An armchair in mesh
Shiro Kuramata designed How High the Moon in 1986. The Vitra-manufactured example in the Metropolitan Museum is made from nickel-plated steel mesh. Its overall volume recalls an upholstered armchair, while the open material changes how that volume is perceived.
Surface and structure
The museum describes the mesh as providing the chair’s form without an internal supporting frame. Its reflective, perforated surface allows the surrounding space to remain visible through the object. The contrast is between a familiar furniture shape and an unfamiliar way of constructing it.
What to examine
Look at the chair against different backgrounds and trace where its outline becomes easy or difficult to distinguish. Then consider how the mesh organizes seat, arms and back. The apparent lightness is a visual effect to examine; it should not be confused with a measured claim about weight, strength or comfort. That separation makes the work particularly useful for studying expectations attached to furniture.