Rocking Armchair Rod (RAR) by Ray Eames

Design Classic – Influential and important design

Prototype for Rocking Armchair 1948 by Ray and Charles Eames

RAR (Rocking Armchair Rod)

Designer: Charles Eames (1907–1978, American) & Ray Eames (1912–1988, American)
Material: fiberglass-reinforced polyester, wood & metal
Manufacturer: Herman Miller Furniture Co. (1923–present), Zeeland, MI

The RAR was designed by Charles and Ray Eames to be manufactured of metal before being sprayed with neoprene (a synthetic rubber) to make it more comfortable. However, by the time the chair could be manufactured, Herman Miller had developed the technique to build the seat out of polyester bonded with fibreglass strands. The use of fibreglass for furniture was a unique and creative concept. Initially, it was only available in grey, parchment, or a grey-beige colour, but it was soon expanded to include a wide range of vivid colours. Purple is the rarest of the Eames rocking chair hues, according to some experts.

Sources

Rocking armchair by Charles and Ray Eames. Kirkland Museum. (2021, September 3). Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.kirklandmuseum.org/collections/work/eames-rar/.

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