Stool
Manufactured by Tendo Mokko
Japan, 1970s
Oak plywood, fabric upholstery, metal frame

Measurements
45 × 45 × 42h cm
17,7 × 17,7 × 16,5h in

Provenance
Koyama Keizo Museum of Art by Togo Murano, Japan

Literature
Kathryn B. Hiesinger and Mio Wakita-Elis, Japanese Design Since 1945: A Complete Sourcebook, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1990.
Tendo Mokko Co., Ltd., Furniture Catalogue, Yamagata, Japan, c. 1960s–1970s.

About Tendo Mokko
In northwest Japan, in Yamagata Prefecture, a group of carpenters and joiners established a woodworking cooperative that initially produced wooden objects and military supplies. Incorporated in 1942, the cooperative collaborated with the Sendai Institute of Industrial Arts, experimenting with molded plywood techniques that would later become central to the company's furniture production.
Following the Second World War, Tendo Mokko opened an office in Tokyo in 1947 and gradually shifted toward furniture for the domestic market. During the 1950s, the company collaborated with prominent architects and designers, including Kenzo Tange and Sori Yanagi, whose celebrated Butterfly Stool of 1956 demonstrated the expressive and structural possibilities of molded plywood.
Tendo Mokko's commitment to collaborating with independent designers helped establish its reputation as one of Japan's leading modern furniture manufacturers. During the 1960s, the company worked with figures such as Isamu Kenmochi, Daisaku Choh, and Riki Watanabe, while also supporting emerging talent through an annual design competition held between 1960 and 1967.
In 1964, Tendo Mokko received the Mainichi Industrial Design Award in recognition of its contribution to Japanese furniture manufacturing. Its continued exploration of advanced woodworking techniques, combined with a respect for traditional craftsmanship, established the company as a central figure in the development of Japanese modern design.