AFA Autumn 2019

Born in Chino, California, to Lebanese immigrants, Sam Maloof left a promising career as a graphic designer and trained himself in woodworking. He became one of the most renowned furniture designers and makers in America and a leader of the Los Angeles– area modern design movement. Between 1988 and 2005, the Lynches commissioned twenty-five pieces from him. Influenced by modern Scandinavian furniture made in the 1950s, Maloof developed his own fluid sculptural style using an evolutionary approach to design in which he continually refined the craftsmanship. He focused on seating furniture, and his chairs are as comfortable to sit in as they are beautiful to look at. He emphasized the natural warmth of wood, simplicity of form, and handcrafted details. His signature is the use of contrasting dark wood to mark points of joinery. Antiques & Fine Art 75 2019 Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876–1973), Yawning Tiger, ca. 1917. Bronze, H. 8½, L. 28, W. 4½ in. Carolyn and Peter Lynch Collection. Anna Hyatt Huntington’s love of animals and keen powers of observation are evident in her poignantly accurate portrayals of animal behavior. In this elegantly streamlined composition, she creates visual tension by contrasting the simple act of yawning and stretching with the tiger’s powerful muscles and sharp teeth. Sam Maloof (1916–2009), Low-back settee, 1989. Fiddleback (striped) maple. H. 30, W. 39, D. 21 in. Carolyn and Peter Lynch Collection.