Terms and Conditions
The artist, title and date of the work must be listed anywhere the image is reproduced:
Sori Yanagi
Pair of Butterfly stools (c. 1954)
Rosewood (Dalbergia sp.), brass
(a) 39.8 × 41.7 × 31.8 cm (left Butterfly stool)
(b) 38.3 × 42.6 × 31.5 cm (right Butterfly stool)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, NGV Supporters of Asian Art, 2021
Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Where possible, the image must be reproduced in full (no cropping or over-printing). If you wish to use a detail of the work, a full reproduction of the work must also be reproduced elsewhere in the publication.
While the NGV believes this work to be in the Public Domain, it is the responsibility of the publisher to ensure that no further permissions are required for use.
For a complete list of terms and condition of use see the National Gallery of Victoria’s copyright policy.
Pair of Butterfly stools
(c. 1954)
Medium
Rosewood (Dalbergia sp.), brass
Measurements
(a) 39.8 × 41.7 × 31.8 cm (left Butterfly stool)
(b) 38.3 × 42.6 × 31.5 cm (right Butterfly stool)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, NGV Supporters of Asian Art, 2021
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Known for his simple yet beautiful designs grounded in traditional Japanese aesthetics, Sori Yanagi was a pioneer of Japan’s postwar modern design movement. His furniture and kitchen utensils remain popular functional items in Japanese homes to this day. The Butterfly stool is Yanagi’s most iconic and celebrated design, developed in collaboration with the furniture manufacturer Tendo Mokko. Each stool comprises two pieces of moulded rosewood plywood joined by a brass bar beneath the seat. The deceptively simple design takes on the appearance of a butterfly ready to take flight, while also being reminiscent of a Japanese torii gate that stands at the entrance of Shinto shrines.
