Inspired by his vast folk art collection, architect and designer Alexander Girard created Wooden Dolls for his home in Santa Fe, solely for his personal use. Somewhere between decorative object and toy, these Wooden Dolls, now available to the public, will enhance your home. The Wooden Dolls are part of the internationally acclaimed Vitra Design Museum collection and are exhibited in a number of museums and design galleries. These little hand-made and hand-painted dolls in solid pine are sold in a printed wooden case. The Wooden Dolls will undoubtedly charm you whether you opt for one or several, since according to the designer, these unusual objects are “a microcosm of the human world and dreams, representing fantasy, imagination, humour and love”.
Born in 1907 in New York, Alexander Girard is one of the emblematic figures of post-war American design. Trained as an architect, he remained in the shadows for a long time before becoming head of the fabrics and textiles division of publisher Herman Miller, for whom he created a multitude of brightly coloured fabrics with a strong taste for geometric patterns and abstract shapes. These inspirations have their roots in travels and discoveries around the world. He was also friends with designers George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames. Alexander Girard stands out not only for his furniture designs, but also for his series of quirky wooden figures known as "Wooden Dolls" or "Figurine Dolls". Now published by Vitra, his work is still echoing. In 1962, with the help of his wife, he created the Girard Foundation, listing a collection of over 100,000 pieces. When he died in 1993, his heirs donated his archive of sketches, prototypes and samples to the Vitra Design Museum.
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VITRA
Vitra was founded in 1950 by Willi Fehlbaum and Erika Fehlbaum. The design furniture company Vitra is located near Basel, Switzerland. Starting in 1981, the Vitra brand expanded and opened numerous subsidiaries around the world. The founders discovered the Vitra armchairs, including the Eames armchairs, the Vitra tables, and the office chairs created by Charles and Ray Eames, Antonio Citterio, and the Bouroullec brothers. They were instantly captivated and subsequently requested a license to produce these furniture pieces in Europe. In 1956, Vitra acquired this license, which became one of the cornerstones of the brand’s success.