. At birth, a calf can weigh up to 100 kg, and fully grown specimens can weigh up to five tons. Beyond legends, myths and fairy tales, elephants have also claimed their place in history – for example, Hannibal crossed the Alps with them as early as 218 BC. The elephant is considered gentle and majestic, and popular belief attributes it with an extraordinary memory.

The Vitra Original

Vitra is the only authorized manufacturer of Charles & Ray Eames products for Europe and the Middle East. You can purchase the original Vitra Eames Elephant here in our shop.

Learn more about Charles & Ray Eames on our blog!
Charles & Ray Eames – Pioneers of Furniture Design