Pair of Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Manufacturer),Vico Magistretti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 19.75 in (50.17 cm)Depth: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6311229199652
Vico Magistretti
As one of the founding fathers of modern Italian design, prolific architect and industrial designer Ludovico Magistretti (known by his nickname Vico) was guided by his philosophy, “There is no excuse for bad design.” His architectural projects are widely revered, and an ingenious meld of form and function can be found in his stylish and deceptively simple table lamps, sofas, armchairs and other mid-century furnishings.
Born in Milan, Magistretti followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (both architects) to study architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. At the outbreak of World War II, he fled to Switzerland, and it was there he met his role model and mentor, renowned humanist architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. Magistretti was inspired by Rogers’s vision to revive postwar Italy, and they collaborated on several reconstruction projects. Among Magistretti’s first architectural designs is a “poetic” round church, which he created for the QT8, an experimental Milanese neighborhood.
When Magistretti returned to Milan in 1945, he worked at his father’s architectural firm. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that he expanded his talents into design while working with furniture artisans.
In the 1960s, Magistretti began his 30-year working relationship with famed entrepreneur Cesare Cassina of the Cassina furniture manufacturing company. In their design approach, the two men shared a vision of the relationship between modernity and tradition and enjoyed a close bond (Magistretti designed Cassina’s luxurious villa in 1965). However, their friendship was not without contention.
Legend has it that upon seeing the prototype for Magistretti’s Maralunga sofa, Cassina hated it so much that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumpled into itself.
“Right, great, it looks perfect to me like that,” an unfazed Magistretti allegedly responded, and the Maralunga’s slumped, adjustable-height backrest was born. Incidentally, the Maralunga sofa won Italy’s Compasso d’Oro award as did his Eclisse lamp for Artemide and his Atollo lamp for Oluce.
Magistretti died in 2006, but his designs live on in galleries, museums and private residences and offices around the world.
Find a range of vintage Vico Magistretti furniture and lighting on 1stDibs.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Set of 4 Italian Rush Seat Chairs in the Style of Gio PontiBy Gio PontiLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of 4 Italian rush seat chairs in the style of Gio Ponti. Sleek and stylish ladder back dining chairs. Newly refinished. Minor imperfecti...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Chairs
MaterialsRush, Wood
- Pair of Italian Leather Sling ChairsLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of Italian leather sling chairs Italy, circa 1970’s Earthy olive green leather Leather newly restored Small markings to leather and one small imprint *See photos Wooden fr...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Pair of Carved Nordic Corner ChairsLocated in Los Angeles, CASwedish primitive monk chairs Sweden, early 20th century Each chair is unique in it’s composition and design Made of solid oak and with Intricately carved patterns and markings P...Category
Early 20th Century Swedish Armchairs
MaterialsOak
- Pair of Carved Nordic Oak Corner ChairsLocated in Los Angeles, CASwedish primitive monk chairs Sweden, early 20th century Each chair is unique in its composition and design Made of solid oak and with intricately carved patterns and markings Patina...Category
Early 20th Century Swedish Armchairs
MaterialsOak
- Pair of Mid Century Italian Sculpted Rattan & Iron ChairsLocated in Los Angeles, CAMid Century Italian Sculpted Rattan & Iron Chairs Sculptural handwoven rattan and iron hoop chairs Black metal curved hairpin base Patina from age and use Newly reconditioned Timel...Category
Mid-20th Century European Chairs
MaterialsIron
- French Metal Desk Chair by René Malaval "Radar" ChairBy Rene MalavalLocated in Los Angeles, CARené Malaval for Bloc Metal France, post war This vintage metal side chair will add wonderful texture and rich history to any room Composed...Category
Vintage 1940s French Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1960, Set of 8By Vico Magistretti, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoVico Magistretti "Carimate" dining chairs for Cassina, green lacquered wood and straw seat, Italy, 1960, set of eight. The "Carimate" chair is one of Vico Magistretti’s most famou...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Wood
- Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1960, Set of 6By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Philadelphia, PAVico Magistretti "Carimate" dining chairs for Cassina, wood and beautiful dark green velvet, Italy, 1960, set of six. The "Carimate" chair is one of Vico Magistretti’s most famous ch...Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1960, Set of 8By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Lonigo, VenetoVico Magistretti "Carimate" dining chairs for Cassina, red lacquered wood and straw seat, Italy, 1960, set of eight. The "Carimate" chair is one of Vico Magistretti’s most famous ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Wood
- Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1960, Set of 4By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Lonigo, VenetoVico Magistretti "Carimate" dining chairs for Cassina, red lacquered wood and straw seat, Italy, 1960, set of four. The "Carimate" chair is one of Vico Magistretti’s most famous c...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Wood
- Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1960, Set of 6By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Lonigo, VenetoVico Magistretti "Carimate" dining chairs for Cassina, black lacquered wood and straw seat, Italy, 1960, set of six. The "Carimate"chair is one of Vico Magistretti’s most famous c...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Wood
- Vico Magistretti "Carimate" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1960, Set of 4By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Lonigo, VenetoVico magistretti "Carimate" dining chairs for Cassina, black lacquered wood and straw seat, Italy, 1960, set of four. The "Carimate" chair is one of Vico Magistretti’s most famous...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Wood
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.