Miroslav Navrátil shell chairs see rising auction value

The retro shell chairs designed by Miroslav Navrátil for the Vertex enterprise are seeing a resurgence in value at auctions. A recent sale of a fully upholstered Shell chair reached approximately 6,747 CZK, with the total price exceeding 7,400 CZK after auction fees. This follows a 2021 sale where a pair of functionalist chairs from 1958 fetched 13,000 CZK.

Unlike simple plastic replicas, these authentic pieces are constructed from fiberglass—a combination of glass fibers and resin. This material allowed Navrátil to create lightweight, shaped seats without traditional wooden frames, a significant departure from the dominant wooden furniture of the era. The design, which emerged around 1959, became widely recognized in the Czech Republic, notably through its use in Tatra T3 tram carriages.

Navrátil’s career was shaped by his background in woodworking and the influence of the 1958 Brussels EXPO, which spurred interest in modern materials. His collaboration with the Vertex plant in Litomyšl led to the development of these iconic fiberglass designs.