PAW Chair Charles Eames Herman Miller and Zenith Plastics

Vintage PAW chair (“Pivot Armchair Wood base“) in “Parchment” tinted fiberglass, designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Very early production, molded by Zenith Plastics in Gardena (California), circa 1948–1952. Shell with a strongly fibrous texture, characteristic of the early years of manufacturing. Original swivel mechanism with Seng Chicago marking.

• Rope edge finish (hemp rope edge), specific to early Zenith editions. Zenith Plastics sticker present.
• Highly sought-after configuration combining a wooden base, black metal rods, and the original swivel plate (“swivel”), characteristic of the earliest production generations.
• Very good condition, smooth rotation.
• Offered as a collector’s piece. Although structurally sound, intensive use is not recommended.
• H 78 cm × D 61 cm × W 63 cm
• Seat height 41 cm

PAW Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, Zenith Plastics shell

Zenith Plastics is the Californian company behind the first fiberglass shells for chairs and armchairs developed for Charles & Ray Eames in the early 1950s. Based in Gardena (Los Angeles), it collaborated with Herman Miller from 1950 to develop this innovative material derived from aeronautical and naval technologies.

The shells produced by Zenith Plastics are distinguished by a highly fibrous texture, a specific feel, and the presence of original markings. Produced in small series, they are now among the most sought-after versions of vintage chairs and armchairs, corresponding to the first generations of Eames fiberglass furniture production.

The code PAW (“Pivot Armchair Wood base”) refers to an armchair shell mounted on a wooden swivel base. This coding system for chair and armchair shells, born in the 1950s, continued through the 1960s and 1970s, allowing for precise identification of the different variants developed by Herman Miller.

• DAW: Dining Armchair Wood (with armrests, wooden legs)
• DSR: Dining Side Rod (without armrests, “Eiffel Tower” metal base)
• DAR: Dining Armchair Rod
• DSX: Dining Side base X (standard metal base)
• DSW: Dining Side Wood (without armrests, wooden legs)

Detail of the fiberglass shell with pronounced texture (“rope edge”), with Herman Miller and Zenith Plastics label.

The first fiberglass armchair shells for vintage armchairs were produced until the mid-1950s in the Zenith Plastics workshops in Gardena. They are notably recognizable by their large shock mounts and the richness of their texture, characteristic of early productions.