1950s 3 piece 'Congo' suite by Theo Ruth for Artifort (Netherlands)

Theo Ruth (Dutch, 1915-1971) for Artifort, a 1950's suite including a two-seater sofa and two armchairs -  totally reupholstered with fire retardant foam and luxury boucle fabric from Linwood.

In excellent condition.  

These extremely comfortable chairs are unusual as the back and seat slot together using no fixtures.  A dream to upholster as you are able to reach every area of the chair easily.

All with Artifort badges to the undersides

I've priced these as a set but would sell the sofa and 2 chairs separately - please contact us if you'd like to buy them or would like to view them in our St Albans show room.

Chairs- 1400 each

sofa - £3500

Sofa width 137 cm, depth 78 cm.

Chairs width 71 cm each. Height of backs on all three pieces 73 cm.

Height of seat on all three pieces 37 cm

Dutch designer Theo Ruth was born in 1915 in Maastricht. He trained as a furniture designer and interior designer at the Middelbare Kunstnijverheidsschool in Maastricht (which later became the Maastricht Academy of Arts). In 1936, he joined Artifort in Maastricht, where he specialised in designing living room furniture. Just three years later, in 1939, he became head of design and development, a position he maintained until his death in 1971.

Ruth was Artifort’s first permanent designer, and he had a major impact on its design legacy. His most famous pieces include the 1952 Congo Chair and the 1953 Penguin Chair, both of which were constructed from two interlocking pieces that fit together without locks or screws (the latter’s original version featured a black back and a white cushion to mimic its namesake). Notably, designers Pierre Paulin and Geoffrey Harcourt also collaborated with Artifort’s design department during Ruth’s tenure.