Model 4 Factory Stool by Robert Wagner for Rowac, 1940s

About This Piece

Vintage Design

This tripod stool, model 4, was designed by Robert Wagner and made by Rowac during the 1940s.

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Creator	Robert Wagner
Manufacturer	Rowac
Design Period	1920 to 1949
Country of Manufacture	Germany
Attribution Marks	Labeled by maker
Style	Vintage, Industrial
Detailed Condition	Worn — This vintage item has visible damages, defects, or small missing parts. It may be in need of restoration.
Restoration and Damage Details	Heavy signs of use, Patina consistent with age and use
Product Code	GZU-281318
Materials	Metal, Wood
Color	Brown
Width	38 cm 15.0 inch
Depth	40 cm 15.7 inch
Height	89 cm 35.0 inch
Seat Height	21.7 inch
Weight Range	Standard — Between 40kg and 80kg
Duties Notice	Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order.

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	Switzerland
Duties Notice	Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order.
Returns	Returns accepted within two days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Delivery Details

Delivery will be completed by a parcel service such as UPS, DHL, or FedEx.
You will receive a tracking number to monitor the status of your shipment.
Delivery will take place between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine the packaging upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damaged packaging, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note, take pictures, and—if the item inside shows damages—contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations regarding damaged packaging represents your acceptance of the completed order in perfect condition.

About the Maker

Rowac

Associated with industrial style furniture, Rowac is among a number of German manufacturers active in the first half of the 20th century whose products are known by the producer’s name rather than that of the designer. The creators of Rowac designs were not recorded, but pieces were branded with the company logo, preserving the name for 21st-century vintage buyers to rediscover.

Founded in 1888 by Robert Wagner as an ironworks, “ROWAC” is an acronym of the first letters of the founder’s first and second name, along with the first letter of the city, Chemnitz in Saxony. Although Rowac produced a wide range of industrial furniture, including chairs , tables , tool boxes, and cabinets , the company was best known for their industrial stools , which have become vintage classics. The first Rowac stool was issued in 1905, with three iron legs and a round wooden seat. Many variations were launched in the following years, some with three or four legs, the last redesign occurring in the 1920s, though it continued to be produced for many years after. Rowac patented many of its product designs, including a stool whose legs could be dismantled and reassembled quickly for shipping. Most vintage Rowac stools on the market today however, are earlier designs that cannot be easily dismantled. Many factories and workshops around Germany were equipped with Rowac stools, including the German Trade Union Confederation in 1923, and the classrooms of Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus in Dessau.

After the Second World War, the factory was nationalized by the government of East Germany and became VEB Bemefa. In 1990, the company was re-privatized as Bemefa Metallmöbel GmbH. Today, the company is known as bemefa-simco.

The Rowac Stool is exhibited in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna and the Institute of Art History at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands.