Bavinger Home Custom Viking Chairs
Provenance: The Bavinger House, Norman, Oklahoma Period: Circa 1960s Craftsmanship: Hand-Made in Mexico for Eugene and Nancy Bavinger Style: Custom "Viking" Plank Chair (also known as Bog or Stargazer Chair)
Before it was tragically lost, the Bavinger House—designed by organic architecture master Bruce Goff—was a living, breathing work of art. It was a home without interior walls, structured on a logarithmic spiral, where rock formations met suspended "pods," and water flowed through the living space.
This offering presents a Set of Four of the extraordinary Hand-Made Chairs that are tangible relics from this architectural landmark, seats of inspiration for the late artist Eugene Bavinger and his wife Nancy.
Documented History: These "Viking-style" chairs were photographed countless times within the legendary Bavinger House, serving as functional, minimalist seating on the home's multi-level slate platforms and near its famous indoor pools.
Artisanal Connection: Commissioned directly by the Bavingers and crafted in Mexico in the 1960s, these pieces speak to the couple's eclectic, international taste and their dedication to custom, hand-wrought objects that complemented their radical home.
Brutal Simplicity: The Viking Chair design—two interlocking pieces of wood forming a comfortable, low-slung, and inherently minimalist seat—is a perfect foil to Goff's maximalist, organic form. Their simple plank construction and hand-finished character anchored the monumental, swirling space.
The Object: A Confluence of Art and Craft
This complete set of (4) Chairs showcases:
Hand-Built Quality: Every cut, join, and subtle asymmetry speaks to the individual artisan's hand, far removed from mass production.
The Power of Provenance: Owning this set is like holding a piece of the Bavinger House itself—a vessel of the dreams, debates, and daily life lived inside one of the most iconoclastic structures in American architectural history.
A rare acquisition for the serious collector, museum, or design purist. These chairs are not merely seats; they are sculptures of Mid-Century idealism and the spirit of a home that defied all conventions.
Provenance: The Bavinger House, Norman, Oklahoma Period: Circa 1960s Craftsmanship: Hand-Made in Mexico for Eugene and Nancy Bavinger Style: Custom "Viking" Plank Chair (also known as Bog or Stargazer Chair)
Before it was tragically lost, the Bavinger House—designed by organic architecture master Bruce Goff—was a living, breathing work of art. It was a home without interior walls, structured on a logarithmic spiral, where rock formations met suspended "pods," and water flowed through the living space.
This offering presents a Set of Four of the extraordinary Hand-Made Chairs that are tangible relics from this architectural landmark, seats of inspiration for the late artist Eugene Bavinger and his wife Nancy.
Documented History: These "Viking-style" chairs were photographed countless times within the legendary Bavinger House, serving as functional, minimalist seating on the home's multi-level slate platforms and near its famous indoor pools.
Artisanal Connection: Commissioned directly by the Bavingers and crafted in Mexico in the 1960s, these pieces speak to the couple's eclectic, international taste and their dedication to custom, hand-wrought objects that complemented their radical home.
Brutal Simplicity: The Viking Chair design—two interlocking pieces of wood forming a comfortable, low-slung, and inherently minimalist seat—is a perfect foil to Goff's maximalist, organic form. Their simple plank construction and hand-finished character anchored the monumental, swirling space.
The Object: A Confluence of Art and Craft
This complete set of (4) Chairs showcases:
Hand-Built Quality: Every cut, join, and subtle asymmetry speaks to the individual artisan's hand, far removed from mass production.
The Power of Provenance: Owning this set is like holding a piece of the Bavinger House itself—a vessel of the dreams, debates, and daily life lived inside one of the most iconoclastic structures in American architectural history.
A rare acquisition for the serious collector, museum, or design purist. These chairs are not merely seats; they are sculptures of Mid-Century idealism and the spirit of a home that defied all conventions.