Design
Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra
Miniature Plywood Elephant Natural features prominently among the plywood objects designed by the Eameses. In the early 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames developed an innovative and successful method of moulding plywood into three-dimensional shapes, which they used to create a wide range of furniture and sculptural objects. Among the early plywood design objects, the elephant is one of the most difficult to make. Sharp angles and opposing curves require an advanced mastery of plywood technology.
Due to the complex manufacturing methods required, the plywood elephant never made it into production. Only two prototypes were made, both of which were exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1945-46. Today, only one known model remains in the possession of the Eames family. In 2007, Vitra began the first commercial production of Eames' legendary plywood elephant in a limited collector's edition.
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