'Califfo' 3-Seat Sofa Bed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1960s
View Similar Items
'Califfo' 3-Seat Sofa Bed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Ettore Sottsass (Designer),Poltronova (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.41 in (62 cm)Width: 78.75 in (200 cm)Depth: 33.47 in (85 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Refinished. Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Savona, IT
- Reference Number:Seller: S05661stDibs: LU1850319950782
Ettore Sottsass
An architect, industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, Ettore Sottsass led a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century.
Sottsass was the oldest member of the Memphis Group — a design collective, formed in Milan in 1980, whose irreverent, spirited members included Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves and Shiro Kuramata. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown “corporatized” modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s. Memphis (the name stemmed from the title of a Bob Dylan song) countered with bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork. They mocked high-status by building furniture with inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes such as animal skins. Their work was both functional and — as intended — shocking. Even as it preceded the Memphis Group's formal launch, Sottsass's iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell and radical pops of pink neon — embodies many of the collective's postmodern ideals.
Sottsass's most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981 — notably the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. As pieces on 1stDibs demonstrate, however, Sottsass is at his most imaginative and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
It was as an artist that Ettore Sottsass was celebrated in his life, in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 2006, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art a year later. Even then Sottsass’s work prompted critical debate. And for a man whose greatest pleasure was in astonishing, delighting and ruffling feathers, perhaps there was no greater accolade. That the work remains so revolutionary and bold — that it breaks with convention so sharply it will never be considered mainstream — is a testament to his genius.
Poltronova
Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.
Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.
In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.
- Ettore Sottsass model "Califfo" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960sBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Skokie, ILEttore Sottsass model "Califfo" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s Additional Information: Materials: Lacqured wood, upholstery Dimensions: 22" H x 979" W x 31 1/2" D Condition: Ver...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood
- Ettore Sottsass Califfo Sofa in Wood and Multicoloured Velvet Poltronova 1960sBy Poltronova, Ettore SottsassLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITTwo-seater Califfo sofa with a structure in a orange/red lacquered wood seat and back are structured by cushions upholstered with velvet fabric in a mixed...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Velvet
- Mid-Century Orange "Califfo" Sofa by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova, Italy, 1960sBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern orange "Califfo" sofa by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Stringa 2-seater Leather Sofa by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960sBy Poltronova, Gae AulentiLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesDesigner - Gae Aulenti Producer - Poltronova Model - Stringa 2-seater Sofa Design Period - Sixties Measurements - Width 132 cm x Depth 90 cm x Height 74 cm x Seat Height 40 cm Mater...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Postmodern Danube 850 3-Seater Sofa by Ettore Sottsass for Cassina 1992By Ettore SottsassLocated in Stavenisse, NLVery rare by one of the greatest Italian designers to date. Ettore Sottsass, known for his outlandish creative designs, is a very strong name in the design space. Many iconic designs...Category
1990s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Italian Danube sofa by Ettore Sottsass for CassinaBy Ettore Sottsass, CassinaLocated in Milano, ITImmerse yourself in the captivating world of postmodern design with the legendary "Danube" sofa, a two-seater masterpiece designed by the iconic Ettore Sottsass for Cassina in 1992. ...Category
1990s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsIron