Backen­zahn Stool

Backen­zahn means ​“molar” in German and is an apt moniker for perhaps one of Philipp Mainzer’s best-known pieces for e15. The enig­matic Backen­zahn stool can also func­tion as a side/​occasional table and features a struc­ture of four ​“post-like” legs that have been joined together to create the atyp­i­cal volume. Each of the legs has been artic­u­lated as a sepa­rate element – the narrow gap between posts becomes a cruci­form element at the top when viewed aeri­ally. This gap also creates a wonder­ful shadow along the sides of the Backen­zahn stool not only high­light­ing the three-dimen­sional nature of the respec­tive elements but creat­ing an engag­ing depth within the overall composition.

The wood used in creat­ing Backen­zahn is north­ern Euro­pean oiled oak or walnut through which Mainzer cele­brates the natural irreg­u­lar­i­ties of the wood – stri­a­tions, grain, and splits. As a result, every Backen­zahn stool created is slightly differ­ent from the other – the only homog­e­niz­ing features are its uniform size and the type of wood from which it has been created. The base of each of the post elements has been cut to create a styl­ized form that mimics the roots of a tooth. The tops of each are slightly concave – when joined they form a shallow depres­sion to engen­der ergonom­ics as a seat. While this concave top can also be used as a surface, e15 also offers the Backen­zahn stool with a flat top better suited to its use as a side/​occasional table.

Backen­zahn has an amazing sculp­tural pres­ence; given its narrow foot­print, it becomes a perfect solu­tion as an impromptu stool or table in any interior.