Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Italian, 1911-1985
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair (1953). Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo di Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests. But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Osvaldo Borsani
Dealer: Hannau
Borsani-Gerli by Tekno Round Glass and Metal Dinning Room Table, 1960
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Elegant and essential glass table, with Italian design from the first half of the last century.
Table of Tecno mod. T69, designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli. Table with gl...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Materials
Metal
Fossati Attilio & Arturo Rectangular Walnut Conference Dining Table, 1957
By Osvaldo Borsani, Fossati, Attilio & Arturo
Located in Rome, IT
Surprising and still contemporary design for the time, if you consider that it is a table from the early 1950s; still very original and unique in its style. Clean and simple design.
...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Materials
Brass
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Wood and Leather Chairs, 1960
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Simple structure but much elegance to this set of 6 chairs of Italian design of the 1950s.
Six Osvaldo Borsani punched Chairs from 1960. All covered in red leather ( the leather is ...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Materials
Leather, Wood
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Set of Six Dining Chairs by Osvaldo Borsani
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Mahogany with patinated brass details.
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Set di 12 sedie da pranzo , Osvaldo Borsani Etichetta Originale ABV
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T69 Low dining table by Osvaldo Borsani & Eugenio Gerli for Tecno
By Eugenio Gerli, Osvaldo Borsani
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T69 low dining table by Osvaldo Borsani & Eugenio Gerli for Tecno.
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Round Marble Dining Table (T69A) designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli i
By Osvaldo Borsani
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Round Marble Dining Table (T69A) designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli in 1963/64. Produced by TECNO.
Brushed metal base with the inner sides finished in matt black enamel. ...
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H 29.34 in Dm 55.12 in
1957 Natural Oak Dining Table
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Handcrafted, natural oak dining table, made out of recovered solid wood.
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P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani Chair for Tecno
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Located in Dallas, TX
Early production P40 lounge chair designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1950s. The lounge, with an extendable footrest, is designed to recline and can be set in several posit...
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Osvaldo Borsani Tecno Modus Desk Chair
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Red Osvaldo Borsani Revolving Office Chair
Produced by Tecno in Italy circa 1970
Plastic seat on aluminum frame with caster wheels.
Perfect for a small desk.
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Osvaldo Borsani & Eugenio Gerli for Tecno Oval Dining Table in Marble
By Eugenio Gerli, Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, dining table 'T102', lady onyx marble, brass-plated steel, Italy, 1964
The designers Borsani and Gerli created an outstanding piece of furniture together that deserves a prominent place in one's living room. Designed for Italian manufacturer Tecno, this dining room table originates from 1964. The tabletop owns its intricate appearance due to the lady onyx marble with its expressive grey veins alternated by pink hues. In addition, the brass base carries a concave construction that gently remind of organic occurring dynamics.
Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, raised by a family of fine furniture makers in Varedo. At the age of 16, he joined his father’s furniture shop, the Atelier di Varedo, which was fully engaged in designing and furnishing homes inspired by the Italian Art Deco movement. The designer of the atelier was the Italian architect Gino Maggioni (1898-1955) who was known for his Viennese Jugendstil orientation of the early 20th century. In the 1930s, he graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Politecnico di Milano, where he studied Fine Arts and Architecture respectively. In 1932, the family company was renamed ‘Arredamenti Borsani’ and opened its first studio in Milan. During this period, he encountered Avant-Garde artists of various artistic disciplines like Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Agenore Fabbri (1911-1998), Aligi Sassu (1912-2000), Roberto Crippa (1921-1972), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-) and Giò Pomodoro (1930-2002). These collaborations resulted in the creation of furniture and interior design projects with a high-level of craftsmanship and artistry. In 1953, Borsani founded together with his twin brother Fulgenzio Borsani ‘Tecno’, a design and manufacturing company that produced items based on mechanical innovations and refined technicality. The ‘P40’ adjustable lounge chair (1953) has become the ideological manifesto of Borsani's Tecno program, and still remains the best known, exemplary piece in the Tecno catalogue. Other iconic works that were produced by Tecno were created by Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Vico cham...
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1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Materials
Marble, Steel, Brass
H 29.34 in W 70.87 in D 43.31 in
Modus Office Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
Off white plastic office swivel chair with orange/red wool fabric resting on an aluminium base with the original castors which functions well. Designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno i...
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20th Century Italian Modern Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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Large Round Art Deco Dinning Table
Located in Kastrup, DK
Large round Art Deco dining table.
The table top has a diameter of 155 cm and is crafted in Narra hardwood. Base in elm.
From the...
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1920s Philippine Art Deco Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli for Tecno Round Dining Table
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, Eugenio Gerli
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, dining table, model T69, wood, enameled steel, Italy, 1964
The designers Borsani and Gerli created together an outstanding piece of fur...
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1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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Osvaldo Borsani Canada chair Tecno Italy 1965
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Iconic so called 'Canada' lounge chair model P110 designed by Osvaldo Borsani and manufactured by Tecno, Italy 1965. The Canada chair is constructed by 2 moulded plywood side panels, connected with 2 bent wooden cross bars, which holds the frame in balance and a part. The thick leather upholstered cushion structure hangs in the frame and is connected with black plastic caps. The Canada seating series was developed from some rough initial sketches by Valeria Borsani and Marco Fantoni while they were still young...
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Previously Available Items
Osvaldo Borsani Mahogany and Leather Italian 6 Chairs, 1950
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Innovative, for a design that is still contemporary today, I would dare to say an eternally brilliant shape. Precious mahogany wood material. In the true style of Osvaldo Borsani in ...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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Pair of Osvaldo Borsani Mahogany and Geometric Velvet Italian Chairs, 1950
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Very elegant Italian chairs by Osvaldo Borsani, with its unmistakable design, cared for down to the last detail.
The chairs are all in mahogany wood, very beautiful woodwork both ...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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H 38.59 in W 19.69 in D 18.9 in
Six Osvaldo Borsani Chairs
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Six Osvaldo Borsani chairs, all in rosewood wood and covered with a fabric with geometrical patterns. Very nice the two front legs with small grooves.
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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Pair of Borsani Chairs, 1950
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Beautiful pair of Borsani chairs, 1950s. All stained beech and upholstered in velvet white crumpled.
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Pedestal Table Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Osvaldo Borsani round marble pedestal table, dining table, top in marble and leg in wood. Very particular and Classic of Borsani table.
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
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Osvaldo Borsani Buffet with Mirror
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Osvaldo Borsani sideboard or buffet with large detachable mirror and black glass top. This sideboard or buffet is part of an entire dining room ensemble, sideboard or buffet, 6 chair...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Materials
Brass
Osvaldo Borsani Bar Cabinet
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Osvaldo Borsani mahogany bar cabinet with three doors enclosing mirrored maple interior with two drawers, glass shelves with brass supports and mirrored back, the lower section with ...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Furniture
Materials
Brass
Osvaldo Borsani furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Osvaldo Borsani furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Osvaldo Borsani furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Osvaldo Borsani were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Ico Parisi, Gianfranco Frattini, and B&B Italia. Prices for Osvaldo Borsani furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $330 and can go as high as $397,156, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,205.
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