1960s Italian Rush Dining Chairs | Rooksmoor Mills | Set of Four

A set of four slender Italian ladder-back dining chairs dating from the 1960s, made for the British market and retailed by Rooksmoor Mills of Stroud, Gloucestershire.

One chair retains its original label reading: “For Rooksmoor Mills, Stroud, Glos — Made in Italy.”

The model is commonly associated with Otto Gerdau and is sometimes identified as the Venezia chair. Its precise authorship remains uncertain, but the design belongs to a distinctive strand of postwar Italian furniture that reinterpreted traditional rush seating through modernist proportion and lightness.

The design is defined by its tall, gently tapering back, five subtly curved rails and exceptionally slender frame. Although visually high-backed, the chairs have a petite footprint, making the set particularly suitable for a smaller dining area.

The wooden frames have been gently cleaned and conserved in our studio workshop using fine wire wool and Danish oil. Their original surface has been retained, including variations in colour, softened edges and the patina acquired through decades of use. They have not been stripped or made to look new.

Three damaged seats have been sympathetically re-rushed by hand, while the fourth retains its sound original weaving.

Why it works

These chairs bring together traditional Italian rush seating and the economy of line associated with postwar modernism. Their character comes from proportion rather than ornament: tall backs, narrow frames and natural woven seats create a strong silhouette without visual heaviness.

Dimensions

Height: 102cm
Width: 44cm
Depth: 39
Seat height: 44cm
Seat width: 45cm
Seat depth: 36cm

“A petite set of Italian dining chairs in which traditional rush seating meets the lightness of postwar modernism.”