Dining table and four chairs Afra (1937-2011) & Tobia Scarpa (born in 1935)
About the Item
- Creator:Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Diameter: 57.09 in (145 cm)Seat Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1975
- Condition:Refinished. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Altwies, LU
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1419239181002
Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa furniture today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Altwies, Luxembourg
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Office Table by Jean Prouvé and Jules LeleuBy Jean Prouvé, Jules LeleuLocated in Altwies, LUSet consisting of a office table and chair with angle structure. The whole being entirely lacquered in red-blood color. Furniture designed in 1934-35 for the sanatorium of Guébriant and sponsored by the French Army to the architects Abraham and Jacques Henri Le Même...Category
Vintage 1930s French Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsIron
- Side Table by Jean Prouvé and Jules Leleu from France, 1936By Jean Prouvé, Jules LeleuLocated in Altwies, LUSide table in metal tube entirely lacquered in red-blood color. Furniture designed in 1934-1935 for the sanatorium of Guébriant and sponsored by the French Army to the architects Abraham and Jacques Henri Le Même...Category
Vintage 1930s French Side Tables
MaterialsMetal
- "Senate Committee Chairs" by Pierre JeanneretBy Pierre JeanneretLocated in Altwies, LUSet of two senate-committee teak chairs, flat inclined backrest, compass base with tapered legs. Detached armrests with rounded. Seat, back and cuff covered with restored tropical fabric...Category
Vintage 1950s Indian Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Upholstered Sofa Easy Chair" by Pierre JeanneretBy Pierre JeanneretLocated in Altwies, LUArmchair in solid teak and cotton. Backrest, seatback and armrests slightly upside down, covered with a yellow fabric. Teak type legs with flat profiled legs, connected by two suppor...Category
Vintage 1950s Asian Armchairs
MaterialsTeak
- Confiturier in Sterling SilverLocated in Altwies, LUMounted on a square base decorated with foliage and supported by four rocky feet. The crystal jammer is covered with its lid held by a pair of side handles...Category
Antique 19th Century French Serving Pieces
MaterialsSilver
- Pierre Jeanneret Set of Two "Senate-Committee" ChairsBy Pierre JeanneretLocated in Altwies, LUSet of two "Senate-committee" teak chairs, flat inclined backrest, compass base with tapered legs. Detached armrests with rounded. Seat, back and cuff covered with restored red leath...Category
Vintage 1950s Indian Bergere Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Afra and Tobia Scarpa Set of Four Dining Chairs, circa 1960By Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in New York, NYSet of four beautifully sculpted maple wood and boucle dining chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa. The backrest is elegantly narrow and reaches down to the floor, with a triangu...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBouclé, Maple
- Dialogo Dining chair by Tobia and Afra ScarpaBy B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in London, GBAn iconic and much sought after design, the Dialogo dining chair was designed in 1974 by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for BB Italia. This one is in beautiful condition, the cognac leather h...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa Set of Four 'Monk' Dining Chairs in Red Leather and AshBy Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Waalwijk, NLAfra & Tobia Scarpa for Molteni, set of four 'Monk' dining chairs, ash, leather, Italy, 1974. The wonderfully red leather forms a striking combination with the blond wood. Interesti...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Ash
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Polygonon' Dining Table & Mario Bellini Dining ChairsBy Mario Bellini, B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Waalwijk, NLAfra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, dining table 'Polygonon', glass, electro-coated stainless steel, Italy, 1984 Behold this astonishing table with an aesthetically pleasing layout ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Four Italian Mastro Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa, c.1970sBy Molteni & C, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in London, GBFour Mastro chairs in metal and fabric by Afra & Tobia Scarpa, c.1970s Lacquered metal and fabric Dimension: W50 x D46 x H76 cm.Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa Plywood Dining Chairs, 1973, Set of 8By Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa plywood dining chairs, metal and plywood, Italy, 1973, set of eight. Following the typical geometric line of the Scarpa duo, this particular chair features an ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal