Osvaldo Borsani "P40" Lounge Chair for Tecno S.p.A., Italy, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Tecno (Manufacturer),Osvaldo Borsani (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 34.26 in (87 cm)Width: 27.96 in (71 cm)Depth: 49.61 in (126 cm)Seat Height: 13.39 in (34 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in a burnt orange velour fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.
- Seller Location:Utrecht, NL
- Reference Number:
Osvaldo Borsani
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Utrecht, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Sculptural Lounge Chairs by Nino Zoncada for Frimar, Italy 1950sBy Nino ZoncadaLocated in Utrecht, NLThe postwar boom years of the 1950s through to the 1960s were one of the periods of greatest influence of Italian designers. Design in the 50s paved a way to a more aesthetical approach to products as opposed to its utilitarian predecessors, resulting in exceptional pieces like these lounge chairs. Giovanni “Nino” Zoncada was an Italian furniture designer who worked extensively designing furniture and interiors for luxury ships. In the late 1940s, Zoncada collaborated with Gio Ponti in the interior design of the cruise liners Conte Biancamano and Conte Grande. Among his most famous furniture designs are these iconic and richly upholstered lounge chairs with relatively high and curved armrests. This pair of lounge chairs combines a luxurious dark velvet fabric...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood, Velvet
- Italian Mid-Century Upholstered Lounge Chairs, Italy 1950sLocated in Utrecht, NLThe 1950s saw brilliant Italian designers working to create furniture of the highest quality that explored truly modern shapes and forms. These designers experimented with new materi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Italian Mid-Century Wingback Lounge Chair, Italy 1950sLocated in Utrecht, NLThe 1950s saw brilliant Italian designers working to create furniture of the highest quality that explored truly modern shapes and innovative techniques. Designers experimented with ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Upholstered Lounge Chairs, Italy 1950sLocated in Utrecht, NLThese individualistic chairs possess a playful and stylish look that Italian Modern furniture is beloved and coveted for. Defined by the stylish silhouette of the design covered in a...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Svante Skogh "Pallas" Lounge Chairs for Asko, Finland, 1950sBy Asko, Svante SkoghLocated in Utrecht, NLThis pair of spectacular “Pallas” chairs by Swedish designer, Svante Skogh dates to 1954 and is a rather rare example of the interior and furniture design...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of Lounge Chairs Attributed to Gio Ponti for ISA Bergamo, Italy 1950sBy Gio Ponti, ISA BergamoLocated in Utrecht, NLThis elegant pair of lounge chairs is attributed to the Italian designer Gio Ponti and was produced by ISA Bergamo in Italy during the 1950s. Several of Ponti’s designs had been manu...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of "P40" Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMP40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Adjustable backrest armrests and seat, expandable footrest. Leather cover...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- First Edition P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, 1960s, ItalyBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Renens, CHOsvaldo Borsani, an Italian architect and furniture designer, aimed to create a lounger that would go beyond the bulky, static nature of the “comfortable chair”. The result was the P40 lounge chair, which could be adjusted in many different positions depending on the user’s preferences. With the P40 lounge chair, Borsani created one of the most recognized pieces of the Italian post-war design movement. Available we have a first edition P40...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Osvaldo Borsani P40 All Original Lounge Chair for TECNO, Italy, circa 1960By Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandIntroducing this excellent and still completely original P40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for TECNO Italy, circa 1960. If you are looking for a design period original in gorgeous ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- 1956, Osvaldo Borsani, for Tecno, P40 Lounge ChairBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis chair is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beac...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Early Osvaldo Borsani P40 Lounge Chair for TecnoBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Dallas, TXEarly lounge chair model P40 designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. The P40 armchair can be adjusted into countless positions. The seat, back and footrest can all be adjusted separat...Category
Vintage 1950s Chaise Longues
MaterialsMohair
- P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani Chair for TecnoBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Dallas, TXEarly 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...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Mid-Century Master Osvaldo Borsani Gets His Due at Donzella
The New York City gallery has devoted its latest show to the work of the modernist Italian designer.
Peek inside Osvaldo Borsani’s Mod Italian Villa
The iconic mid-century estate outside of Milan opens its doors to the public for a very special homage.