Eames House Whale

Charles and Ray Eames surrounded themselves in their legendary Eames House with their own designs and an extensive collection of folk art, as well as with other small objects they found during their travels, in nature, and in everyday life. Almost everything they collected was related to aspects of design and form, as Ray clarified: "We never collected anything as collectors, but rather because there was something inherent in the piece that made it seem like a good idea to look at it." The Eames couple decorated and furnished the living space with great seriousness and immense joy, making the Eames House a constantly evolving collage, a reflection of their lives.

A prominent feature of the Eames collection was a giant wooden whale over two meters long, an anonymous piece of North American folk art. The painted object was incredibly dear to Charles and Ray Eames: it had a permanent place in the Eames Office and was also used in photoshoots, such as for the first pictures of the Lounge Chair. The smaller reproduction of the Eames House Whale by Vitra is made of ash wood and hand-painted.