Mid century Orginal Wassily Chair B3 by Marcel Breuer for Gavina, Italy, 1960s – Signed Leather Bauhaus Armchair
A beautiful and highly collectible vintage Wassily Chair, Model B3, designed by the legendary Marcel Breuer in 1925 and produced by Gavina in Italy during the 1960s.
Also known as the B3 Chair, the Wassily is one of the most important and recognizable designs of the Bauhaus movement. Breuer developed this revolutionary chair while working at the Bauhaus, drawing inspiration from the tubular steel construction of bicycle handlebars.
The design eliminates traditional upholstery and instead uses a lightweight framework of bent chrome-plated tubular steel supporting suspended leather panels. The result is an exceptionally elegant and architectural chair that perfectly expresses the Bauhaus principles of functionality, simplicity and material honesty.
A Particularly Interesting Detail
This chair features the Marcel Breuer signature embossed directly into the leather, a characteristic associated with early licensed Gavina production of the Wassily chair.
Gavina, based in Italy, was responsible for producing licensed versions of Breuer’s designs before the company and the production rights were acquired by Knoll in 1968.
Because the chair has no surviving manufacturer label or additional Gavina marking, we describe the manufacturer as attributed to Gavina and date the chair to the 1960s / pre-1968 rather than claiming an exact production year.
Details
* Designer: Marcel Breuer
* Model: Wassily Chair / B3
* Manufacturer: Gavina, Italy – attributed
* Original Design: 1925
* Production: Circa 1960s / pre-1968
* Country of Origin: Italy
* Style: Bauhaus / Modernist / Mid-Century Modern
* Materials: Genuine leather, chrome-plated tubular steel
* Leather Colour: Black
* Frame: Chrome-plated tubular steel
* Designer Mark: Marcel Breuer signature embossed into the leather
* Type: Lounge / Armchair
Dimensions
* Height: 72 cm / 28.3 in
* Width: 78 cm / 30.7 in
* Depth: 69 cm / 27.2 in
* Seat Height: 41 cm / 16.1 in
Condition
The chair is in excellent vintage condition and presents beautifully.
The black leather is exceptionally well preserved, and the chrome-plated tubular steel frame is clean and highly polished. There are no significant scratches, cuts or structural damages visible.
The embossed Marcel Breuer signature on the leather remains clearly visible and is an important feature of this example.
As with all vintage furniture, minor signs of age and previous use may be present. Please carefully review all photographs, which form an important part of the condition description.
Shipping & Pickup
🌍 Worldwide shipping available
📦 Professional packaging and international shipping can be arranged.
📍 Local pickup is possible.
About the Design
The Wassily Chair is regarded as a landmark in modern furniture history and one of the defining pieces of Bauhaus design.
Marcel Breuer’s innovative combination of tubular steel and suspended leather transformed the traditional club chair into a lightweight, industrial and highly sculptural object. More than a century after its original design, the B3 remains one of the most influential and recognizable modernist chairs ever produced.
A wonderful opportunity to own an early Italian Gavina-attributed Wassily Chair, featuring the distinctive Marcel Breuer leather signature and the timeless Bauhaus aesthetic.
Midagevintage
