ticketsMember | Make a donation

"How High the Moon" Armchair

Designer Shiro Kuramata Japanese
Manufacturer Vitra
1986
Not on view
How High the Moon offers a philosophical meditation on the form of the chair. Kuramata cleverly toys with one of the most iconic forms of Western furniture, but one that is almost unknown in traditional Japanese design. The steel mesh, with no interior frame or support, provides the outline of a chair without any of its traditional structure. While its shape is that of a conventional upholstered armchair, its dematerialized, almost transparent appearance suggests a tension between form and function. This effect is intensified by the reflective quality of the steel mesh. How High the Moon appears almost fragile, calling into question its ability to support the weight of the human body and, by extension, challenging the definition of the chair as functional furniture.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "How High the Moon" Armchair
  • Designer: Shiro Kuramata (Japanese, 1934–1991)
  • Manufacturer: Vitra (Swiss (est. Germany), Weil am Rhein, 1950)
  • Date: 1986
  • Medium: Nickel-plated steel mesh
  • Dimensions: 28 1/4 × 37 1/2 × 31 7/8 in. (71.8 × 95.3 × 81 cm)
  • Classification: Furniture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Vitra Inc., Basel, Switzerland, 1988
  • Object Number: 1988.186
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Kuramata Design Office
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
"Sing, Sing, Sing" Armchair, Shiro Kuramata Japanese, Steel
"Sing, Sing, Sing" Armchair
Shiro Kuramata
XO
designed 1985
Kyoto Table, Shiro Kuramata Japanese, Concrete, glass, metal and stone
Kyoto Table
Multiple artists/makers
1983
"Flower Vase #3", Shiro Kuramata Japanese, Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), glass
"Flower Vase #3"
Shiro Kuramata
Ishimaru Co. Ltd.
1989
Spice set, Shiro Kuramata Japanese, Chromed steel
Spice set
Shiro Kuramata
Time Studio
1980
Cabinet de Curiosité, Shiro Kuramata Japanese, Colored perspex acrylic
Returned to lender
Cabinet de Curiosité
Shiro Kuramata
1989

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.