Iconic piece | The discreet charm of the elephant

The designer couple Charles and Ray Eames made history for their chairs, of course, as well as for their emblematic decorative object in the shape of a bird. But another animal, more discreet despite its size, was also shaped by the duo: an elephant intended for children. Less known than the others, he is no less significant in their work.

Like most Eames objects, the creation of this children’s toy was done with four hands. It was born from the union of the two designers, but above all from the respective passions of each: while one had a fascination for elephants, the other showed great interest in the world of gaming.

“We found a lot of photographs of elephants in Charles Eames’s personal archives: circus elephants, elephants in India… He was fascinated by their shape, by what they represented,” notes Vanessa Sicotte, design historian and author of the decoration blog Damask & Dentelle.

His wife Ray, for her part, was very interested in toys. “She has always had a particular interest in fun and creative objects,” continues Vanessa Sicotte. She moved away from the great dogmas of modernism and the intellectualization of design to observe, from a child’s perspective, how they learned and played.

Moreover, among the Eameses, there was no age to learn about design, says Karine Matte, a designer passionate about the trend. mid century.

But let’s address the elephant in the room right away: no, the Eameses did not have children, at least not together. Charles was, however, the father of a little girl from a previous union, Lucia Eames. Having also become a figure in design, she died 10 years ago, at the age of 83.

But back to our elephants. The one that interests us was created by the couple in 1945, as part of their experiments with three-dimensional plywood structures. The animal consisted of two parts, the head and the body. However, given its curved and complex shapes, the elephant could not be mass-produced at the time of its creation. “It was complicated, all rounded. But for the Eameses, it was super important, because they were extremely fascinated by organic shapes,” adds Karine Matte.

Only two prototypes were made, one of which was allegedly given to… Lucia Eames, aged 14 at the time. A prototype was also loaned to the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1946, where it still resides.

The rebirth of the elephant

It was not until 2007, the year Charles Eames would have turned 100, that the European company Vitra took over the original sketches as a tribute to the creators. The elephant was first produced in plywood, in small series. At the same time, it was also made of polypropylene, for a fraction of the cost.

Today, it is possible to obtain the elephant in either of these materials – wood or plastic – through one of the two companies that produce it, Vitra or Herman Miller. Some furniture and design stores here also sell reproductions at low prices.

If the elephant does not enjoy the same reputation as certain other pieces, it is no less interesting, on the contrary.

She herself has a copy, in bright red, which she acquired when her daughter was born in 2008. Today, her children are grown up, but the elephant is still part of the decor. “This elephant goes way beyond a toy,” she says. I will keep it forever. Then one day my children will have it for their children. »