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Sori Yanagi Seating

Japanese, 1915-2011

Sōri Yanagi was a Japanese product designer. Born in 1915 in Tokyo, Japan. His father was Yanagi Sōetsu, founder of the Japanese folk crafts mingei movement, which celebrated the beauty of everyday objects, and the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingeikan). Yanagi entered Tokyo Art School in 1934, where he studied both art and architecture. He played a role in the Japanese modern design developed after the Second World War to the high-growth period in the Japanese economy. Yanagi was both a representative of the wholly Japanese modern designer and a full-blown Modernist, who merged simplicity and practicality with elements of traditional Japanese crafts. He designed the official torch for the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Yanagi died in 2011 at the age of 96.

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Creator: Sori Yanagi
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in Molded Blonde Rosewood for Tendo Mokko
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Chicago, IL
The Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi, (1915 - 2011) an iconic figure in Japanese industrial design. Originally created in 1954 using the moulded plywood technique that had been newly c...
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Rosewood

Wooden Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Stool in Molded Plywood by Tendo Japan, 1980s
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare and iconic wooden mid century "butterfly" stool in molded plywood by Sori Yanagi for Tendo Mokko Japan, 1980s. In good condition and purchased by the previous owner on a busines...
Category

1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Plywood

Sori Yanagi "Butterfly" Stools . Earliest examples.
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Toronto, Ontario
An incredible example of an iconic Mid 20th Century masterpiece. Designed by Sori Yanagi in the late 1950.s These examples are the earliest examples of this form. As evidenced by ...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Rosewood

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in Molded Blonde Rosewood for Tendo Mokko
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Chicago, IL
The Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi, (1915 - 2011) an iconic figure in Japanese industrial design. Originally created in 1954 using the moulded plywood technique that had been newly ...
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Rosewood

Rare Japanese Stool by Soetsu Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Uccle, BE
This stool was made in 1936 for the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum. Made of Japanese cherry wood and seagrass. Today, you can still see the original benches made for this museum. Yanagi Soetsu (1889 – 1961), also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese art critic, philosopher, and founder of the Mingei (folk craft) movement in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s. His son, Sori Yanagi, was a renowned industrial designer. In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of curiosity about Korean crafts. The trip led to the establishment of the Korean Folk Crafts Museum in 1924 and the coining of the term mingei by Yanagi, potters Hamada Shoji (1894–1978) and Kawai Kanjiro...
Category

1930s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Seagrass, Cherry

Sori Yanagi White Elephant Stool for Kotobuki, 1960s
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
An iconic mid-century design by Japanese master Sori Yanagi. The Elephant Stool embodies simplicity, functionality, and sculptural beauty. Featuring a distinctive arching silhouette ...
Category

1960s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Sori Yanagi (Japanese, 1915-2011); Tendo, attributed. (Japan) Marking(s); notes: no marking(s) apparent Materials: rosewood veneer over plywood, brass ...
Category

1960s Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Wood

Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
Sori Yanagi BUTTERFLY Stool
$2,625 Sale Price
30% Off
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Vitra, Mid-Century Modern, 1990
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Centreville, VA
The Elephant Stool, designed by Sori Yanagi for Vitra, is a playful yet elegantly crafted piece that showcases the harmonious blend of function an...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Plastic

Sori Yanagi Side Chairs for Kotobuki, Pair, Designed in 1969
By Kotobuki, Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Stackable side chairs designed by Sori Yanagi in 1969 and manufactured by Kotobuki. Sold as a pair. Priced in pair. Upholstery, FRP (fiber-glass reinforced plastic), steel.
Category

1970s Japanese Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Steel

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Previously Available Items
Rosewood Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi
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Rosewood Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi
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An early edition of the iconic Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi, produced by Kotobuki in 1954, featuring its original publisher’s label. Designed in fiberglass—a groundbreaking material...
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BUTTERFLY Stool Stool Chair Design Sori Yanagi Stool
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Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in Molded Palisander Tendo Mokko
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Chicago, IL
The Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi, (1915 - 2011) an iconic figure in Japanese industrial design. Originally created in 1954 using the moulded plywood technique that had been newly ...
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1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

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Plywood

Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Centreville, VA
Ease of travel in the jet age encouraged a growing fusion of cultural influences after World War II. Although Yanagi's stool was designed and manufactured in Japan, it employs Weste...
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1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

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Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi
Butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi
H 15.25 in W 16.5 in D 12.25 in
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool Rosewood Brass
By Sori Yanagi
Located in San Diego, CA
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool in rosewood and brass. Designed in 1954 and produced in the 1990s. Signed, Sori Yanagi.
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1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

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Rosewood

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool Rosewood Brass
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H 15.25 in W 16.75 in D 12 in
SORI YANAGI , Mageki Stacking Chairs for Akita Mokkou , 1960s , Japanese modern
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
SORI YANAGI , Mageki Stacking Chairs for Akita Mokkou , 1960s , Japanese modern each price
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1960s Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Wood

Sori Yanagi, "Butterfly" Stools, Walnut, Brass, Japan, 1954
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in High Point, NC
A set of first production walnut "Butterfly" stools, designed in 1954 by Sori Yanagi and produced by Tendo Mokko, Japan, c. 1960s. Unlabeled. Seat height: 15.75"
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1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Brass

Pair Black Sori Yanagi Elephant Stools by Kotobuki Japan c. 1950s
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of black Sori Yanagi Elephant Stools by Kotobuki, Japan c. 1950s. Yanagi foil sticker on underside. Originally designed by Yanagi as ...
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Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

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Fiberglass

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
By Tendo Mokko, Sori Yanagi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ottoman designed by Sori Yanagi. The walnut bent plywood frame mirrors one another showcasing a butterfly shape, hence the name. The stool is finished with brass hardware. Dimension...
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Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Brass

Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
Sori Yanagi Butterfly Stool or Ottoman
H 15.25 in W 17.25 in D 11.75 in
Sori Yanagi ‘Elephant’ stool for Kotobuki, Japan 1954
By Sori Yanagi, Kotobuki
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Elephant stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki Seating Company, Tokyo 1954. Yanagi originally designed the stool as a work chair for his studio, a couple of years later it was released b...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki
By Sori Yanagi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
The Elephant Stool was designed by Sori Yanagi in 1954. This stool, which was released in 1956 with FRP material, which was rare at the time, was used in the pavilion at the 1970 Osa...
Category

1950s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sori Yanagi Seating

Materials

Fiberglass

Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki
Elephant Stool by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki
H 14.57 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in

Sori Yanagi seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Sori Yanagi seating are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Sori Yanagi seating, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original seating by Sori Yanagi were created in the mid-century modern style in japan during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider seating by Junzo Sakakura, Isamu Kenmochi, and Akita Mokko. Prices for Sori Yanagi seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,221 and can go as high as $11,095, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,500.

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