Vintage Italian Borsani P40 Reclining Lounge Chair, Original Black Leather
About the Item
- Creator:Tecno (Manufacturer),Osvaldo Borsani (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 35.44 in (90 cm)Width: 28.35 in (72 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7782234470522
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.
Tecno
Eugenio Gerli (b. 1923) is an Italian architect and industrial designer known for his long-lasting collaboration with the Italian architect-designer Osvaldo Borsani and the Italian manufacturer Tecno. In 1949, Gerli graduated with a degree in engineering and began his career a year later, opening his own architectural and industrial design practice. Architecturally, the firm focused on residential and public buildings, as well as the renovation of historic Italian buildings. Notable architectural projects include the Cardiology Clinic in Laveno-Mombello (1950), the Ambasciatori Theater in Milan (1954), the renovation and restoration of the Castiglioni Palace (1903). Gerli was joined by his two sons, Enrico and Guido, in the 1970s. In 1957, Gerli began a long and fruitful collaboration with the Borsani brothers, Fulgenzio and Osvaldo Borsani (1911–85), founders of the Italian furniture manufacturing company Tecno. In 1968, Gerli and Osvaldo Borsani exhibited their revolutionary Graphis Office System (1967) at the 14th Triennale di Milano. The system, which was made up of just three basic elements, was heralded as a revolution in office furniture design because the system’s modular components allowed unlimited and customizable combinations, which could grow (or contract) with the company. The system remained a bestseller for decades, and Tecno became synonymous for technologically-advanced design. The partnership between Gerli and Tecno lasted for more than 35 years. During the 1970s, Tecno launched its Centro Progetti Tecno (CPT), an in-house team dedicated to communications and industrial design work. The team, which included Gerli, Valeria Borsani, Kugo Toru, Borsani and his son Marco, became a driving force of technologically advanced ideas in design. Although Borsani remained in charge, the purpose of the department was to present future designs as group creations. The CPT was responsible for a number of the company’s successes, including the molded plastic Modus Office Chair (1972), which won the SMAU Prize in 1973; the steel mesh Waiting System (1983), a modular seating and table concept for large public spaces; and the rebranding of Alitalia worldwide (1982–84), for which Centro Progetti Tecno was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1984. Although Gerli's career as an architect-designer was prolific, his work is often overshadowed by his contemporaries and the legacy of his long-term partner, Osvaldo Borsani.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Vintage P40 lounge chair by Osvaldo BorsaniBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Milano, ITBorsani P40 Lounge Chair - Italian Collectible Furniture - Mid Century Armchair Designed in 1956 by Italian architect Osvaldo Borsani, the P40 lounge chair - where "P" stands for "Poltrona", Italian for armchair - is one of the most iconic pieces of Italian Mid-Century Modern design. With a revolutionary approach, Borsani created a finely engineered piece of seating. From the tubular legs and elastic rubber armrests to the reclining backrest, seat and footrest, the chair blends the comfort of traditional lounge chairs...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Stainless Steel
- Vintage P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, First SeriesBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Milano, ITBorsani P40 Lounge Chair - Italian Collectible Furniture - Mid Century Armchair - Collectible Italian Mid Century Designed in 1956 by Italian architect Osvaldo Borsani, the P40 loun...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Stainless Steel
- Vintage Mid Century Modern Borsani D70 Reclining Sofa, Grey Fabric, CollectibleBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Milano, ITOsvaldo Borsani has been one of the most relevant designers of the Italian Twentieth century. He began his career in the late 1930s penning art-deco pieces, but successfully evolved ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal, Steel
- Vintage iconic Joe Colombo Elda armchair, Italian Space Age 1960s, Black LeatherBy Joe Colombo, Comfort, ItalyLocated in Milano, ITIt’s 1963, Space Age is at its dawn, and Italian architect Joe Colombo designs a piece that will define the aesthetics of the era: we’re of course talking of the Elda chair, named af...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Fiberglass
- Brutalist Meccano Lounge Chair by Spinzi, Italian Collectible DesignBy SpinziLocated in Milano, ITSharp, masculine and playful are the pieces of Meccano Collection. The technical aspect of the construction world to car lifestyle give back a unique attitude to the collection. Edgy...Category
2010s Italian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCut Steel
- Vintage Formanova Alessandra Lounge Chairs, Giulio Moscatelli, New Dedar FabricBy Giulio Moscatelli, FormanovaLocated in Milano, ITIf you think these lounge chairs are tipycally Eighties, think again: for how incredible it might seem, Gianni Moscatelli designed these beauties in 1969 for italian furniture brand ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- 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
- Original Osvaldo Borsani P40 Reclining Chair, Tecno, Italy, 1950s/60sBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in London, GBAn original Osvaldo Borsani P40 Reclining Chair, Tecno, Italy, 1950s. All hardware in working order. Reclines and adjusts into a h...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Osvaldo Borsani "P40" Lounge Chair for Tecno S.p.A., Italy, 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Utrecht, NLThe P40, designed in 1955, is not only the most famous design of Italian architect and designer, Osvaldo Borsani, but of Italian mid-century design as well. This model is part of the...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- P40 Lounge Chairs by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno with Original Upholstery, 1954By Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Wolfurt, AT1st edition P40 armchair designed by Osvaldo Borsani in the 1950s and made by Tecno in Italy. The chair can be change into different positions. The seat, back and the footrest are ad...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Brass
- 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
- 1956, Osvaldo Borsani, P40 Adjustable Lounge Chair in Terra Red FabricBy Tecno, 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 Beach, find more details on his family name plus eu, is for sale soon too. :-) Beautiful P40 in a special terra brownish red color color. The upholstery is new. The chair is in good condition. The P 40 is a reclinable...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsMetal
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.