312 Willow Throne Original Armchair attributed to Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Cassina, 1980s

Trone-armchair designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904. Relaunched in 1973. Authenticated and stamped model. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. This throne-like armchair is a new iteration of the model that CRM donated, in 1904, to the “Willow Tea Rooms” in Glasgow, his native city. The tall semi-circular back served to separate the entrance area from the tea-room behind it. The back encompasses the seat, illustrating to perfection Mackintosh’s geometric and Art Nouveau style. For Cassina, creating this chair meant marrying advanced technology and the company’s premier carpentry skills. The latter can be seen in the precision needed to assemble the components that make up the elegant, light-weight latticed frame.