sensational avant-garde streamlined cantilever chairs – Heinz & Bodo Rasch for Alfons Mauser (RS series, 1930s)

The original cantilever armchairs offered here belong to the early RS series, developed in the 1930s by Heinz and Bodo Rasch for Alfons Mauser Werke. Furniture designed by the Rasch brothers ranks among the masterpieces of German Modernism and represents a high point in the evolution of streamlined seating design during this period.

The construction is based on bent chromium-plated tubular steel, forming a continuous loop that connects seat, backrest and floor frame. This flowing structural line creates both stability and a distinctly aerodynamic visual expression — a defining characteristic of the RS series.

The original oxblood-red upholstery on seat and back is well preserved and complemented by black-lacquered armrests. The surfaces display an even and authentic patina, reinforcing the museum-level integrity of the pieces. A further defining feature of this model is its distinct seating behaviour: the chairs flex not only backwards but also slightly downwards, producing an unexpectedly relaxed and comfortable sitting position — remarkable even for seasoned admirers of cantilever seating.

Today, the design is regarded as a milestone of German Streamline Design, illustrating the transition from the constructive avant-garde of the early Bauhaus years to the more aerodynamically softened formal language of late Functionalism. Further insight into the work of the Rasch brothers is provided in the exhibition “Der entfesselte Blick – Die Brüder Rasch und ihre Impulse für die moderne Architektur” (Marta Herford).

For collectors of significant works of German Modernism, this model represents a rarely encountered and fully original position within the RS series, while simultaneously marking an important stage in the oeuvre of Heinz and Bodo Rasch.

https://www.kulturstiftung-des-bundes.de/de/projekte/bild_und_raum/detail/der_entfesselte_blick.html