'Butterfly' Stool by Yanagi, 1954.

'Butterfly' Stool designed by Sori Yanagi, Japan and made by Tendo Mokko. Ltd., Japan, 1954

Yanagi was a key figure in the revival of Japanese design after World War 2. In 1940-42 he had accompanied the French designer Charlotte Perriand on her tour of Japan, which may have kindled an interest in seat furniture, a form which did not exist in Japanese culture. Although its construction makes use of the Eames' technique for mass-producing moulded plywood, the Butterfly Stool makes no reference to Western forms but reminds one of the gateways to Shinto shrines. It won a gold medal at the Milan Triennale Exhibition of 1957.

	Garden Egg' by Ghyczy, 1968.

'Garden Egg' designed by the Czech Peter Ghyczy, and made by Reuter Produkt, Germany, 1968

This novel design, which was available in red, yellow or white, is very practical for outdoor use. Channels, which run around the sides of the hinged lid, dispose of rainwater, keeping the upholstered interior dry.

	'Wiggle' Chair by Gehry,1972

'Wiggle' Chair designed by Frank O. Gehry, originally for Easy Edges Inc., New York, now made for Vitra AG, Basel, Switzerland, 1972.

Gehry's furniture designs share a strong, sculptural character with his best known buildings, notably the Vitra Design Museum at Weil-am-Rhein and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. In 1972, while experimenting with paper furniture for shop displays, he invented Edge Board. This material, composed of layers of corrugated card, glued together in alternating directions is remarkably sturdy and lightweight.

	'How High the Moon' by Kuramata, 1986

'How High the Moon' designed by Shiro Kuramata, Japan and made by Vitra AG, Basel, Switzerland, 1986.

Kuramata mixed Eastern and Western influences to produce furniture with ironic names using unusual materials (like glass and plexiglass). The chair's name is the title of a jazz piece by Duke Ellington. Kuramata used similar rib mesh to fit out an entire boutique interior for the fashion designer, Issey Miyake.

	'Getsuen Chair' by Umeda, 1990.

'Getsuen' Chair designed by Masnori Umeda, Japan and made by Edra, Pisa, Italy, 1990.

Umeda was a member of the influential Memphis group in Milan in the 1980s. 'Getsuen' means a moonlight garden. Dismayed by post-war global industrialisation Umeda wanted to give something back to Nature and chose the form of the Chinese bellflower, or kikyo, for this chair.