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About this Product
The Eames House Whale, created by Charles and Ray Eames in the early 1950s and later produced by Vitra, is a poetic and quietly humorous object that reflects the couple’s fascination with nature, symbolism, and everyday wonder. Originally hung in the Eames House in Pacific Palisades, the whale functioned less as decoration than as a narrative presence, embodying the Eameses’ belief that design should spark curiosity and emotion as much as it serves a purpose. Both sculptural and playful, it captures the experimental, humanistic spirit of mid-century modern design.
About the Designer
Charles & Ray Eames
Charles Eames, born 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri, studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis and opened his own office together with Charles M. Gray in 1930. In 1935 he founded another architectural firm with Robert T. Walsh. After receiving a fellowship in 1938 from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, he moved to Michigan and joined the faculty the following year. In 1940, he and Eero Saarinen won first prize for their joint entry in the competition 'Organic Design in Home Furnishings' organised by the New York Museum of Modern Art. During the same year, Eames became head of the department of industrial design at Cranbrook, and in 1941 he married Ray Kaiser.
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