"Costes" chair by Philippe Starck for Driade, Italy, 1980s

Postmodern design era
Designer Philippe Starck
Period 1980
Materials: leather, metal, ebonized wood
Driade Manufactory , Italy
Dimensions (W × H × T) 48 × 80 × 56 cm
Condition: Good, signs of wear present

Story

Philippe Starck is known for giving his designs philosophical and symbolic depth.

Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (א) and has a strong symbolic meaning. It is often understood as a symbol of origin, unity, and infinity.
The placement of the word "Aleph" on the Costes armchair could be an allusion to the fact that the armchair is more than just a piece of furniture. It could be conceived as a central point in the room – a kind of "Aleph" from which the user perceives their surroundings.
The term could also refer to the story of the same name by Jorge Luis Borges, "The Aleph" . In this story, the Aleph is a point in space that contains all other points – a place from which one can perceive the universe in its entirety.

In short: "Aleph" on the Costes chair could symbolize the idea of ​​design as a universal, timeless and accessible concept, thus referring to a central place of perception.