Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller DKX-1 chair, black leather, H-base, circa 1954,

Boot glides

Pricing is per chair. Please change quantity to 4 to purchase entire set.

The abbreviated Eames DKX chair, part of the Wire Mesh Series, stood for Dining (D) height, K-Wire (K) chair on X-base (X). As with all the mesh series, the numbers represented the upholstery cut, with 1 meaning the full chair cover and 2 the two-part ‘bikini’ version.

The X in the name of the DKX, LKX and MKX stands for the X-base, an original patterned base with a clear criss-cross where the base joins the top. This base was developed for the plastic series and was later utilized for the wire mesh chairs. The X-base was replaced in 1954 for the lighter and more versatile ‘H Base’ but for the sake of continuity the X in the name stayed, even to this day with the later re-launch.

The countless welds on the Eames DKX side chair were done with what is known as resistance welding. This works by passing electric current through the metal until it gets so hot it bonds any connecting adjacent metal wires. This is why repaired welds done manually can often be easily seen and less likely to appear as clean as the original.

The early DKX chairs were only available in black with black leather covers. Other finishes and colors were available much later into the 1960s before the entire wire (K) range is discontinued in 1967. Original labels were included on the upholstery cover. The early original DKX had boot slides as seen on these chairs which date them to between 1955-1958. In 1958, Herman Miller switched over to the screw in, self leveling nylon slides that are still in use today.